Coverage comments are submitted voluntarily by visitors around the Charlottesville, VA area.
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I came to Charlottesville in March and April 2009 to look for a house and the extended network coverage was terrible (couldn't send pictures or videos). SInce moving here in June 2009, Verizon has bought AllTel and the service seems to be improving. I can send pictures and videos from almost anywhere. Still some weak coverage in outlying areas (VA 20 between I-64 and Scottsville). The "network" is making a significant change in the area.
Like any GSM carrier T-Mobile is a bit weak compared to CDMA, BUT just about every other country uses GSM and T-Mobile will unlock your phone, so if you travel outside the US it's the way to go. Their coverage map is accurate down to your street level, so I assume only those who didn't do their homework are having reception problems.
Don't have any reception-If I do get anything I usually have to dial area code (Even for local calls)... Then it will more than likely get dropped.-Very very unhappy!
Spotty reception at best, and none with previous Sprint phone. The coverage map shows a triangular-shaped area with the point towards the southeast - it is fairly accurate. If I walk down my driveway, I exit the triangle, and lose reception. If I walk into the woods behind my house, reception improves. Sprint told me reception would be better with better phones, best with their Blackberry. Reception is passable when driving between home and Charlottesville on Carter's Mountain Rd.and 53 by Monticello - it goes into and out of roaming a couple of times. It does not get that dependable until the Michie Tavern side of Carter's Mountain.
With three different Sprint phones I have had for 5 years, I have had great reception in Charlottesville (and the USA) with Sprint. Where I loose service is just at the traffic light at Ednam Dr.and Ivy Rd (just near Boar's Head Inn), in the back woodsy area of Ednam Forest (Wellington Dr.and Wellington Place), inside of Walmart (except near the make up section), on hilly and windng roads (and some deep pockets of dirt roads) along highway 20 (maybe 2-3 miles past Darden Towe Park, as you drive north [away from Pantops]), and on very farm-rural areas of 29 north on the way to Washington DC. Other then that, I get GREAT reception, and so does my husband, using his palm pilot / phone with Sprint as the carrier. I would rate the reception as Perfect, if it weren't for loosing reception in the back of Ednam Forest, at my friend's house). Up on the hill with the good views and while walking throughout Ednam Forest I get great reception, just not at that one woodsy area in the back of Ednam (it's kind of in a dip in the hills). On U.Va. campus the Sprint works great too. I think it looses reception in Marshall's too, but not in Harris Teeter or Whole Foods.
I get no reception at all in any number of locations. The folks at AT&T hav been attentive, but nothing ever gets resolved. They look at their maps and assure me I should be getting the calls I never get. They say things will improve sometime in 2009, but in the meantime I'm virtually without a cell phone.
Even if I get 2 to 3 bars, I usually don't get dropped calls and get all of my calls, etc. The only times I don't is when I'm in a big auditorium or basements (aka during class so I don't need to use it anyways). Sure when I was in new dorms, my service was craptacular at best, but now that I'm out in Dillard (and when I'm in Bice as well), I have great service! (minus elevators)
AT&T sucks! they are terrible and they will rip you off! They have the highest charges of all the carriers and their customer service is never available. Do not use AT&T
