Switched from Verizon (yuk!) to T-Mobile (even worse) to Alltel - yippeee, I finally have reception at home and in my office downtown. Verizion used to just drop calls for no real reason - sometomes 5 bars but call would drop. T-Mobile has just poor coverage. Not very reliable. AllTel I think uses everyones elses towers as well as its own so as long as someone has reception, AllTel should get it. I have found a couple of drop zones, mainly on Interstate 75 north of Alachua but as you come out of the dip, it comes back on. Not had any problems in Gainesville though

I live in Gainesville, and have no problem in town. However, I travel to Starke, Keystone Heights and Palatka. In Starke, reception is fairly good. In Keystone Heights reception is almost non-existent and in Palatka, its hit or miss. Really a problem, since I have to be telephone accessible 24 / 7.

I was surprised to read so many bad reports with other providers, but I do agree with all the reviews of Alltel. I'm guessing there aren't as many Alltel reviews here because nobody is having any bad reception problems and looking for websites to write reviews but I found this site shopping around and wanted to share my experience. Great service all over, I never get a 'network busy' messages or dropped calls as reported by others with Cingular, I can use my phone whenever, all over the area. I'm not sure how they do it placing towers, but signal is always at full signal, 5 bars outside and might drop down one to 4 bars inside usually. But I can make or receive calls wherever, whenever. No problems when UF is having a big event, no problems at the mall, hospital, walmart, any residential areas I've been to, or anywhere else I visit. If coverage is most important and you don't want to be missing any calls, I would definitely recommend Alltel to others. I've been impressed with service here since I signed up several months ago.

I can't stand the poor phone selection from Alltel, BUT the phones work. I rarely have a call dropped. Even though they don't have the greatest selection of the newest gizmo phones--you can actually use a phone for what it supposed to be used for--talking and making calls. I highly recommend Alltel in gainesville. And for our trip to California this summer--we had phone reception everywhere except the boonies of Nevada. We even made calls in the Grand Canyon!

I was in Gainesville recently touring the UF campus and at a football game. I was very happy with Alltel's reception in the area. I had heard this was a problem area for some carriers but the coverage was great. I had no problem placing a call at any time and I don't remember ever dropping below 4 / 5 bars anywhere around Gainesville while going out to eat and shop in the city. I stayed on 5 / 5 bars throughout the campus, even indoors I only noticed a drop to 3 / 5 bars one time but there was generally no drop at all. Very good indoor coverage and the call quality was very clear. This must be a strong area for Alltel as far as coverage goes. I was impressed and would not hesitate to recommend them to others.

No problems with dropped calls for the past 4 years; excellent reception. Other carriers from this location have poor reception and some of our friends have to go outside the house to connect well with their phones. We're very happy with Alltel (other than the cost!).

When I moved back to Gainesville in 2003, I had a Samsung phone and used Sprint service. The service was okay in Gainesville, but anytime I visited my family in High Springs, I lost all reception once I passed through Alachua on US-441. Through word-of-mouth, I heard that Alltell provided reliable service in Alachua and High Springs, and my experience has confirmed this. The service has been exceptional in Gainesville as well. I may have one or two dropped calls per month, but overall I am very pleased.

Service is pitiful when I go in building anywhere in gainesville. I just moved here and ATT is fired

90% of calls will fail to go through or fail during the call when inside my home. I dropped a call 3 times today on SW 8th within 5 minutes- The ATT "network" in my area is fecal material.

I had great service except for the last 3 weeks. Drops calls. No bars one minute and 2 the next. Only at home. When I get out of this area I have 4 bars. Had new sim card put in. Still same problem. Was told they may be working on tower.

I get drop call a lot. Sometimes, I don't even hear the phone rings and it goes straight to my voicemail. When I'm in call, I can't even hear the conversation. The signal gets drops off all the time.

I have had service with US Cellular which became Cingular and now became AT&T. I have had amazing service since 2001, but the last 2 months have been poor and that's being generous. Constant dropped calls along Archer Road. Have a conversation, gets staticky (sp), drops call with no signal, takes a few minutes to reboot, then full signal. Dropped my call 3 times in 2 mile period. Does this all over town too. may be leaving after these poor 2 months

For the past two weeks, AT&T has spotty connections through out Archer road. At any time, it shows full signal, becomes almost none and then disconnects. Then got to call again to get full signal. Even on SW 2nd ave, where I used to get good signal for the past 4 years, the reception is becoming worse and worse every day! Am I the only one getting spotty connections on Archer (primarily around Shands stretch) and SW ?

Works great where I work and at home - way out on Archer Rd. Love the iPhone - 3G and cell service is great in Gainesville except at Royal Park area, that seems to be the only dead zone. Had Alltel before and it dropped calls quite a bit.

Service in the area of Royal Park and Gators Dockside stinks!

AT&T's coverage great everywhere in town except where I live. Inside my new condo just west of Royal Park / Plaza Royale I get poor reception. I have to lurk by a window and remain motionless to get a 2nd bar. Calls constantly fade in and out. Calls get dropped. There were murmurings about putting a tower at Westside Park which would help out that Newberry / 8th Ave. semi-dead zone. Email your commissioners today! Also, I have spotty service west of High Springs at my father's place. He has a metal roof, though. Walking outside keeps the call from getting dropped. When they lowered the cell phone signal strength wattages, a lot of the mobility left mobile phones.

Ever since ATT has taken over Cingular, I have at least half of my calls dropped everyday around Gainesville. It doesn't matter where I am at, on Campus or by the mall or on the Interstate or at home, my calls will eventually get dropped. It is not that phone either because I had it replace three times and the sim card changed twice to see if that was the problem of dropped calls. It wasn't. So that just leaves AT&T's network. Unfortunately, all my friends and family have Cingular and we get free calls to each other. And if I change companies I will lose all that free time. That and the company that does have decent coverage in Gainesville is Verizon but there is something funky with their system where your phone will not ring and you will get a voice mail a day later.

Had Cingular / ATT for about 8 years now, never had one dropped call in all that time, even when roaming away from Gainesville on trips. Two lines (wife and I) costs about $70 per month.

BIGGEST problem with AT&T: I got locked into a 2 year contract without knowing it when I renewed my 1 year contract. They did away with 1 yrs. and I was stuck with a very crappy, old, less than spectacular LG phone. To buy a new one was hundreds of dollars I couldn't afford, and they wouldn't let me upgrade for TWO years. It was a very boring 2 years with a phone that had horrible battery life and a tunnel sound. Poor phone selection is a big one. The only real phone they have is the iPhone. Also customer service is not very helpful. A variety of experiences led me to that conclusion. I agree, have experienced a dead zone at NW 16th Ave. and NW 34th too, calls also always dropped driving down NW 8th Ave. Reception is good, but other problems plague AT&T for me.

Detailed observations: House: I live at SW 8th Ave and 91st I have great coverage in my house and around my neighborhood. On 91st St: Between SW 8th Ave and Newberry, I have no reception in most patches. I don't have issues once I get closer to Haile. Within a house in Haile: A friend lives in Matheson Woods, a Haile neighborhood across from the Haile Country Club. I get no signal inside her home, even next to a window. Occasionally I may get 1 bar, but it is random and sporadic. This is consistent with other phone models as well. Haile Market Square Publix: No signal inside the store for the most part, occasionally I can get 1 bar. Overall, I think AT&T gives good coverage to my area. However, I suggest bringing a friend into your home who has AT&T to verify coverage. Haile is quite large, so other neighborhoods might not have the issue I described. Happy Hunting :)