AT&T Wireless (GSM)

Lousy phone service. I don't know whether it is the area that is not well represented or what. AT&T area coverage map indicates that this is in a good reception area. This isn't the case. I have 1 to 2 bars most of the time. To use the phone I have to drive where I know is service where I won't drop calls. That really sucks. I guess what AT&T expects you to do is find 4 or 5 areas near to your home and drive, walk, skate, or jog to them so you can make a phone call. Funny how Customer Service always says, "Oh, it has to be the phone." Service is not much better than when I used to use a "brick" phone.
Was this review helpful to you?T-Mobile

This is T-Mobile Service. Poor reception in the south area. Lots of dropped calls. Supposedly can switch over to other shared networks but have not seen this happen. Their customer service has been good, equipment seems good, rx and tx very poor. I'll switch to something else when my contract is up. Customer Service says no new towers are planned. The Elk Grove area is exploding and T-Mobile is missing an opportunity. Hmm, I wonder who is on the "ball" in the area for coverage.
Was this review helpful to you?T-Mobile

My reception is poor at best. I must go outside to make a phone call and receive calls. I have tried, at T-Mobiles recommendation, to try doing a manual overide on the network (manual / automatic select) - didn't help; tried changing the frequency - 900 vs 1800 - didn't help. T-Mobile indicates that I am in a "fringe-area" and that no new towers are expected anytime soon. In asking T-Mobile if they have another phone which might perform better (I had to try something...) they only gave a list to me of available phones and told me I could do an upgrade (I was eligible....) but it would extend my year contract. What good it would do to upgrade to just another phone extending my contract a year and not providing better reception is beyond me.
Was this review helpful to you?Virgin Mobile

I just switched to Virgin Mobile (Sprint towers) after being a loyal AT&T customer for 5 years. AT&T's switchover to GSM and the Cingular buyout has really effected the quality and strength of the phone signal, as well as making for horrible customer service. I have had no problems with the Virgin Mobile phone (it is a CDMA / PCS) and have terrific reception and clarity compared to AT&T. Virgin Mobile's coverage is not as great as AT&T in terms of geography, but they have a clear, clean sound. And for 99% of what I do on a phone, it's perfect.
Was this review helpful to you?AT&T Wireless (GSM)

AT&T switched to GSM phones wholesale last year, and since then, and their buyout by Cingular, service has declined dramatically. I can't get a clear signal or connection anywhere. It is so bad that I can actually be standing still at Arden Mall and have the calls drop out on me. I switched phones two times. Same problems. The issue was not resolved with either the Samsung or the LG which I tried. Driving between Yuba City and Sacramento is pathetic. I just gave up trying to use it anywhere and switched yesterday to Virgin Mobile which uses Sprint's network. I have not had a problem with Virgin Mobile's service.
Was this review helpful to you?AT&T Wireless (TDMA)

Poor service. Spotty reception during calls. Calls tend to get lost in space and voicemail alert comes anywhere from 15 to 30 mins after being placed. I just purchased a new GSM phone and will update later after I try it.
Was this review helpful to you?AT&T

Varies inside the house, but seldom is reception good. Sometimes reception is okay outside the house. Good reception several blocks to the east of my house.
Was this review helpful to you?T-Mobile

Normally, I'm very pleased with T-Mobile especially when I'm in the city of Sacramento. But, in my house I'm constantly getting only one or two bars with extremely poor reception. Since this phone is my only source for calls, we're considering switching to AT&T to see if they can provide better service.
Was this review helpful to you?AT&T Wireless (TDMA)

Especially poor near 16th & Broadway; can use phone in my Curtis Park home in certain spots in my living room. Otherwise, nothing but dropped calls and no service at all. You'd think you'd get the best signal living in the midtown area.
Was this review helpful to you?AT&T Wireless (GSM)

I had a dual band phone that could switch between TDMA and GSM for two years. At first I used the TDMA almost as often as GSM, but as of late my GSM has been providing excellent service everywhere, even out of town (Auburn, Tahoe). Last month I went with the Siemens sl56 GSM phone. I like all the extra features gsm offers, and I haven't had any issues with bad coverage. ATT GSM coverage is great, almost as good as TDMA. The only difference I notices is that TDMA penetrates buildings better.
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