I know we're all well aware that the cell phone network falls apart in emergencies...

HOWEVER

A few months ago, I picked up - for TEN CENTS on clearance at the local Staples - a Tracfone - a Nokia Model 1100 - for my wife. It came with 20 minutes of air time, I figured it was cheaper than a 4 minute call, so we'd try it.

Well, suffice it to say we were VERY happy. You see, out here, cell phone service is spotty, at best. I carry the Verizon LG6000 phone, and I find that there are MANY places where I can't get a call out - while my wife's little Nokia did just fine.

Some investigation into WHY ensued.

As it turns out, Tracfone does not own or operate a cell phone network. It buys and brokers minutes on a number of carriers, including T-Mobile and Cingular.

The interesting thing about this is, unlike a phone from, say Verizon, which will "prefer" a verizon cell site over an AT&T cell site (because when Verizon "roams" onto an AT&T cell, that costs them money), even if the Verizon cell signal isn't as strong.

The Tracfone just looks for the best signal, and cares little about the network used.

For us the implications have been profound. Here on my desk, I have "No Service" on the Verizon phone. The Tracfone, sitting right next to it, has three bars. Empirical evidence that there IS decent cell service from SOMEONE here, but my Verizon phone won't use it.

Now, with a Tracfone, like many prepaid plans, you buy your minutes up front and use them up as needed. There's no monthly fee. For me, this was a matter of economics.

My cell phone usage is erratic, some months I'd use 30 minutes and other months I'd use 400. My average cell bill was $96 a month (all the taxes and stuff really add up) - so in a 30 minute month, that was $3.20 a MINUTE. Yikes! A sattelit phone is cheaper!

So I got a tracfone and while I miss some of the fancy features of the old verizon phone (I can't email this phone, and it can't send email, it's got no camera).

But I began to ponder what this phone means in an emergency. It's a phone that will seek out the cell network that's working. Hmm...that's useful. Imagine a situation where there are SOME cell towers working...but on different carriers.

Also, Tracfones are cheap. Really cheap. You won't find them for 10 cents like I did, you will find them for $20 at Wal-Mart and K-Mart.

Now an extra phone you throw in your gear bag, charged up with a year's worth of minutes (you have to use up your minutes on some time shedule - varies from 60 days from purchase to a year), you now have a phone that's going to be a great backup and is small and light and has good battery life - and won't drain your pocketbook. Oh and the Nokia 1100 has a flashlight built in. Really.

I threw an extra one in my kit tonight, it's good for 90 days for the minutes I've put on it, and my calendar is marked for a kit checkout and use up the minutes and recharge the phone (both battery and minutes) in 88 days from today.

it's working out great for us. I don't get anythign from Tracfone for this, it's just my own observations.