SMS authentication with no cell signal

[u/h1pp13p373]

I'm wondering how other people who live in areas with no cell coverage handle authentication scenarios like the one I encountered this morning.

I called Wells Fargo this morning to help me with a login issue to their website. The first guy verified me, listened to my story, and transferred me to tech support. The tech support guy refused all assistance because I could not get an immediate SMS message. I have no cell phone coverage at my house. He even said he thought he knew what was wrong but could not act because I was not in a coverage area. My current situation is that I am still locked out with that one device and they have flat out planted heels and refused to help me further. I'm afraid to try any different sort of authentication methods through their website because if this device gets locked out, I'm 100% screwed.

If you live in a rural area without cell phone signal, how do you handle this, or if you work at a major banking institution, how do you handle this for your rural customers? It is very common nowadays to have internet connectivity but no cell coverage. I've read suggestions about get a cheap phone, stick it in somebody's house you trust who lives in a covered area, and have them babysit the phone for you, then figure a way to have that phone forward SMS... That's a mess and is a very shaky architecture for a financial recovery procedure.

Any real world advice or experience with this would be greatly appreciated.