I've been with Verizon since 2004 and was very happy with my reception and the general service until about six months ago. I typically get 2-3 bars at best inside my Arlington home. Even when I'm outdoors in the city, calls often drop. More recently, my text messages are not going through or they go through days after I sent them and multiple times. At this point, I am very frustrated with Verizon and could not comfortably recommend them to anyone.

Absolutely no reception in house.

I've lived in Pentagon City for 3 years now with AT&T. Signal goes from 5 bars to none without my phone moving from the coffee table, obviously this leads to multiple dropped calls everyday. 3G is VERY rare. I just bought the new iPhone and can't use 99% of the new features because they require 3G.

Inside my apartment there is no service. There used to be some and it was patchy, but for whatever reason there is absolutely no service now. Sprint sent an Airave device to boost the signal, which would be fine except they tried to charge me $50 for it after saying they wouldn't, and the device is not that small and needs to be near a window to work. For me to get it to work I have to drape a wire across my apartment for the gps antenna to catch a signal. This is turning into a lot of work for something that I'm paying for which should already work. Why am I paying Sprint every month to give me pointless chores? Before I start rearranging my entire apartment for a stupid phone I'm going to pull the rip-chord on Sprint and hopefully find better service elsewhere.

Constantly dropped calls inside and outside my apartment. Recently has gotten much worse. Cannot communicate when the phone drops your call! Went to Sprint store in Baileys Crossroads and had two dropped calls from inside the store. Not sure what service would be better, but this is terrible.

I switched to Verizon from AT&T because of Verizon's reputation for reliable signal strength. 2 months later I am paying to switch back to AT&T. In the neighborhood around the Washington Navy Yard I get no Verizon signal at all. In many DC and Arlington neighborhoods I get 2 bars and lots of dropped calls. It is the worst cell phone service I have ever experienced.

The only reason why I am rating is because I am actually thinking about leaving Sprint to go to Verizon. With that being said let me begin my story (for all you who are like why the heck did he rate this a 4 out of 5). I recently moved to Arlington VA (Courthouse area) for work. I have a personal Blackberry Tour and a work Blackberry curve (on Verizon). I was excited to get the Verizon phone so that I could test out both networks and see which one was better. Moving from Kansas, my roommates blackberry tour was constantly faster with data and always had better reception. This caused me to rethink being on Sprint even though it is cheaper. Moving to Arlington I have changed my opinion, my Verizon phone drops calls more often than my Sprint phone, data is faster on my tour than on my curve, and Sprint is cheaper. Verizon definitely has better reception but like any phone, if you are on the metro chances are you are going in and out of service. Both my devices work at almost any station I have been at (mostly blue and orange lines). My final thought is that maybe the tour is just that superior to my curve and that is part of the issue (my tour is 2 years old and my curve is 2 months old so kind of odd). I will say I will never get a personal curve but have to use what the company gives me. The reasoning behind giving Sprint 4 out of 5 is that in my 2 months of being out in Arlington, Sprint has performed just as well as Verizon and is cheaper (I haven't dropped any calls on my family but have dropped calls with clients). Hope this helps.

Poor reception; often drops calls. If I make a call from in my home I have to remain still or else it may get dropped. Not impressed.

Bars and 3G cut in and out. Usually 1 bar, sometimes none, often without 3G or 1X. Thus, limited voice and no data at all - for a whopping $145 per month! Had AT&T prepaid without data plan and never had a problem with reception. We bought four days ago, but are probably going to drop the data plan and go back to voice only prepaid at about $25 per month. What is the point of data plan when none of it works, or even worse, cuts out in the middle of a phone call or email.

Signal comes in and out. Usually 1 bar if it's a good day. A few blocks closer to the metro, Fairfax Dr., the signal is very good.

Frequently dropped calls and limited reception inside, poor reception outside. Complained to Verizon about the poor reception and they sent a team to investigate and determined that this is a marginally covered area. Customer rep offered to sell a network extender to me for $49 to extend the service in attempt to resolve the issue. I mean, how does extending poor signals from from outside help with the limited reception i'm getting inside?

Inside the building I get around 3 bars or EDGE reception which consistently drops to no data connection at all. There are those rare moments where I do get a decent 3G signal but that goes away after I start using the phone. Outside is another thing. It works beautifully. It's not only 3G, but all my bars are full. Unfortunately I'm not sitting outside and working hence the low rating.

I always have full coverage in my 6th floor apartment, even in elevators. I've never experienced no reception in the places I've been in Arlington or DC (except, of course, for places where you would not expect to get reception like underground parking garages or basements). I get adequate reception in some metro stations (on the Orange line), none in others, and none underground inbetween stations.

Service is much stronger and better then AT&T and Sprint. Data speeds are great too! No dropped calls or anything and I always have service.

Great so I am one of the larger population densities in the US, so I should get great reception right. No horrible reception in my house and I am 1.5 miles from I-66! So for almost 8 months I have battled with Verizon for help, finally after 6 months they gave me a new Verizon phone without losing my Alltel plan that I originally had. New phone has not proved any better. I have to walk 50 ft. from my house for reception. Verizon keeps telling me they are updating and would be done January 2010..nope still bad signal! I am about to get ready to boycot cellphones! Can the manufactors develop phones with better reception instead of just gadgets? Also can the cell providers update there technology? Canada as well as many other countries are ahead of us in technology! Maybe we should get the money Obama asked for to improve the infrastructure!

Work in 2011 crystal drive. Little or no reception in office on 9th floor, ground level. Driving out to Pentagon City there's no coverage until the mall. Constantly roaming on Verizon w 5 bars. Ugh

I don't think I've ever had a problem with Sprint reception anywhere in Arlington County, excluding the Metro system (and down there, have usually been able to roam on VZW). Data always solid, too.

AT&T in South Fairlington is pathetically terrible. Roomates have great reception with Sprint and Verizon.

Great reception everywhere including the metro.

About 6 months ago I complained that the reception was horrible in Shirlington Village. It has since been fixed. They must've added a new tower nearby. It's been consistently good for a long time now.