Alltel has become a huge disappointment to me recently. My husband travels and works in Leelanau county and we live there as well. Up until this point I've been happy with Alltel, the service and coverage. Yes, dropped calls in a few areas, but predictable. I've taken a new job in Traverse City and am located near the airport. My phone is constantly on roam when dialing from the parking lot and drops calls a lot. I"ve tried the fix-it solutions Alltel offers and it is not getting better. But... unfortunately, I don't know if there are any better providers in the area or not. My extended family uses Nextel and I haven't heard any complaints.

Sprint service outside Traverse City is spotty at best. I spend summers there--I did not pick Sprint to work up there, so I cannot truly complain. Service works great in Traverse City. As you work your way north on M-22 toward Sutton's Bay, service seems to stay intact, however once north of Sutton's Bay, it begins to be hit or miss and falls away as M-22 gets close to Omena. There is no service at all once you get west and north of this West Bay section of M-22, for instance, none in Leland, Glen Arbor, Northport, Maple City, Cedar. There seems to be occasional service as you are going south, near Lake Ann, but it depends on how high a hill you are on. I would not recommend Sprint unless you live in Traverse City and don't leave very often. If you are on vacation, then you may be pleased to leave cell service behind, but still be able to get your messages, etc. when you go into town.