Coverage Reviews for Oakland, CA - By Zip Code

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Rating | Carrier | Zip Code

Sprint

i've lived in this neighbhood less than a month and twice now, my cell phone has had no service, at all, for several hours. it's unbelievably frustrating and actually dangerous to not be able to get any signal at all to make an outbound call. The worst cell reception is no reception. this is the second time in a week it's occurred, and it seems to be a long standing issue.

AT&T

AT&T and T-Mobile have poor reception in my area. When I try to talk on the phone, people can't hear me most of the time. My girlfriend has Verizon and it works great in my area. I wish AT&T would step up their game or I will have to look into changing to Verizon. Although Verizon is more expensive, I would rather make sure I'm able to make a phone call without any interference especially living in a high crime area.

AT&T

LOL! I get the 'no net coverage' and the beautiful phone symbol with a red line through it. Voice mails are received seconds after realizing I have a missed called that went straight to voice mail. My sisters states that they try calling me and it go straight to voice mail. Or something I get magical voice mails that don't have a missed call log. My phone isn't dead, I just have no service. I was told I have a strong area signal when I complained about the issue. Yeah so strong, that when I stick my phone out the window in my bedroom I get no service. I get bounced back text messages. Frustrating because I had to take my number off my resume while I'm job hunting and must use a landline. AT&T will not change because they haven't got any complaints of missed calls in the area. My contract is almost up, I have no problem walking away, I've had them since 2005. I've canceled both my former landline and internet service with them because of their lack of wireless service. They pretty much told me that their signal is essentially comparable to a radio signal and I'm not guaranteed 100% coverage. But can I at least get 50% coverage from my strong area signal?

Sprint

Perfect reception for calls and 3G, 4G is at a one bar inside buildings, full 4G reception outside, excellent service to have around.

Verizon

Would do better with a megaphone... Reception is terrible and calls drop usually every single call!

AT&T

Constant dropped calls. Bad, bad, bad. Don't use AT&T!

AT&T

Reception varies from day to day. Always bad though.Always drop every call too. I also hear myself talk back a lot when talking to someone.i called Cingular and they said the signal should be fine. It is not!

AT&T

Reception is Really Good through all of International Basically. Just kind of cuts off on High st.

Sprint

Reception is average at most time and calls are very clear. But loses reception alot while driving around.

AT&T

Really sketchy in the hills, on my way to work also. Seems to be getting worse.

Verizon

Although I hate the higher pricing of Verizon, I have to admit the reception for me has been pretty close to perfect at our home about midway in on Benevides. Still, I pay way too much. My neighbor has T-Mobile and told me she gets no reception in her house--has to go outside or find a sweet spot upstairs. I borrowed her phone to test T-Mobile in our home next door and I got service all throughout our main floor. None downstairs where my desk is though. Thinking about moving to T-Mobile for the much cheaper rates including texting... as long as I can get calls somewhere in the house!

AT&T

Just moved here with my iphone 3G (almost at the bottom of El Centro, north of Park), and my iphone is completely worthless. Most of the time I get 1 to 2 bars, but the phone drops every other call, and the rest just sound terrible. It doesn't matter if I have 3G turned on or off.

T-Mobile

Many dead zones inside my house. Frequent dropped calls.

T-Mobile

This used to be a dead zone until a couple of months ago. The T-Mobile web site coverage map shows all of its cell towers. It doesn't seem to show this upgraded service as of yet.

AT&T

I am on the old AT&T TDMA network. Years ago I had Cingular and could not get any reception inside the house. I switched to AT&T and their TDMA network and it has worked perfectly everywhere for years, until recently, when calls are now starting to drop -- primarily on the west end of the bay bridge. Cingular is now phasing out the TDMA network, and after reading all of these comments, I'm sorry they are doing so, since from the sounds of it, this TDMA service is the best thing going in terms of reliability. What use is a cell phone if one can't get coverage in the house / office?

AT&T

Averge to good reception. Now its below average and half the time no signal. Don't know problem. Friend said old GSM phone might be on wrong Cingular freq. I'm in the middle of city. what gives?

Verizon

Terrible coverage here. I am in and out on every call.

