Im looking at buying an Ipad2 3G, and am wondering which network to sign up with?? My cell service is with niether so Im not partial to either. Also will one ipad work on both networks (not at the same time).

Any advice would be appreciated. I tried to search on the subject, but didn't find much. The pros and cons of each would be great!

Thanks in advance! Great site!

Welcome, Marty! I have AT&T for my 3G ~ I think now, Verizon is available too. I have no complaints at all!

Welcome to the boards. To answer your questions, you cant use the 3G iPad with both providers. Verizon and AT&T have different iPads. For the provider that you should choose really depends on where you live. I use AT&T because they have a faster 3g network and much better service here. I would see who is better where your located, if they both are about the same then see what provider you can get a system from first.

Sent from my iPad 2 using iPF

If you plan to take your iPad overseas then you should choose AT&T because their network uses GSM. Verizon use CDMA, which is not widely supported outside the USA. The two network protocols - GSM and CDMA - are completely different, so your Verizon iPad would not even work in Canada, let alone Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand etc.

Having said that, if you don't plan to take your iPad overseas, I'd look at the carrier's coverage maps to make certain you'll get good coverage in the areas you plan to use your iPad. As you're probably aware, outside urban areas cellular coverage is patchy in the US and varies pretty much on a carrier by carrier basis. So you easily find that the coverage is great for one carrier but non existant for another in an area you're visiting.

Enjoy your iPad

Tim
Scotland

Verizons price plans are super expensive.

sadly I would go with ATT. Faster speeds and cheaper data plans.

Verizons 3g may not be as quick as att but its hardly noticeable but I am going to +1 for verizon because they have by far the most 3g coverage in america. But get what's the most in the area you are going to be using it.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

I chose Verizon because they have great coverage in my rural location and they have wonderful customer service. Over the years I've used several providers and Verizon has been the best for me.

Verizon has a cheaper data plan for moderate users (1gb or less). I found that I only use up to 700mb per month even with heavy online surfing.

ATT has terrible network congestion in some cities which can slow data speed to a crawl, make sure you check out performance in your area. Verizon's network is more robust across the US. For example, ATT iPhone users report twice the number of dropped calls compared to Verizon.

Originally Posted by Tarkio

Verizon has a cheaper data plan for moderate users (1gb or less). I found that I only use up to 700mb per month even with heavy online surfing.

ATT has terrible network congestion in some cities which can slow data speed to a crawl, make sure you check out performance in your area. Verizon's network is more robust across the US. For example, ATT iPhone users report twice the number of dropped calls compared to Verizon.

yeah, but dropped calls and data are two separate things. Your not making calls with the ipad.

Originally Posted by MikesTooLz

Originally Posted by Tarkio

Verizon has a cheaper data plan for moderate users (1gb or less). I found that I only use up to 700mb per month even with heavy online surfing.

ATT has terrible network congestion in some cities which can slow data speed to a crawl, make sure you check out performance in your area. Verizon's network is more robust across the US. For example, ATT iPhone users report twice the number of dropped calls compared to Verizon.

yeah, but dropped calls and data are two separate things. Your not making calls with the ipad.

Dropped calls and slow data rates can both be caused by overcrowded networks. Where I live my Verizon iPad is almost twice as fast loading web pages as my ATT iPad during peak business hours, usually 2 - 6pm weekdays.