Supposing you are stuck with Verizon (Sprint's network doesn't penetrate the old brick walls at home or work - Good/Fair based on their coverage map), does that change your recommendation I.P. Daley? As my phone is dying I've had to consider these same questions, and the quality of service has been the main factor leaning towards Page Plus.
I have no idea for certain, but it sounds like it might be a proximity to tower plus
UHF frequency for voice combo issue with providers in your area. Unfortunately, there's no maps breaking down cellular carriers by frequency, so you can't be 100% certain what starts and ends where in your case. (They'd rather lump frequencies between technologies together to pad their map coverage instead of disclosing exactly what works where.)
For the record, Verizon and AT&T both use 850MHz and 1900MHz frequency bands for voice service. Sprint uses 800MHz and 1900Mhz. T-Mobile uses 1700MHz, 1900MHz and 2100MHz. Technically, the lower the frequency, the better the signal penetration, but the difference between the frequencies are negligible with cellular services, and you get into other things like reflection and propagation that make up for the deficiency with the higher bands. The point being, YMMV, and there's a lot of factors that contribute to reception issues between providers, including the antenna designs in the handsets themselves.
In your case, if you're looking at a new phone, I'd consider in addition to Verizon, doing a little AT&T and T-Mobile coverage research as well. It's clear Sprint is a no-go, but the others might very well work, and if you (or anyone else) is in the "new handset" situation anyway, you might as well take a look at using a different carrier and even cellular technology. There's other advantages to GSM service such as cheaper phones, cheaper service (especially data), and network and carrier portability with the handset (easier to switch providers). However, if you're stuck with needing Verizon, then Big Red it should probably be in your case. Unfortunately, Page Plus appears to be doing a false split by excluding LTE handsets on the cheaper plans, so you're still stuck with flashing if you want to use them on cheaper plans, and the LTE SIM cards are proving to be hideous expensive. Their customer service is getting worse too, as has any MVNO that America Movil purchases. Selectel is supposedly getting LTE "soon", but no date is set as yet. I'm still a little nervous recommending Selectel as well as they're still not
that old a provider, but they've gotten past the initial hump that usually kills most Verizon MVNOs - a lack of required subscriber numbers to get past the initial contract period. Worth looking into all the same if you're stuck with Verizon, though. Unfortunately, the only other viable and stable Verizon MVNO option is then Page Plus, which is owned by a company that I refuse to endorse with any of their other brands for the same reasons I feel itchy about recommending Page Plus these days.
This puts me between a rock and a hard place for Verizon refugees - your choices are now dealing with Carlos Slim or taking a gamble on a less established company. Neither are good options on my iron triangle when quality should be a non-negotiable with my advice. As such, I make a point to just recommend leaving Verizon if you have the option or opportunity, and to avoid CDMA entirely if possible and opt for GSM service if given the choice. The options are just
better all around with GSM MVNOs because the market is more open to competition as you don't
have to buy a new handset just to
potentially switch providers.
As for why I recommend what I did for Dios, it comes down to the whole multi-line management issue in their case when factored against usage area and the minimal price differences between carriers for their needs. Auto-payment is a valuable tool when you're managing the entire family's phone service. Page Plus falls short on that. Dealers like Kitty pick up the slack on that front, but they charge an additional premium for the service as has been pointed out... when you consider that Page Plus is no longer rolling the taxes and fees into their prepaid prices, it's just a little extra margarita salt in the plethora of papercuts that choosing Page Plus creates. Some people are fine with that, and others simply don't have a choice. For me, it's one too many compromises with advice from a stranger when I know there's better out there for the money.
