Cell phone service in Prescott?

[Low Roller]

Friend of mine in Peoria uses Straighttalk (from Wal-Mart) and just switched to a newer phone. He loved the phone (an LG), but it used AT&T rather than the Verizon network (sadly, Straighttalk seems to be going to AT&T more and more now) and soon found that calls he could easily make on his old Verizon phone he could get no service for with the AT&T phone.

It seemed everyplace was a dead zone with the AT&T phone. He couldn't even call out from his workplace (Cabela's.)

So he's now switched to an $89 Samsung phone with the Verizon network and can again get service at work and everywhere else he's tried it.

It's the same phone and network I have, and I've never gotten a dead zone in Prescott or PV. I even get service on indian reservations, which I never did before.

Verizon may not be great, but it's the best.

[keninaz]

Just so you know, I went through getting cut off with a cell contract that I had while traveling at one point and called the company to complain.
I was told that my company was not "primary" on the tower that they leased space available and therefore when the primary owners own networks got busy the system automatically dumped non primary users from the network.
Not nice when you are trying to hold a conversation.

[BriansPerspective]

Verizon is hands down the best coverage in the Prescott area. We had AT&T when we first came here and there were lots of areas with no coverage. We switched to Verizon for better coverage. You can even get Verizon coverage at the Grand Canyon!

[txwoodchuck]

Thanks to all for your input..... Chuck

[Esenjay]

"Best of a bad lot" -- that's amusing. Verizon works where others are mostly spotty. No cell company has 100% coverage everywhere, that's not realistic. Plus, remember this is middle AZ, not a major or highly populated area. When you choose to live in a relatively remote area then you also make the choice to sacrifice certain amenities. If you want great cell coverage by your company of choice then move to the high demand/coverage areas. Unlike some of the expressed opinions on this forum, there's a certain logic/rationality to the way things work in most cases, cell phone networks and otherwise.

[wretched wrench]

My point is that Verizon's coverage maps and actual phone reception are two very, very different things. And things have gotten worse with the phone makers eliminating jacks for external antenna connections. With a jack, I was able to use an external antenna in a car to get the service their site map promised.

[PasadenaGuy]

I was just in Prescott last week with my AT&T iPhone. My experience was that in central Prescott coverage was OK. But I got absolutely "No Service" south of town in the Groom Creek (mountains) area or north of town in the Williamson Valley area. Hope this helps.

[keninaz]

Just my thoughts.
I have had many contracts and phones over the years. Now I just use a pre paid as that's all we need.
However, over the years I found that Motorola and LG phones seemed to have better receivers than most did.
Your results may vary of course.

Originally Posted by wretched wrench

My point is that Verizon's coverage maps and actual phone reception are two very, very different things. And things have gotten worse with the phone makers eliminating jacks for external antenna connections. With a jack, I was able to use an external antenna in a car to get the service their site map promised.

[wretched wrench]

Originally Posted by keninaz

Just my thoughts.
Motorola and LG phones seemed to have better receivers than most did.
Your results may vary of course.

I have also found LG and Motorola to be the best. But, still, not even close to what Verizon's site shows on the map. My last LG had an antenna jack, so no amp was needed. Present Droid X has no jack, so I have to use an amp with a Wilson trucker on our vehicles when coverage is not as advertised.

[Esenjay]

I have a Samsung Intensity II phone, it gets pretty good reception just about everywhere, with a few exceptions such as in the mountains between ashfork and seligman when I'm driving between AZ and CA on business.