Cheaper Cell Phone Service Options??

[N2MINI]

Wife and I currently have Verizon cell phone service and have been with them and or the companies they have bought out for 25 years or so.. Pretty much the only service I have had, only time I've changed who gets the check is when they were bought out..

Obivously I've been happy with them and their service.. We both have just regular phones for calls and texting.. No data service..
Looking to maybe move up to that with our new contract when it comes around.. At that point we will be looking at close to $180 a month for 2 cell phones!!!! Which I think is plum crazy.....

So my question is for those of you that have or have tried some of the cheaper cell phone providers out there like, T- Mobile, Boost, Virgin,Trac-phone, Straight Talk, how did you like it?? How was their coverage in an around NC and surrounding areas... Do you still use their service?
I've looked at most of their maps compared to the bigger companies and it doesn't look to even cover the whole state of NC, but would like to hear first hand how was it??

Thanks,

[TKT2RIDE]

We had T-Mobile for many years in MN and here in NC. Very good service and no complaints about their customer service. Only issue we had was coverage, we switch over to Verizon because my daughter could not get the phone to work in her dorm at Boone. Check their coverage maps with the places you frequent, may narrow down your choices.

[blitzcat]

I've used StraightTalk for 6 months now. I have an AT&T iPhone 4s I own outright, and use Straight Talk (sim kit for AT&T). My bill is $48 a month for unlimited text, unlimited talking and unlimited data*. Everything is carried on the AT&T network, so I get the AT&T '4G' speeds and coverage. It even says "AT&T" as the carrier when the phone boots up, before switching to a more generic "Home". The coverage has been EXCELLENT. Never had a problem speed, and I have NO contract. The phone rings when people call, and I haven't had many call drops. All my text messages get delivered.
Compared to everything else in the US cellular market, the value is fantastic.

There are a couple of minor quibbles- being a pay as you go service ( typically for people with terrible credit or drug dealers)... customer service is not a strong point. The people in the customer service center are offshore, and treat you like the class of people I just described, should you bother calling them. Also, I get too many text messages and emails when they are about to charge my card each month, plus a second round of notices right after they do. Somehow its 6 bleeping messages over 4 days, each month. They also immediately sold the number they issued me to telemarketers, but those calls stopped after I joined the federal 'do not contact' list. Also, if you answer a call early on its first ring, you frequently have to press the 1 key to prove you aren't a voice mail system. Finally, this is a company half owned by WalMart. This is the worst part of the deal for me. Ethically, I want to just say no to giving them a cent of my money.

Overall, I highly recommend it for most people. If your cell phone is your source of business/primary income, SmartTalk is not a good idea. You need a store to go in when its not working right. But for everyone else, go buy a phone outright (contract free) and don't look back. ITS SOO MUCH LESS MONEY.