AT&T Wireless (TDMA)

It seems weird to be able to see across the Bay, including all of Eastern San Francisco, and still get little or no reception. I don't know how that's even possible! Reception in this area in very spotty, and calls are often dropped. Also, when I tried to use the phone in San Francisco, I couldn't complete a call -- yet people all around me were chatting away on their cells! Very frustrating.

AT&T

terrible reception. this is a busy neighberhood shopping district with 4 major banks and grocery stores. reception is absolutely terrible

MetroPCS

I have had cellular one, sprint, Verizon, and now Metro PCS, in this area. Cellular one is now AT and T. Bottom Line Verizon Wireless and Metro PCS have the best coverage and clear in the area. Yes Metro PCS, they both use cdma and they both share some of the same wireless lines in the bay area. Verizon first, then Metro PCS second as far as coverage. I have a Motorola v323i it has three modes, two of the modes happen to be digital and the third is analog. Analog helps in areas where digital doesn't carry a good signal. This phone by far has the best signal and most clear all over the bay area. So v323i if you have Metro PCS go with that phone. If you have Sprint go with the sanyo 8200 In the Golf Links area all the phones can be crappy. But the best two models phones in this area and other areas of Oakland, are the Motorola v323i for metro pcs, and the Sprint sanyo 8200 for sprint. Cheah!

Verizon

In this area of the town, cell reception for all carriers seems to be bad. I have used a Verizon vx9800 and it has been only 3 times that I was able to make it up golf links and almost half way up Elysian Fields. I have a friend that has a Sprint sanyo 8200 that who was able to make calls 75 percent of the time. I had the vx9800 LG phone for a year, it worked well in places where my sanyo 4900 didn't all over the bay area. I will write about my new phone with metro PCS next.

Sprint

I live up Golf Links off of Elysian Fields in Oakland. Reception normally cuts off when I start the trek up Golf Links right at the Zoo, in the first turn, it really doesn't work at all after that point, my calls just go to voicemail. Hopefully this helps somebody. My friend also has Sprint with a better model phone. A tri mode phone and it works 35 percent better than mine but they drop calls constantly as well. The only carriers that work better are Metro and Verizon, In Oakland Metro uses some of the Verizon towers, so that is all that I know about this area. Very Very Poor reception with sprint.

Verizon

bad reception that hasn't improved in at least the last 5 years

AT&T

With the merger of ATT and Cingular and the GSM network my phone reception has been horrible. I cannot complete a call without it being dropped no matter where I am. This includes California or New York! My phone was purchased from an authorized dealer so... you know the drill about finger pointing. Cingular says it's the phone (I'm on my fourth Nokia) and Nokia does nothing. Cingular is the worst carrier. who cares about rool over minutes when you can't make a call. I had an emergency call intot 911, even that call was dropped! Needless to say, I'm searchinhg for a new carrier.

AT&T

ATT is a nearly criminal organization. They continually sell phones that they do not have an infrastructure to handle. They know and admit that. The coverage map is pure fiction, and people at the retail stores have admitted that to me. What they do have is a huge corporation with a huge staff of lawyers so they can do as they please. My cell does not work in Albany or Montclair even though they assured me it would work in those areas when I bought it. The microcell works so sporadically it is useless as well. ATT couldn't make two cans and a string and not screw that up as well.

AT&T

I haven't had any issues in Oakland, but the reception is very bad near Alameda beach.

Sprint

Phone reception is good. Rarely do I drop calls although 3G speed is slow and 4G is nonexistent.

Sprint

When I leave the phone alone, I got 2 - 3 bars. Signal is intermitten, but then when I browse the net I got 1 bar and the speed take forever. Signal is fake. I was thinking about adding another line for my wife and upgrade to the Evo 3D but this won't happen at all. Luckily I discover this issue. For those want to go for Sprint shound take a look at this before deciding.

AT&T

On major city street cross road between Hwy. 880 and 580 and Alameda Country General Hospital. very poor signal... hope there is never a major emergency. Even what is considered the flatlands of Oakland, there are still Hills and Valleyies that block cell service.

AT&T

This phone is awful as well as the recption if you buy this phone use it for a paper weight. Recption is awful indoors and just ok outside. I do not recommend LG phones period just because of this one product. Inferior products from an inferior maker. ATT should be called A Terrible Telecom - those bars should be for those crooks who claim they work. I'm not joking, I am really not satisfied with these guys.

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