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We've been at this location for more than 3 years and never had a problem with signal strength and call quality until recently. Our problem (on both phones / lines) is that the first call doesn't always have audio when dialing and connecting. The call would go through but you can't hear the other person; you can't hear the dialing tone either. It's not a dropped call but a connected call without sound. So we'd have to hang up and redial and always, the second time it's fine. We've been having this issue for more than 2 months now and am considering leaving TMobile once our contract expires.

this is a dead zone no matter what phone you have and ATT wont let you out of your contract report them to the public utility commission and you should know that there are SEVERAL class action law suits against them in several states for not letting folks out of their contracts

The guy at the AT&T store in El Cerrito said a new tower is going up at Hopkins and Carlotta by Dec 31st so hopefully that will improve reception.

I share the frustration of all those AT&T customers. What's the use of having an iPhone if it's just an app machine and can't receive a phone call? I finally got out of a 2-year contract, and for all of two years I've dealt with hundreds of dropped calls, crackly reception, etc. I just wish I knew if this "Bermuda Triangle" of reception in Berkeley is an AT&T problem or a problem for all the carriers (the map shows that all the towers are pretty much located in the same area for all the carriers). At this point I think the only way to figure it out is to literally find other carriers' active phones and bring it to your house. Don't believe anything someone tells you from one of their companies, they are not in the business of being honest about their reception quality.

Reception was terrible for a long time, then got better for a few months. However the past few weeks have been terrible again. No service or one bar at most.

Verizon is pretty good almost anywhere else in the U.S. (I travel a lot), but it really sucks at home. Dropped calls are constant. I have to wander around my house every time I want to make a call in order to find a spot that gets even 1 bar. And, it keeps changing so I can never predict where the good reception will be. The local Verizon store a few blocks away has to use a special gadget / antenna just to boost their signal in order to get reception in their own store. Of course, part of the problem isn't Verizon -- they want to put up a few more cell towers to improve reception, but some Berkeley residents are afraid of being irradiated by cell phone towers. While there is no evidence for radiation danger from cell phone towers (at least on planet earth), the minority tyrannizes the rest of us who don't wear aluminum foil suits to protect us from those evil cell phone towers. Oh, please!

it takes a really long time for my virginmobile cell phone to connect a call

I have always have Good to Great reception just about eveyware in the Bay Area. I was'nt even aware bad reception or droped calls were a problem until I started looking into getting a new phone. The only time I have issues is when the cell phone battery gets really low. Other than that it has benn very reliable. I only wish the calling plans were as competative as some Cingular or verizine. Good: Reception, reliability, and sound quality. Bad: Cost, Freebee ring tones and wall paper. So if you want all the bells and wistles for free or a dirt cheap calling plan Nextel / Sprint is not a good choice. If you just need a phone to make phone calls than it won't let you down (as long as you remember to keep your battery charged).

My signal bars are always flucuating in this area, but my call sounds fine and I have yet to have one dropped. I hate to say it, but I think Cingular has raised the bar.

T-mobile sucks real bad here. I have to get all the way to MLK and / or upto to Ashby and San Pablo for this to work. It's about one to two bars and the cell phone in the house is pretty useless. Called T-Mobile and they have us apparently listed as being in a "fair" coverage area. I think we're in pretty much "no" coverage area. I'm not sure why it's so bad though, considers there are a couple of towers a mile east and a mile west of here.