I heard bad things about Cricket when I lived in Salem. I never tried it out because of there coverage area. I recently moved to Portland and found out, (who hasn't heard, they are everywhere) that Cricket built out the Portland and Vancouver areas. This was perfect for me. My family lives in Salem, my brother goes to school in Corvalis (which Cricket now covers everything from North Vancouver, Wa. down to Cottage Grove on the I-5 to include Corvalis). I tried it out, no contract, I have everything, unlimited text, unlimited web, unlimted long distance, unlimited talk time... and my bill has been just over $50.00 a month every month. My coverage has been great. I work in Hillsboro, but I go everywhere to include Salem and Eugene. I have only dropped one call so far. My parents had a Verizon bill last month and it was over $300.00. They told me that there Verizon bills have always been over $300.00 a month for two phones. Their 2 year contract is up in three months, they told me that they are going with Cricket after they heard about my experience. One of my friends also purchased a Cricket phone and had her old number put on her new Cricket phone. I have to say, I should have purchased a Cricket phone a long time ago.

Normally I get fine reception in the Hidden Springs area. I get drops on Salamo heading to I205 when I'm right next to the hill and one spot on I205 heading south (once again the hill).

Receiption is mostly good with occasional single break-up. I can sometimes move 5 feet one way or another in the house an completely loose single but these mini-dead spots are consistent and once I know where they are I can avoid them. I travel and the Verizon coverate around the US is as good as any other carrier I've had (I left AT&T and Nextel due to spotty coverage around the US). One curious thing is that even with 5-bars of single, the phone sometimes will not ring when an call is coming in. I know calls are coming in because my business line rings a land-line and the cell at the same time (or is suppose to!). Also, sometime vMail message may take several hours (or days) to get delivered to the phone. All this being said, I'll probably stay with Verizon for the time being.

I switched to AT&T because of all of the billing problems I had with VoiceStream, now T-Mobile. I have had multiple problems with my service and had a 2 year contract! I can't even use it in my home which is at the top of the hill in West Linn. I can't use it in the building I work in near the airport at Killingsworth and 42nd. ave. I have dropped calls on Hwy. 43. I know Consumer Reports rated Verizon as a top pick of phone companies, followed by T-mobile. I know that I am switching, but haven't decided which company I am going with.

We purchase two Samsung phones on a two year contract at the Oregon City store located on McLoughlin Blvd. We asked to check the computer map showing the signal strength in the area of our home and my shop just down the road. The map showed green indicating a strong signal. based on that we entered into the contract. The signal is anything but strong. The two worst locations for our phones are inside our home and at my shop. I asked Mitch, Mgr. at the Cingular store to have some one check on the signal strength in our area. After not hearing from him I went to the store and asked why I haven't heard from anyone as he promised. He checked his records and disclosed he forgot to notifiy them. After 4 months I still haven't heard from anyone. Cingular has lowered the bar!

West Linn - Rosemont Ridge

I loved my phone until the cingular / AT&T merger. I tried the GSM in January and it was horrible. At that time the tdma was much better and I went back to my original plan. Five months later, my phone cuts out in areas, I 205, where the service used to be excellent. People call and the phone doesn't ring. I can't wait to change carriers!

Very bad signal, but with the Kyocera phone I can usually hold a conversation. With the Nokia I had until a few months ago, calls constantly dropped off. The cellular signal is so bad here that many residents walk to the park (highest point in the area) to talk on their cell phones.

AT&T TDMA works terribly in West Linn, up on the hill. Service is almost worthless in my home. It works great everywhere else I've used it, had AT&T for almost 10 years now. I'll have to switch to something that works better in West Linn since I will not get a land line.

Phone drops calls coming out of the curves on Advance, just prior to the SW Mountain Rd stop sign.