Poor cell service

[DC_MC]

We are currently at a thousand trails in Acton CA. No cell service for our T-Mobile phones. Up where the bars show it goes to ‘SOS’. And when we drive out we have to turn the phone off and back on before it gets a signal again. Never seen the SOS thing before.

[Dutch_12078]

wa8yxm wrote:
Some phones have the ability to use an alternative network or even satalite service for 9-1-1 Emergency (SOS) calls. This is a new feature of the latest phones....

All US cell phones have had the ability to make 911 calls without a service plan since the 1990's. All that's needed is a connection to any cell tower serviced by any carrier per FCC regulations.

How Can a Smartphone Always Make Emergency Calls?

[rk911]

wa8yxm wrote:
Some phones have the ability to use an alternative network or even satalite service for 9-1-1 Emergency (SOS) calls. This is a new feature of the latest phones....

For best Cell service you still need two competing carriers or a phone and account that has the ability to use an alternative service... T-Mobile used to have a mutual agreement with AT&T though of late I've seen Verizon as the alternate.. So without asking T-mobile.. I'm not sure which, If any, their alternative provider is (you may have to pay a roaming charge for the alternative service if used and may not have DATA access)

my earlier post explains the SOS.

[wa8yxm]

Some phones have the ability to use an alternative network or even satalite service for 9-1-1 Emergency (SOS) calls. This is a new feature of the latest phones....

For best Cell service you still need two competing carriers or a phone and account that has the ability to use an alternative service... T-Mobile used to have a mutual agreement with AT&T though of late I've seen Verizon as the alternate.. So without asking T-mobile.. I'm not sure which, If any, their alternative provider is (you may have to pay a roaming charge for the alternative service if used and may not have DATA access)

[rk911]

found this.