Roaming
What is roaming?
It is the process of making and receiving calls outside your local coverage
area. Roaming usually incurs extra charges.
Why am I roaming in my local coverage area?
ALLTEL does not own many of their own towers. When your phone shows a
flashing roaming indicator, it means you are connecting to a tower not owned
by Alltel, but a tower Alltel has an agreement with. You will not get
charged roaming if your indicator is flashing. If your indicator is
solid, you will get charged roaming.
To make sure your phone has the most recent ALLTEL coverage, update your
Preferred Roaming List software. It's free, and you can do it any time. To
update your software, please complete the following steps:
1. Make sure your wireless phone is on
2. Dial *228, then press SEND
3. Select option 2 (This process may take up to 2 minutes)
If your preferred roaming list is out of date, you may be picking up a
signal from another telecommunications provider. Once you perform this
update, your phone will stay on the ALLTEL network whenever possible. Other
benefits of updating your Preferred Roaming List software include:
- Longer battery life
- Stronger connections across the U.S.
What is the difference between roaming and long distance?
Roaming charges are incurred anytime you place or receive calls when you are
physically outside of your local coverage area. Long distance charges incur
when you make a call to a number outside of the local coverage area.
Why am I prompted to enter a credit card number to place a call when
roaming?
ALLTEL establishes agreements with other wireless carriers allowing our
customers to roam in their coverage areas. There are some wireless areas
where agreements have not been established. In these areas, customers must
enter a valid credit card in order to use your phone. Your wireless usage is
then billed to your credit card. If you are within your coverage area, and
getting this message, please contact ALLTEL technical support by dialing
*611 from your wireless phone.
Why was I charged for a call that was not completed when I was
roaming?
Even though the call was not completed while the phone was ringing, you were
using another company's service to try to complete the call. That is the
reason for the charge.
How much will I be charged for roaming or long distance?
Roaming charges are $.59 per minute. Long distance charges (while
roaming) are $.40 per minutes.