Wireless companies that don't suck?

[jftb.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking into a new wireless plan and I'm wondering which carriers have the best reception in this neighborhood. I've heard Cingular's coverage here is horrible; I currently have Verizon but I drop calls from time to time, and occasionally watch, mystified, as I go from 4 bars to 1 by simply shifting position in my chair. Any recommendations?

Comments

[komos.livejournal.com]

I have had no problems with Cingular anywhere in Medford/Somerville.

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

My god, mine is atrocious. Is there any chance there's something wrong with my phone? It was like this when I lived in Brighton, too.

[komos.livejournal.com]

I've got a Razr and my reception has been fine anywhere I've gone.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

I (now) have a Razr on Cingular too and my reception is spotty on the Tufts campus and its environs.

[siderea]

No problems with Cingular anywhere Somerville/Cambridge. I've got a crappy little Nokia that was free[*] with the plan.

[* Technically, it as -$10, since it was a $20 phone with a $30 signing rebate...]

[siderea]

Sorry, not Nokia; Siemans.

[cos]

All cell phone companies seem to suck in at least one way. Verizon does have the best coverage, by far, so the problem may be with your phone - either the design of the kind of phone you have, or damage or wear.

I have Sprint. The way they suck is in customer service. But usually there aren't a lot of problems, so I don't have to call customer service very often, so it works out. The thing I like best about Sprint is $15/month for unlimited Internet service, which includes unlimited SMS. I have a Treo, so I use the Internet a lot. Their coverage is quite good, and I don't have calls drop or lose signal anywhere in Cambridge or Somerville except in the subway. But Verizon has better coverage than Sprint, I'm pretty sure.

[uberjay.livejournal.com]

Supposedly, Sprint now has roaming agreements with Verizon—assuming your phone supports it, you ought to have coverage just as good as a verizon customer, but without the downside of actually being a Verizon customer. ;-)

For example, my brother just acquired an excellent non-crippled bluetooth phone from Sprint, but is able to take advantage of Verizon's network, EVDO included. I'm seriously considering switching to sprint for exactly this reason; they have much better data plans available at lower costs, and don't try to dick you over by selling crippled phones.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Verizon is the best around here. Sorry.

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I've always had great success with Verizon. All of my friends in the area who weren't on Verizon have gradually switched to it. There may still be the occasional dropped call or something, but it's still the best coverage in the area.

[jmorash.livejournal.com]

I, too, am happy with Verizon. It's most likely a problem with your phone (hardware wear and tear or a software bug).

[uberjay.livejournal.com]

Hi! :)

[taxine.livejournal.com]

For coverage, I haven't had an issue with Cingular yet, at least in Arlington/Somerville/Cambridge/Downtown/Dorchester, it always seems to work(though typically not underground)

[http://users.livejournal.com/urban_faerie_/]

DON'T GET CINGULAR

THEY FUCKING SUCK!

I haven't been able to make a clear call from my own home or from work in years.

[countlibras.livejournal.com]

It might be your building.

I have a friend who lives in a house that pretty much has no reception for any provider. Once you step outside though, everything is ok.

[rawrin.livejournal.com]

Yep, it could be the building - maybe it's a Faraday Cage!

[hotpoint.livejournal.com]

I have T-Mobile service and I haven't had problems with dropped or missed calls in Davis in the past year. The prices have been reasonable and I haven't gotten dinged with extra charges.

One issue with Cingular is that they're most of the way through a two-year process of merging several wireless networks, and it's likely they'll have more call drops than you'd expect from the signal strength until that's done.

[avacon.livejournal.com]

I've been fairly happy with T-Mobile in Davis Square, especially
since they added a new tower recently, and they have excellent
customer service and good pricing.

(I've heard that Verizon has better coverage, however.)