The reception isn't too bad nor too powerful. I would recommend T-Mobile or Verizon. But planwise with pricing and minutes, Cingular does the job well overall.

Reception at home: I had 3 Cingular phones, and none could get recpetion in my house or sometimes outside even though it showed one or two bars reception. Many neighbors have Verizon and have to go outside to get a good connection. I have 2 T-Mobile phones now and I can get reception in my house (2 bars). Fallouts: The T-Mobile connection is good enough to keep a call going without fallout. Cingular had many fallouts for me when I had a connection. Reception around Baltimore / Washington DC 695 and 495 Beltways: No problems encountered with T-Mobile. I had more fallouts and lost connections with Cingular on west side of 495 loop. Overall: It appears T-Mobile has a better infrastructure and cell tower equipment to support the call traffic. The reception based on the bars on the phones were identical, but I can make clean calls with T-Mobile and not have any connection with Cingular.

Had Cingular for 4 years and never could get decent reception at home. Bars vary wildly from no bar to 3 bars with mostly no bar showing at my house. I can see the bars moving like a tennis match. Reception is non existent inside the house. Does anyone have a service that works well in this area?

Poor reception in house. Spotty all around. Cingular tells me I have good reception because there is a tower closeby.

I am frustrated that I cannot use my phone inside my house at all. My wife has an Alltel phone (not available in MD) and has no problem with reception anyhwere. I have local number, Cingular service, and often cannot get reception in Ellicott city.

Just switched to Verizon's family plan from Cingular. Although the phone indicates a stronger signal at home, I cannot hold a call. The triband LG VX6100 will occasionally switch to analog, but does not do any better than the Motorola e815 in holding a call. Verizon 1-2 bars = dropped call, Cingular Blue 0-1 bar = can complete call. Both services give good signal on Rt. 29 but the voice quality from Verizon is poor, with the sound breaking up. Calls from Old Dobbin Way in Columbia break up too badly to understand the caller. We are going to go back to Cingular.

I gave Cingular the benefit of the doubt with 1 bar of reception. The reception changes from 0 bars "No Service" to 3 bars and back in a matter of seconds. I have to dial calls 3 and 4 times for them to actually get placed and then they will get dropped. I'm afraid to call any business clients. I've been told that this is temporary as Cingular merges the At&T equipment to complete it's merger and that it would be resolved last week. This has been happening for 3 weeks. I have had this account with AT&T for 6 years. I work from home and can't call any clients for fear of looking like an idiot. My husband's company (Arbutus) has it's corporate contract with Cingular and they met with their rep last week to break contract. This is no way to treat business clients. At least fess up that there is a problem.

Non-existant reception...

I am glad I got rid of nextel! It did work in my apt well but nowhere else. Area where I had no reception for long periods of time... RT 108 / Centre Park Dr. It would be NO SERVICE pretty much anywhere I went in that area. My status light would be RED for long periods of time. And just when you think you think you get bars / reception again my status light would blink green then go str8 red! My phone was a limited edition phone. I loved it and so did all the girls that envied it! It was hard to part w. my kimora lee designer phone but it was well worth it. Of course I still have the phone.It is a beaut!

I used to have NEXTEL and their reception was terrible anywhere in Columbia / EC / Baltimore Co. We switched to VERIZON and now I dont have to hang my arm out the window of my car to talk! I rarely have to repeat "can you hear me now w. verizon" I live in EC and I have a friend living in Columbia (she has tmobile) and only when I talk to her is when I get the static in my ear but it is her service not mine ;-) My bf has the treo 600. He gets even better reception w. that phone than I do mine. But my phone takes better pictures in the day and his takes better pictures at night. Only ONE complaint w. verizon. My mother lives on WHITEACRE RD in OAKLAND MILLS and VERIZON service DOES NOT work in her apt at all. Very annoying! And she and I both have the service.