Right on VCU campus, and I constantly have problems with Alltel's coverage. I remember the plan ages ago about a dollar or something every time a call was dropped?? Figure maybe they dropped that since they probably would be bankrupt only from the amount I drop... : / But no, inside my apartment coverage is dodgy at best, voices cut out often, and on the street, where I do feel safe, (but would be much more comfortable with good coverage) Its kind of shaky getting service, and calls are dropped often. Its really frustrating; looking to switch to Verizon or T-Mobile after consulting these reviews and doing some more research.

Breaking News: Parents foul up iPhone! I guess it wasn't meant to be. My near 80 yo parents are on my family plan. Couldn't wait to switch from Verizon to AT&T after the contract expired, but, alas, not a lick of reception inside parent's house. No where. Checked every room, upstairs and down. Had to go out into street to get a weak 1-2 bars. Still stuck with Verizon and my "not-quite-an-iPhone" LG Dare:-( Great network, great reception almost anywhere, but greedy, nickel-and-dime-you-to-death policies - like crippled bluetooth, blocked ringtones, etc. Bottom line: Don't leave parents out in the cold - even for an iPhone.

I moved back to Richmond 2 years ago and foolishly traded in my Nokia phone with AT&T / Cingular for a Sanyo with Sprint, thinking I was in a major city again and should have no problems whatsoever with cell service. WRONG! I had far superior national coverage and almost zero dropped calls in the wilds of Northern Idaho with AT&T (and later in Providence, RI) on my Nokia phone, plus its battery lasted 5 hours. In my apartment I have to go upstairs even to get an erratic 3-4 bars with Sprint. Dropped calls are frequent. Dead spots are numerous. Coverage wasn't much better inside my office at Glenside / Forest. I've even missed some important meetings with people when in the Annapolis area because I did not get their calls live (the phone did not ring), nor was there an indication they'd left a voice mail until THE NEXT DAY! Finally, my contract is up and I am free to say sayonara to Sprint and do my homework this time. I read Sprint lost over a million customers last year alone. Meanwhile, in the online consumer surveys, T-Mobile and Verizon consistently tie in the Mid-Atlantic states as having the best service and coverage, so I'm surprised some people in the 23226 area haven't liked them either. I realize the phone makes a difference, too, of course. As irrelevant as it sounds, I HATE Alltel's commercials, so I don't think I could go with them purely out of principle! Bottom line, based on my experience, don't go with Sprint.

No problems at all with the AT&T reception. Initially when I shifted I used a T-Mobile for 2 months. The reception was strictly OK. I realised how much better it could be when I shifted to at&t, though the customer service was not tht great. I had no problem with the coverage in Richmond or while roaming.

Had to switch to AT&T because reception was erratic to non-existent

Excellent reception indoors and out. Perhaps 3G phone helps

Absolutely no problems. TV, mobile web, GPS work without a hitch. Hint to those that do have problems: update your software one a month.

I get excellent service all throughout the west end generally 3 to 4 bars(max) I get 1-3 bars in my house which is good enough to not drop calls.

Worked great for 3 years, 4 months ago signal lost power and won't work for any Sprint phone.

It's not just Sprint; according to T-Mobile and AT&T's websites their reception is shaky at best. I cannot get a straight answer from Verizon on their reception in this area to save my life.