Official: Cell Phone Coverage

[Freakingzooming]

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In light of creating more official threads- (because we need them...)

I was wondering how cell phone coverage varied in each school. I'll start. Please add on by state:

Illinois :


Chicago Medical School aka Rosalind Franklin, formerly known as Finch

At&t: 3/5- Mediocore. Signal drops in library completely and around the dorm complex.
Cingular: 2/5- Inadequate. Weaker than At&t.

Loyola University

At&t: 2/5- Not good and there is complete loss of signal in the building. You'll have to press your face into the windows to get something.
Cingular: 2/5- exactly the same. Around the hospital, at most you'll have is 2 bars.

Rush

Verizon: 4/5- Been able to get calls in class. Overall, very decent.

University of Chicago

At&t: 1/5- It's bad. Around the BSLC, you'll get nothing at all inside. You'll get nothing in the hospital at all. Even outside, around the quads, you'll have dropped calls as you stand in place.
Cingular: 3/5- It's decent. You still won't be able to call anyone from BSLC but outside, you can receive and make calls. I checked my signal from the Registrar office inside and it was a surprising four bars.

 

[drwlo]

DC- Verizon is the best. YOu even get reception in the metro (which is underground if you've never been here)

Cingular/AT&T is awful. I had them and I would get dropped clals in the middle of an open field.

 

[sunny66]

NYC- Verizon seems to be the best. I had Cingular and it was terrible. Half the calls to my phone never went through!

 

[tinkerbelle]

DC

Verizon is the best. You even get reception in the metro (which is underground if you've never been here)

Cingular/AT&T is awful. I had them and I would get dropped clals in the middle of an open field.

Illinois :


Chicago Medical School aka Rosalind Franklin, formerly known as Finch

At&t: 3/5- Mediocore. Signal drops in library completely and around the dorm complex.
Cingular: 2/5- Inadequate. Weaker than At&t.

Loyola University

At&t: 2/5- Not good and there is complete loss of signal in the building. You'll have to press your face into the windows to get something.
Cingular: 2/5- exactly the same. Around the hospital, at most you'll have is 2 bars.

Rush

Verizon: 4/5- Been able to get calls in class. Overall, very decent.

University of Chicago

At&t: 1/5- It's bad. Around the BSLC, you'll get nothing at all inside. You'll get nothing in the hospital at all. Even outside, around the quads, you'll have dropped calls as you stand in place.
Cingular: 3/5- It's decent. You still won't be able to call anyone from BSLC but outside, you can receive and make calls. I checked my signal from the Registrar office inside and it was a surprising four bars.


Maryland

University of Maryland

Verizon works well in this area

Hopkins

Verizon works well in the area of the the med school and the public health school. I never had any dropped calls from inside the public health building.



NYC

Verizon seems to be the best. I had Cingular and it was terrible. Half the calls to my phone never went through!

 

[subtle1epiphany]

DC

Verizon is the best. You even get reception in the metro (which is underground if you've never been here)

Cingular/AT&T is awful. I had them and I would get dropped clals in the middle of an open field.

Illinois :


Chicago Medical School aka Rosalind Franklin, formerly known as Finch

At&t: 3/5- Mediocore. Signal drops in library completely and around the dorm complex.
Cingular: 2/5- Inadequate. Weaker than At&t.

Loyola University

At&t: 2/5- Not good and there is complete loss of signal in the building. You'll have to press your face into the windows to get something.
Cingular: 2/5- exactly the same. Around the hospital, at most you'll have is 2 bars.

Rush

Verizon: 4/5- Been able to get calls in class. Overall, very decent.

University of Chicago

At&t: 1/5- It's bad. Around the BSLC, you'll get nothing at all inside. You'll get nothing in the hospital at all. Even outside, around the quads, you'll have dropped calls as you stand in place.
Cingular: 3/5- It's decent. You still won't be able to call anyone from BSLC but outside, you can receive and make calls. I checked my signal from the Registrar office inside and it was a surprising four bars.


Maryland

University of Maryland

Verizon works well in this area

Hopkins

Verizon works well in the area of the the med school and the public health school. I never had any dropped calls from inside the public health building.

Michigan

MSU
Verizon worked well from what I recall 6mos ago, within Fee Hall might be a different matter.


NYC

Verizon seems to be the best. I had Cingular and it was terrible. Half the calls to my phone never went through!

Virginia

EVMS
Verizon gets absolutely no signal in Lewis Hall (plan to use your voice mail alot), but mediocre outside.
Sprint, which is also CDMA but uses a different freq I think, gets better coverage. Cingular/ATT seems to be decent. I remember hearing Sprint is best for the Norfolk area.

 

[Freakingzooming]

DC

Verizon is the best. You even get reception in the metro (which is underground if you've never been here)

Cingular/AT&T is awful. I had them and I would get dropped clals in the middle of an open field.

