AT&T Coverage in Rochester, NY area?

[Melrose]

I'm considering the jump from Verizon to AT&T - I'm not decided yet, but the iPhone has had my eyes drooling since it's release.

Does anyone know what AT&T coverage/dropped calls/call quality in the Rochester, NY or Southern Tier area is like?

Thanks!!

 

[cyclingplatypus]

A good way to test the coverage for you is to buy a cheap goPhone and see how the service is. Someone might be relatively close to you and have stellar service but that doesn't mean you will. A goPhone is cheap and you get a few bucks of free airtime.

 

[StealthRider]

I go to U of R - so far, on my Nokia (quadband GSM, dualband UMTS), coverage has been excellent - 3 or 4 bars of 3G service everywhere I go. This is since November.

Bloody windy the other day!

 

[aristobrat]

While you're waiting for other first-hand replies, if you haven't used their online coverage viewer tool, try this:
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/

 

[Melrose]

While you're waiting for other first-hand replies, if you haven't used their online coverage viewer tool, try this:
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/

I've checked this one, but I saw something like that Verizon, if my memory serves me correctly - and they actually covered areas the map said they didn't and vise versa. I'm actually a bit south of Rochester, and the more hills there are around the worse the signal, obv.

@Stealthrider: It was windy there for while - man alive it sounded like a freight train barreling between the houses!

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[JSchwage]

I just got a new phone with service from AT&T and I couldn't be happier with the reception in the Rochester area. I get a full signal at all times in my house (in the Town of Greece). At work it isn't so great. But nobody gets good cell signals in the building at work no matter what carrier they use.

I should probably also note that I am on an AT&T GoPhone plan. But all of my other friends that have AT&T service in the area get awesome signals!

My parents actually both have Verizon phones. They complain about the signal a bit more using Verizon than I do on AT&T. So I'd say that the AT&T signal in the Rochester, NY area is definitely better than Verizon's.

 

[Aries326]

My brother used to live in Rochester and he had Cingular (now owned by AT&T) The signal was excellent. He had signal in places T-Mobile didn't have signal. I've also switched over to AT&T since getting the iPhone and I'm happy with the reception. I've got reception in the hospital where I work as whereas T-Mobile was 0 bars.

 

[Melrose]

thanks for the feedback

Now I've just got to put my money aside for a while and make the jump - I've been on Verizon since I first got my cellphone, which is still the old pay-as-you-go plan ($15 per month for more time than I need). The only thing I like about Verizon is the free Verizon-to-Verizon calling... all my friends have Verizon

The thing of it is, I use my cellphone so stinkin' little that I need the pay as you go plan to save money, meaning I'll have to buy the iPhone outright.

I figure by the time I've got enough set aside to buy one, there'll be bigger drives and upgrades

 

[nickspohn]

Do any of your friends have AT&T, or anyone you know?


Judging by what you're saying though, i would just keep on waiting, do more research, and make the leap to iPhone 2 instead of the current iPhone. Gives you plenty of time to save and look up on the coverage. But once you go iPhone, you won't go back.

 

[Melrose]

No one that I know - but I haven't really asked very many people, just noticed the logo on their phones - Verizon Verizon Verizon...

Yeah, I think waiting is the a good idea also. I'm in the 'gather as much information as you can' phase (also known as the 'I don't have the money to afford the change' phase).

Again, thanks all you guys for your help. It's good to know before diving in the kind of experience people have with AT&T.. I had heard some bad stuff about Cingular, so maybe AT&T made some changes?