Basis of Comparison: I have had PacBell (8 months), Airtouch/Verizon (six months-present), and L.A. Cellular/AT&T (2 1/2 years). I use my phone primarily in the Los Angles area, from West L.A. through Hollywood, to Downtown and occasionally to Pasadena/Alhambra/Monterey Park.

Equipment: AT&T-Nokia 6160; Verizon-Samsung 850; PacBell-Nokia 6190.

Issue: My primary concern is whether the phone can maintain a connection without getting dropped, without a "delayed voice" (see Sprint PCS), and without having to shout, redial, or otherwise wait forever until I can get a free signal. Pricing plans, roaming, etc. are less impartant to me, and are therefore not addressed in this review.

Opinion: AT&T has by far the WORST phone connection/signal strength/call quality.
First, the dead zones are numerous - West L.A., Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, Hollywood Hills East, Los Feliz, Highland/Melrose, Pasadena, Alhambra.
Second, about 70% of my calls get cut-off at some point, whether 2 minutes in or 15 minutes in.
Third, when I call my own cell phone's voice-mail, especially between 5-6 p.m., I can't get through - either a fast busy signal, an "all circuits are busy" recording, or the signal for a misplaced call. This particularly upsets me since I give out that number frequently. The last thing I want is for people to try to call my cell, and get a signal indicating that they called the wrong number!
Fourth, when it does work, the sound quality is muffled, fuzzy (based upon listening to other with AT&T phones) and picks up way too much static and background noise.

Options: Verizon and/or PacBell are far better options if call quality and reception are your primary concern. I recently switched to Verizon, and EVERY ONE of the dead spots that I had experienced with AT&T came in clear with my Verizon/Samsung 850 cell phone. Sound is land-line quality. The funny thing is now that I have a clear phone, I can tell the difference when I speak to friends using an AT&T v. Verizon, PacBell or Nextel phone. THe AT&T (and Sprint PCS) phones come in very fuzzy, if they come in at all.

Verdict:
1. Verizon
2. PacBell
3. Nextel
4. Sprint PCS
5. Use a phone booth
6. Email
7. If it can't be avoided, AT&T






Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 69/month