Brought our Verizon phones from Ann Arbor, MI, where we got great reception and were very suprized at the very poor reception here. Verizon's excuse to us after repeated phone calls to their cusotmer servie: "It's hilly in Madison, that's why you get poor service". Hilly? Not where I live. We got better reception driving through the Appalachians, and THAT's hilly. They just need to install more towers in this area. We're gonna swith when our contract is up.

US Cellular and my LG VX 6100 phone have excellant success everywhere in Madison and surrounding areas

Terrific service all over Madison area. Uses USCellular, Verizon and Sprint Towers in Madison or southeastern WI and Alltel when I travel north or west of Madison. Great customer service but only store in Madison area is in Cottage Grove.

An occasional blip of several bars on a good day; otherwise very poor reception in this neighborhood, particularly indoors, even at the open window. Original CIngular (not old ATT) -type service.

I was with US Cellular for 2+ years and switched because of the roaming-whenever we go to NW Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Illinois, roaming. But this phone dropping and poor reception is new to me! Even on campus and in buildings, rarely no reception. Didn't even know it was an issue til switched to Verizon. Can't talk in my own house! So hopefully US Cell will offer better deals and expanded coverage and I will go back for sure.

I get less than two bars at home - and that's when I'm sitting in the chair by the window. The service also fluctuates, as if it's switching between subnetworks or something, so I get cut off a lot, even when I'm sitting still. I live in a brick building, so that may have something to do with it, but still... Reception elsewhere isn't bad; my boyfriend lives on the near west side of the Capitol in a wooden house, and I've never had trouble placing or receiving calls there. I also get 3 bars or more in the elevator at work. Still, not being able to take advantage of free long distance at home because of crappy reception sucks. My contract is up in May, and I'll find another service provider then. In theory, my plan was one of the best values out there, but I'm paying too much for features I can't use because the network is bad. Also, I agree with other posters that Cingular's customer "service" is lousy. I've been left on hold for 45 minutes before, only to have the person on the other end of the phone yell at me because I asked her to repeat something that she mumbled at me in the first place. :^(

Switched from uscc after 6 yrs cuz they offered crappy expensive phones. Verizon is ok, better phones but still expensive. At house I manage 2 bars which is good enough for talking and using "Get Crap Now!" (Daily Show is good though) service. Video streaming takes the place of reading material when on toilet. I drive along 151 corridor to columbus north along 73 up to green lake every day. Service becomes very spotty north of columbus. It"s still functional, if your not moving. Lots of dropped calls. fyi... verizon streaming services are not available north east of sun prairie. Also, if live on portage rd near village ln, very poor reception, if at all.

The signal is so weak that it looks for service carrier constantly.

Strong reception always, with the exception of inside campus buildings. Otherwise, reception is always 5 bars and calls are clear and never drop.

Inside my house, I don't always have a signal. My calls are dropped every 5-10 minutes. Outside, it's better, but two bars at the most.