Cell Phone Service

[DOXXP29 5]

This is inspired by the news showing the cease fire in Lebanon and everybody using cell phones to call each other, even though many cell towers and much of the infrastructure had been destroyed. In the DC area, cell service is spotty at best. Dropped calls and calls breaking up are the norm, no matter what carrier one uses. If one can drive five miles with no interruptions, it's very surprising. (Yes, I use Bluetooth handsfree while driving.) What about everyone else? What is the service like in your area? Of all the metro areas I've been in (in the US), DC seems to be the worst. Do your often get the urge to chuck the fone out the window, or do you talk for hours uninterrupted?

[GingerBlokey 30]

Well I live on the east coast of the UK in a little village about 10 miles out of Great Yarmouth and I have to cycle 5 miles to get any phone reception. Vodafone is actually the best for reception in the UK but I dont know why I cant get any here. I dont know of any cities in the UK with no mobile reception. I expect its probably quite patchy in Scotland because of the mountains.

[callagrafx 3]

Actually GB...Orange has a stronger network signal strength wise, but Vodafones is a bit more robust (I've been thru them all).

Wales isn't bad until you get into Boggy country then it's a bit flaky.

[amal81 3]

I have Huthisson Essar, which is a subsidiary of the Hutchison Whampoa Corp. The signal strength is very good and they allow me to send 250 text messages at less than a 80c a month

[MadTV_Freak 0]

DOXXP29, I ABSOLUTELY agree with you.

Me living in DC, cell phone calls are always the worst. I can be traveling on New York Avenue and Im like..... hello? I myself have Cingular, and the service is always good "ONLY around my house." Whenever I get near a powerline (especially the ones on Route 50), it's like, where did the bars go. Sometimes I want to throw my phone at the car next to me, and then willingly pay them the damages. But anyway, I have to agree with you.... DC is definitely the worst.

[Mrkeacher88 0]

In New Hampshire, cell service usually follows the highways. But stray too far from them and it gets spotty. Especially up north with the mountain its very difficult to find a signal. But if your town/city has a highway going through it or is somewhat populated (which in NH is very few places) your in luck.

[rhino120 2]

I have Verizon and live in the Dayton Ohio area. I very seldom have any reception problems, but I don't stay on the phone too much anyway because I hate talking on the it.

[paperboy15 4]

I live in Fresno, CA and use Cingular...the coverage is fine except at my house where it can get spotty (perhaps interfering with other electronics?), even though my house is in central Fresno!

[Ryan B 35]

I've got Cingular. Works great at home, as there happens to be a cell tower less than 1/2 mile from my house. Coverage is spotty between Lyndonville and Interstate 90 ( the NYS Thruway ). Rarely a dropped call in the City of Buffalo, though!

[beebs 129]

I've never had problems with coverage in Edmonton. Heck, the whole trip down to the Rockies for my little camping trip, I always had at least 3 bars. And in our camping site in the Rockies, I had a full 5 bars. Of course, there was a Telus cell phone tower on top of the mountain not very far away, but still.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Dallas is  crapshoot for cell reception at best.( Cingular)

Some times its good other times 2 blocks away all of a sudden im in Roaming ( in the middle of the most Densely populated( Both Bussiness and residences) areas of Dallas ( The central Expressway Corridor, that goes from Downtown D to the Plano/Allen/Mckinney area,about 30 miles).

I swear its becuase all these new phones they have targeted to kids with 
music /TV Shows/movie/  downloads, sending text, Vidios and pictures. 
Its cloging up the bandwith SO STOP IT !    

some of us actualy make phone calls with cell phones.

[DOXXP29 5]

Glad to know I'm not alone, MadTV Freak! I also have Cingular. Sad part is, I've had others and Cingular is actually the best! I switched to a Motorola phone a year or so ago and that improved things a bit. (Was using Nokia and Sony Ericsson) Not only is 50 bad, Rt 5, 295 and 210 reception is abyssmal! Even downtown, and especially Rock Creek Park...fuhgeddaboudit! Being the nation's capital, a prime site for an emergency evacuation if there ever was one, between the roads and the cell service, we'd probably all be dead! Beebs & Ryanb, I've always has great reception in Canada and New York also.

[thesonofgray 0]

I have T-Mobile. I go between Houston, Austin, and San Antonio all the time and I honestly can't remember the last time I've had a dropped call or bad reception. Maybe T-Mobile and Texas are just a good combination.

[MsD 0]

I have sprint. I use a Samsung phone. The service stinks. There is a sprint office and tower about 1 mile from my house and I can't get above two bars. I have changed phones twice, didn't help. Sprint stinks, going to something else when the contract runs out.

[MadTV_Freak 0]

DOXXP29, that is also the truth.

Out of all the cell phone services Ive had..... Cingular seems to be the best. And there service can still be bad...

And yep..... its always the worst in Southeast DC around 295 and especially over by Indian Head Hwy.... its really a pain in the....

(you think of what I was about to say)..... and walking in Rock Creek Park or riding a bycicle is not really a walk in the park.... say I break my ankle and need to call 9-11, uh-oh.... no service. It can get really frustrating.... but I was in Orlando 2 weeks ago, my service was absolutely PERFECT..... go figure.