SMART Phone and Photo Blog

All the carriers make claims about how their coverage is the best.  AT&T is “more bars in more places” or “the nation’s fastest 3g network while Verizon is the “nation’s most reliable network.”   Of course they’re all very careful to make sure they’re technically accurate in these seemingly conflicting statements.

AT&T phones generally work everywhere in the world where there is GSM network coverage – which is all of Europe and much of Asia including China (although not including Japan or Korea).  Thus “more bars in more places” is accurate when you look outside the US.

Verizon’s phones are CDMA which is a US and Korean standard.  But a Verizon phone won’t work out of the box in Europe or China.  Verizon will loan you an international phone, or there are Verizon phones that have multiple radios in them including GSM.  But Verizon’s network claims are based on having the most coverage here in the US. 

On the 3g side, AT&T’s 3g network is technically faster than Verizon’s for data downloads.  The catch is the AT&T’s 3g network isn’t available in nearly as many places as Verizon’s (something like a 5:1 ratio in Verizon’s favor).

But if you have good AT&T coverage where you live and work, and if you have AT&T 3g coverage, your I-Phone will work great.  If you live in downtown San Francisco, you’re all set.  If you live on Alameda’s east end (Bay Farm) or move around alot around the Bay Area, the coverage will start to get on your nerves.  If you drive to I-5 for example, you’re going to get dropped ALOT by your AT&T phone.

Alameda presents some unique challenges for wireless coverage.  Because it’s flat, and near the water, the coverage will always be tricky.  Coverage near the water will always be spotty – the carriers can’t just “crank up” the signal because signals can skip across water.  If Verizon and AT&T just cranked up the coverage on Alameda’s shoreline, the signals can get picked up by drivers on 101 by the San Francisco airport, which screws up coverage over there.

Net on coverage in Alameda:  on Bay Farm, where I live, I’ve tried them all in the past 10 years.  Sprint and T-Mobile work “ok.”  With them I can have a wireless call but I immediately warn the other party I might get dropped at any second.  With AT&T I had to stand in my back yard and hope for the best.  With Verizon I am able to have an extended call from home, stay on the line, walk into my garage, get into my car and drive down to Mtn. View while never getting dropped. 

South Shore:  along the water there I’ve heard coverage problems with all the carriers, including Verizon.

Alameda Point and Marina Village:  on the west end the opposite tends to be true.  Verizon does NOT work that well on the Point, nor in Marina Village.  On the west end AT&T or T-Mobile are your best bet, is my experience.

The best thing to do is talk to all your neighbors.  People are very eager to share their experiences and you’ll learn pretty quickly what works best in your area and for where you go.

Feel free to stop by the store and give us your insights on mobile coverage here in Alameda, or ask about your particular neighbor or area.