I got my first Verizon phone in Alexandria and kept it when moving to Cville in 2006. At that time they did not have Verizon here but reception has been great the whole time I've had it, including nationwide. The only time I have a problem is if I am up on the mountains or in one of the "hollows" where there is no reception for anyone. I wish I could go with a cheaper prepaid pain like Virgin but the Sprint network does not work as good here according to reviews. I wholeheartedly recommend Verizon for this area and actually just about any area - they really do have the best coverage. Caveat - I do not have a smartphone - I only use it for calls and some texting but people I know with Verizon like their smartphone connection too.

I haven't had any problems with any of my Verizon Service anywhere in charlottesville.

Located in Berkeley subdivision near Four Seasons. Excellent 4 - 5 bars inside the house.

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.

Alltel has the best coverage around Grounds in UVA, hands down. Verizon has no native coverage in Charlottesville and rides on Alltel's network, so one could check out their reviews too. Living in Bice, Alltel is about the only company that allows you to make and receive calls anywhere in the building. Most of my friends who are on Cingular / AT&T or T-Mobile have to stand right next to a window or go outside the building.

I had a few problems getting reception in my apartment not far from campus with Sprint so I found this site looking for reviews. The person posting on April 23, 2006 was a huge help. I am just backing up those statements by saying Alltel really does a great job around here, much better reception than any other carrier that I know of and I have friends that use them all. I no longer have to look for a window to use my phone inside and coverage all over campus wher I spend most of my time and Charlottesville in general is great.

u.s. cellular has great reception in the town of Charlottesville. U. S. Cellular is the best.

I work for OneStop Cellular in Fashion Square Mall. I sell 4 carriers, Alltel, Cingular, Nextel, NTelos (and until recently T-Mobile). Out of all my carriers Alltel has by far the best signal. I have a digital only phone, meaning it won't pick up on old analog signals in rural areas, and I have only lost my signal once, not only traveling through out the entire state of VA but the entire east coast (and I travel every week). I only lost signal for 3 minutes in Gordonsville, due to no towers in that area due to restrictions on building cell towers. My phone even gets a digital signal in Nelson County, way, way off the road at my mother's cabin. The Alltel network INCLUDES the Verizon and Sprint networks, meaning you can use any of thoe towers for FREE. Plus, there's no roaming on your home sate's towers, no matter the carrier! All my Alltel customers come back happy and out of all carriers I love this one the most. If you ever are interested in any service, come to a store like ours and let us show you the coverage maps side by side!

Everywhere in and around Charlottesville, I have perfect service on the extended network. I was told that Verizon uses Alltel towers in the area, so the service with them should be great as well.

Over two years with Alltel (CDMA) I am extremely happy with the coverage. I stay on Digital only mode for extended battery life and get good reception every where intown, north, east and west. There are a few spotty areas south of I64, but it is acceptable. Alltel's customer service - both local and their 800 number has been good. I would like to go to GSM, so I am waiting for Verizon to build out their service area.

Alltel easily has the best reception in the area. I work for a contractor driving out around the counties (Albemarle, Green, Nelson, etc) and get reception in places no one else does. Also, with the "National Freedom" plan I've always had reception while traveling in major cities, small towns, several calls with vehicle trouble in highways, everywhere... The Only trouble is the lack of phone selection. The Nokia phone gets reception in places that people with Alltel that use Motorola or Kyocera phones get no reception. I've been wanting to change companies just to get a higher end model (of Nokia, of course), but no one else can match the coverage area.

Reliable coverage all over Charlottesville, Albemarle Co. and surrounding areas. Also indoor coverage(800mhz) is excellent.

Have excellent reception Here in Charlottesville and all of Albemarle Co I have not lost / dropped a call as of yet. Good Verizon digital roam on 64 to Richmond and in the Staunton area.

I have had Sprint here in Cville since late 09 and the voice service has been good; the Internet service on the phone, however, has been hit and miss. When driving towards DC, the voice service gets much worse. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what service is better out here in the "sticks" of VA.

I had a breakdown on county road 637. This was the Ivy exit 114 (I believe) off of I-64 West. I was using Tracfone, and it put me down (No signal). Luckily my wife uses Verizon, and if not for her Verizon Cell Phone (LG), I may still be waiting for a signal. Note: She has never been without a signal, no matter where she has traveled. Luck?? You will have to decide on that one.. I even tried recently, "Consumer Cellular" with the same results as Tracfone... NO SIGNAL... . I will be changing my service..

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.

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.

Coverage has always been very good around Charlottesville. Remember, though, call quality is a combination of the phone and the carrier. Read some reviews before you choose a phone. What I really need to mention, though, is that Sprint customer service is TERRIBLE! Long waits, and the odds are about 50% that you'll get someone totally unhelpful. They socked me with international roaming charges 3 months after the fact and they won't even contact me regarding a resolution despite promising to do so twice. If customer service is important to you, stay away from Sprint.

We have nationwide coverage which does the trick for us. Usually not really ever had a problem with dropped calls and the like. U.S. Cellular has worked for us so far, especially since they upped their coverage area to include Charlottesville, VA.

Coverage with Verizon's extended network is good in Charlottesville but spotty in the surrounding county. Coverage is still far better than with Sprint which I used to have and discontinued because its poor national and local coverage (e.g. no receptions in many large airports). Although Veriszon doesn't sell phones in Charlottesville and I had to get the phone near DC and have a 703 area code, I am much more satisfied iwth Verizon than with Sprint. Verizon has great national coverage too.