Illinois :


Chicago Medical School aka Rosalind Franklin, formerly known as Finch

At&t: 3/5- Mediocore. Signal drops in library completely and around the dorm complex.
Cingular: 2/5- Inadequate. Weaker than At&t.

Loyola University

At&t: 2/5- Not good and there is complete loss of signal in the building. You'll have to press your face into the windows to get something.
Cingular: 2/5- exactly the same. Around the hospital, at most you'll have is 2 bars.

Rush

Verizon: 4/5- Been able to get calls in class. Overall, very decent.

University of Chicago

At&t: 1/5- It's bad. Around the BSLC, you'll get nothing at all inside. You'll get nothing in the hospital at all. Even outside, around the quads, you'll have dropped calls as you stand in place.
Cingular: 3/5- It's decent. You still won't be able to call anyone from BSLC but outside, you can receive and make calls. I checked my signal from the Registrar office inside and it was a surprising four bars.


Maryland

University of Maryland

Verizon works well in this area

Hopkins

Verizon works well in the area of the the med school and the public health school. I never had any dropped calls from inside the public health building.

Michigan

MSU
Verizon worked well from what I recall 6mos ago, within Fee Hall might be a different matter.


NY

NYMC

Cingular- 4/5- good deal. It was solid in cafeteria and library area. A strong five bars around dorms and Medical Education Center.

NYC-Verizon seems to be the best. I had Cingular and it was terrible. Half the calls to my phone never went through!

Virginia

EVMS
Verizon gets absolutely no signal in Lewis Hall (plan to use your voice mail alot), but mediocre outside.
Sprint, which is also CDMA but uses a different freq I think, gets better coverage. Cingular/ATT seems to be decent. I remember hearing Sprint is best for the Norfolk area.

 

[gbiz]

DC

Verizon is the best. You even get reception in the metro (which is underground if you've never been here)

Cingular/AT&T is awful. I had them and I would get dropped clals in the middle of an open field.

Illinois :


Chicago Medical School aka Rosalind Franklin, formerly known as Finch

At&t: 3/5- Mediocore. Signal drops in library completely and around the dorm complex.
Cingular: 2/5- Inadequate. Weaker than At&t.

Loyola University

At&t: 2/5- Not good and there is complete loss of signal in the building. You'll have to press your face into the windows to get something.
Cingular: 2/5- exactly the same. Around the hospital, at most you'll have is 2 bars.

Rush

Verizon: 4/5- Been able to get calls in class. Overall, very decent.

University of Chicago

At&t: 1/5- It's bad. Around the BSLC, you'll get nothing at all inside. You'll get nothing in the hospital at all. Even outside, around the quads, you'll have dropped calls as you stand in place.
Cingular: 3/5- It's decent. You still won't be able to call anyone from BSLC but outside, you can receive and make calls. I checked my signal from the Registrar office inside and it was a surprising four bars.


Maryland

University of Maryland

Verizon works well in this area

Hopkins

Verizon works well in the area of the the med school and the public health school. I never had any dropped calls from inside the public health building.

Michigan
WSU
Cingular: drops calls all the time while moving, no reception in buildings. ATT used to be good, until Cingular bought them.
Sprint: Ive heard bad things from people, but my friends who have them get amazing reception in buildings.
Verizon: The best in MI for coverage. They are your best bet.

MSU
Verizon worked well from what I recall 6mos ago, within Fee Hall might be a different matter.


NY

NYMC

Cingular- 4/5- good deal. It was solid in cafeteria and library area. A strong five bars around dorms and Medical Education Center.

NYC-Verizon seems to be the best. I had Cingular and it was terrible. Half the calls to my phone never went through!

Virginia

EVMS
Verizon gets absolutely no signal in Lewis Hall (plan to use your voice mail alot), but mediocre outside.
Sprint, which is also CDMA but uses a different freq I think, gets better coverage. Cingular/ATT seems to be decent. I remember hearing Sprint is best for the Norfolk area.

 

[Megalofyia]

DC

Verizon is the best. You even get reception in the metro (which is underground if you've never been here)

Cingular/AT&T is awful. I had them and I would get dropped clals in the middle of an open field.

Illinois :


Chicago Medical School aka Rosalind Franklin, formerly known as Finch

At&t: 3/5- Mediocore. Signal drops in library completely and around the dorm complex.
Cingular: 2/5- Inadequate. Weaker than At&t.

Loyola University

At&t: 2/5- Not good and there is complete loss of signal in the building. You'll have to press your face into the windows to get something.
Cingular: 2/5- exactly the same. Around the hospital, at most you'll have is 2 bars.

Rush

Verizon: 4/5- Been able to get calls in class. Overall, very decent.

University of Chicago

At&t: 1/5- It's bad. Around the BSLC, you'll get nothing at all inside. You'll get nothing in the hospital at all. Even outside, around the quads, you'll have dropped calls as you stand in place.
Cingular: 3/5- It's decent. You still won't be able to call anyone from BSLC but outside, you can receive and make calls. I checked my signal from the Registrar office inside and it was a surprising four bars.


