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Whenever a tradesman comes to our address with a Cingular phone he looses reception. We've just returned from travels in several third world countries and had better reception than we have at home in Marblehead.

Reception almost everywhere is poor to none. Many times phones does not ring and messages are sent to voice mail, if you're lucky. But usually what happens is callers have a LONG period of silence before system message kicks in then another LONG period of silence and another system message is heard then your voice mail outgoing message comes on, however most callers just give up. I call forward my business number to my cell phone and my business has suffered badly. Many other reception problems such as disconnects, dropped calls, no reception in Maine and New Hampshire where other providers have reception. Am dropping Nextel, contacting FCC regarding $200 cancellation charge. Poor to none phone service, but prompt customer service often with contradictory advise. Bottom line - stay away from Nextel.

I'm house sitting in Marblehead for 4 weeks while my cousin and his wife are visiting relatives out of the country. I have Sprint wireless with the unlimited data and roaming package... and I have no signal at all here to make voice calls or data connections, nor will the phone roam at this location. (My cousin uses Verizon wireless and he has no problems with signal strength when he is home). I have double checked my Samsung Epic's network settings and it is definitely set to roam -- which it should do automatically. It's frustrating because although I cannot get a signal to call out on my Samsung Epic phone, occasionally my phone will chirp indicating that I have a voice mail message from friends or family out of state asking me to call them back. The only way I can do this is to get in my car and drive until I can get a Sprint cellular signal somewhere. I was driving through a nearby town yesterday and spotted a Sprint store. Miraculously I had 5 bars while passing the strip mall with the Sprint store, and a two blocks away I was back to zero signal again. I guess they have to generate their own wireless signal at the Sprint store or they'd never be able to sell phones. Ironically, my home is in rural Western Massachusetts and I always have a strong signal for Sprint voice and data there. I'm incredulous at finding such poor Sprint coverage in a much more heavily populated area like the Marblehead area. I guess I'm going to have to do what others have suggested on the internet. I will "root" my phone to remove Sprint's restrictions, and then I can download an app for $3.95 from the market that will allow me to force the phone into roaming mode when I cannot get a Sprint signal. I cannot fathom why the rocket scientist decision makers at Sprint think it's a good idea not to provide this as a customer service feature on their phones. Instead they intentionally block forced roaming to prevent their customers from being able to get a signal when traveling as I am. Verizon is looking better and better all the time.

I live on marblehead neck. there is good coverage everywhere except my house. I have none for some reason. I go outside in my yard and still none. ATT service works here however.

Very poor reception at home. Most times you have to walk out to the back yard to take or make calls. Driving home through Swampscott is spotty, call frequently dropped so I just don't use the phone till I get through that area. Otherwise reception in Boston and elsewhere is very good.