Service in the Charlotte (NC) area

[Garrett D]

Hi there! I'm going to be picking up my very first iPhone in the coming months. I'm also going to be moving out of the mountains to the Charlotte area (UNC Charlotte) and I was wondering which carrier did the best there. I'm seeing different upsides to all carriers but it wouldn't do me much good if the reception sucks or if the calls dropped as bad as they do here in the sticks. All the carriers of course show on their maps that it has service but I'm hoping that there will be some actual customers that could share their experiences. I like the idea of unlimited data from Sprint, but AT&T does talk and surf AND has rollover minutes. Verizon is the "most reliable network" but from the videos I saw online, the data speeds SUCK. Hopefully there are some members on here that live in or around Charlotte that can point me in the right direction. Thanks!

 

[jkliveng]

I can't think of a time I ever lost a call or had no service in the Charlotte area, I have AT&T. I would imagine with the way business is in the city is that you would be fine with whatever you got.

 

[zachimal]

I have AT&T and live in Rock Hill, SC, right below Charlotte (and what some consider a suburb of Charlotte). We have generally excellent coverage here and that doesn't falter going into the Charlotte area. It has steadily improved over time and 3G coverage is ubiquitous in my town. They put a high priority on I-77 as well, which runs right through Rock Hill and Charlotte. So, as far as my experience goes, AT&T is a safe bet for this area.

P.S.: I know no one with Sprint, so I couldn't comment on them. I also know few people with Verizon anymore, but don't recall any complaints from those who do have it.

 

[ctbear]

I'm on AT&T and I have constant 4-5 bars around UNCC area. You will be fine.
FWIW: ~3mbps download, ~1mbps upload on an iPhone 4

 

[Garrett D]

Thanks for the responses! Sounds like it's a safe bet to go with AT&T. Now I just have to wait for my contract with my local service provider (Carolina West Wireless) to run out in the next few months and then it's hello iPhone!

 

[shadrap]

The 3G service covers a large area of Charlotte, but the voice quality is sub par and you will drop calls in the area. I routinely travel in and around the Charlotte area, this is my personal experience.

Data speeds are generally fast unless its a high traffic time and then they will slow, but not sub standard.

 

[machacker]

I live across the street from the University, and I can say that Verizon is pretty good. AT&T is way better in Charlotte though. I had to switch to Verizon for a number of reasons, but I would go back to AT&T any day.