Maryland

University of Maryland

Verizon works well in this area

Hopkins

Verizon works well in the area of the the med school and the public health school. I never had any dropped calls from inside the public health building.

Michigan
WSU
Cingular: drops calls all the time while moving, no reception in buildings. ATT used to be good, until Cingular bought them.
Sprint: Ive heard bad things from people, but my friends who have them get amazing reception in buildings.
Verizon: The best in MI for coverage. They are your best bet.

MSU
Verizon worked well from what I recall 6mos ago, within Fee Hall might be a different matter.

Nebraska
Creighton
T-mobile - 3/5 - Text messaging works well in a few places inside and outside (note: not in the classrooms though) but calls don't work inside the school. You have to go outside which sucks in the winter.

NY

NYMC

Cingular- 4/5- good deal. It was solid in cafeteria and library area. A strong five bars around dorms and Medical Education Center.

NYC-Verizon seems to be the best. I had Cingular and it was terrible. Half the calls to my phone never went through!

Virginia

EVMS
Verizon gets absolutely no signal in Lewis Hall (plan to use your voice mail alot), but mediocre outside.
Sprint, which is also CDMA but uses a different freq I think, gets better coverage. Cingular/ATT seems to be decent. I remember hearing Sprint is best for the Norfolk area.[/QUOTE]

 

[pjm]

NY - Cingular works great for me all over manhattan; I get four bars from the financial district all the way up to 200th St. I also have had no problems in NJ, PA, North CA. Note that this is with a GSM phone; the TDMA network is obsolete, and Cingular is working to get people off that network.

 

[njbmd]

DC

Verizon is the best. You even get reception in the metro (which is underground if you've never been here)

Cingular/AT&T is awful. I had them and I would get dropped clals in the middle of an open field.

Illinois :


Chicago Medical School aka Rosalind Franklin, formerly known as Finch

At&t: 3/5- Mediocore. Signal drops in library completely and around the dorm complex.
Cingular: 2/5- Inadequate. Weaker than At&t.

Loyola University

At&t: 2/5- Not good and there is complete loss of signal in the building. You'll have to press your face into the windows to get something.
Cingular: 2/5- exactly the same. Around the hospital, at most you'll have is 2 bars.

Rush

Verizon: 4/5- Been able to get calls in class. Overall, very decent.

University of Chicago

At&t: 1/5- It's bad. Around the BSLC, you'll get nothing at all inside. You'll get nothing in the hospital at all. Even outside, around the quads, you'll have dropped calls as you stand in place.
Cingular: 3/5- It's decent. You still won't be able to call anyone from BSLC but outside, you can receive and make calls. I checked my signal from the Registrar office inside and it was a surprising four bars.


Maryland

University of Maryland

Verizon works well in this area

Hopkins

Verizon works well in the area of the the med school and the public health school. I never had any dropped calls from inside the public health building.

Michigan
WSU
Cingular: drops calls all the time while moving, no reception in buildings. ATT used to be good, until Cingular bought them.
Sprint: Ive heard bad things from people, but my friends who have them get amazing reception in buildings.
Verizon: The best in MI for coverage. They are your best bet.

MSU
Verizon worked well from what I recall 6mos ago, within Fee Hall might be a different matter.

Nebraska
Creighton
T-mobile - 3/5 - Text messaging works well in a few places inside and outside (note: not in the classrooms though) but calls don't work inside the school. You have to go outside which sucks in the winter.

NY

NYMC

Cingular- 4/5- good deal. It was solid in cafeteria and library area. A strong five bars around dorms and Medical Education Center.

NYC-Verizon seems to be the best. I had Cingular and it was terrible. Half the calls to my phone never went through!

Virginia

EVMS
Verizon gets absolutely no signal in Lewis Hall (plan to use your voice mail alot), but mediocre outside.
Sprint, which is also CDMA but uses a different freq I think, gets better coverage. Cingular/ATT seems to be decent. I remember hearing Sprint is best for the Norfolk area.

[/QUOTE]

Virginia
UVA
Sprint for Charlottesville. Verizon just doesn't make it into Charlottesville and everything is virtually Sprint.

 

[bio_research]

Just so you know…the number of “bars” that your phone is showing really has nothing to do with your ability to make or receive a call. The bars are just an indicator that your phone is RECIEVING a signal. The towers ( and yes, GSM also uses towers) transmit at the maximum FCC frequency of ~100Watts and you cell phone is transmitting at something like .3 watts. So, the only way you know whether your phone is going to work or not is to pick it up and dial… CDMA is the way to go though, with verizon you get both 800Mhz and 1900 Mhz...radios receiving the signals from the tower have more available frequencies for calls, and CDMA allows for more calls per channel, 10 I think. I have verizon and it seems to work everywhere from Rochester to DUKE to U of NC and almost anywhere in Cali and even in Cornell, where as at&t/cingular don’t work well around here anymore. Past Ithaca you will be hard pressed to find a good signal.