A cell phone is a necessity in the oil fields. Besides being a means of communication it can also serve as a lifeline. Oil exploration can take you many miles from civilization and finding a cell phone provider that works out there can be problematic. More and more companies are investing in infrastructure; but it has been our experience that A T and T works best. I can't enumerate the times I have been asked to lend my phone. It makes me wonder what they would have done in an emergency. One good thing about A T and T's coverage is that we have rarely needed a booster. We learned the hard way and recommend you save yourself the trouble and follow this advice. If you're determined to keep your current provider, buy an A T and T burner phone from WalMart or Radio Shack.
Internet opens up a whole new set of challenges, especially if you're talking about high speed and multi gigabytes of usage. We originally came down with a Verizon MiFi that proved useless and bought an equally useless A T and T MiFi. We finally took the plunge and signed up for satellite internet from Exede. While we are very disappointed with their customer service and tech support, we are pleased with its capabilities. It is somewhat like our Dish service-once I learned to point it and troubleshoot it, I was happy with it. Oddly enough we get ten times more usage from our Exede than we did with the mobile hot spot, and it costs the same! Plus we have unlimited usage between midnight and five a.m.
If you plan to work very long in the oil patch, you will find that quality internet and cellular service are indispensable. Hopefully this advice has been helpful.
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