Anyone here use Verizon for cell service?

[Ibanez]

I've been with AT&T/Cingular/The New AT&T for over 6 years. Lately the coverage has been going downhill and customer service refuses to admit they have a problem. Keep blaming it on my phone. Odd since my wife and I have different phones made by different manufacturers yet we are both having the same problems.

Anyway I am thinking of moving to Verizon and was wondering if anyone here used them and how their service was here?

[sgrizzle]

Their service is VERY, VERY new.

Verizon does not share other towers, they use only their own. You can probably imagine what all that means. They have Tulsa metro covered very well but their data rates are pretty slow.

At this point verizon is not really competing in Tulsa, they are merely in the process of getting here.

Sprint has done a lot of work on their local network. You might try them.

In their defense (sorta) phones can be an issue. close to 75% of the phones made should never be made. The razr is a prime example. sleek case, but the internals were over a year out of date before they hit the shelves, not to mention the internal antenna is shoddy. So phone CAN be as much of an issue as the service is.

Research your phone model as much as you do your service. Try phonescoop.com

If you want to try a phone, you can by a cingular "pay as you go" gophone from here
and simply put your existing sim card in it. Cheap way to replace your phone without signing any contracts.

[Who Cares]

My girlfriends brother just got Verizon and seems to like it. Verizon new here though, so they are probably still working out the kinks in their network. I suggest T-mobile!

[AngieB]

We use T-mobile. No complaints.

Just last week, my Motorola PEBL quit working and after troubleshooting with customer service they determined that a replacement would be needed. They said I could get another PEBL, or a RAZR if I'd like to change to a different model. They offered me a magenta or black regular RAZR, OR I could get the fancy-schmancy Dolce & Gabbana RAZR. I went for the D&G and it sure is purrrrty.

My free PEBL exchanged for a $300+ RAZR. Shipped for free no less.

And I've never had any trouble with service in the area. No dropped calls, good signal everywhere I go. Good website, easy to pay the bill online. Highly recommended.

[sgrizzle]

I had t-mobile when it was voicestream and customer service was horrible. Haven't tried since then.

[cannon_fodder]

I use Cingular and while they have been suffering a bit lately due to increased demand... I havent had any real problems.

Verizon is well established in other markets and my family up north uses them with no complaints.  When we looked into their services their coverage was not adequate in this area nor areas I travel.

That said.  The inside scope is that Verizon is pumping TONS of money into new towers and services for this market.  So it might be a good bet for the future.  Also, their prices may be lower to get a foothold in the market.

[jackcat]

We are moving from up north to T-town this summer and current Sprint customers.

Like them up here, and would like to keep them in Tulsa.

Saw one comment about it, but anybody else have experience with Sprint?

Thanks.

[stymied]

I had Verizon in California after Cingular, T-Mobile, and Nextel.  Verizon was the best, hands down.  Moved here, no Verizon.  So we went back to T-Mobile.  Had the service about a month and was noticing I couldn't get a strong signal at my house.  I looked at their coverage map and they showed this tiny little hole in their coverage.  Yep, that was me.  My neighborhood is so dense with trees that I had a significant loss in signal.  The bastards wouldn't do anything about it in the way of canceling my contract.  They said it was up to me to install an antenna at my house if I wanted better service there.  Switched to Cingular last year.  Not much better.  I was excited to learn about Verizon coming here, but I don't want to pay $400 right now to get out of my existing contract for 2 lines.

[Johnboy976]

I have both Verizon and Cingular. When I went home to Tulsa four months ago, my coverage was better with Verizon. Customer service is better as well. It was rated at the top in a recent poll, with T-Mobile following at a close second. And the idea that Verizon doesn't share towers seems odd to me. Verizon (according to the FCC and JD Power & Associates) has the largest coverage map in the lower 48 states. Sure, some states have better coverage with Cingular, but far more do with Verizon. The only issue you may run into is the network. Unless you have a lot of family members or friends who already have Verizon, you will be using up a lot of your anytime minutes. Still, I would go for Verizon, if you were sure you wouldn't go over your minutes.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by Johnboy976

I have both Verizon and Cingular. When I went home to Tulsa four months ago, my coverage was better with Verizon. Customer service is better as well. It was rated at the top in a recent poll, with T-Mobile following at a close second. And the idea that Verizon doesn't share towers seems odd to me. Verizon (according to the FCC and JD Power & Associates) has the largest coverage map in the lower 48 states. Sure, some states have better coverage with Cingular, but far more do with Verizon. The only issue you may run into is the network. Unless you have a lot of family members or friends who already have Verizon, you will be using up a lot of your anytime minutes. Still, I would go for Verizon, if you were sure you wouldn't go over your minutes.

I know for a fact dozens of verizon customers have come to town and found their blackberries to be completely useless up until this year. Sprint and cingular are both offering broadband data speeds in the Tulsa market and verizon's new towers are merely "adequate."

Verizon currently only serves tulsa metro and lawton. When I try to buy a plan, it gives me a coverage map of texas. According to their site, they do offer voice-only on other carrier's towers.

[Rowdy]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Their service is VERY, VERY new.

Verizon does not share other towers, they use only their own. You can probably imagine what all that means. They have Tulsa metro covered very well but their data rates are pretty slow.

At this point verizon is not really competing in Tulsa, they are merely in the process of getting here.

Sprint has done a lot of work on their local network. You might try them.

In their defense (sorta) phones can be an issue. close to 75% of the phones made should never be made. The razr is a prime example. sleek case, but the internals were over a year out of date before they hit the shelves, not to mention the internal antenna is shoddy. So phone CAN be as much of an issue as the service is.

Research your phone model as much as you do your service. Try phonescoop.com

If you want to try a phone, you can by a cingular "pay as you go" gophone from here
and simply put your existing sim card in it. Cheap way to replace your phone without signing any contracts.

Where do you get your information from? Verizon utilizes the new, Rev A EVDO technology that Sprint uses so to say Sprint is faster is ridiculous. Every site in Tulsa has Rev A EVDO.  How can Verizon be in the process of getting to Tulsa when they are already here? Sites are going up each and every month and they are building out quite vigorously.

Take a look at a Sprint or US Cellular cellsite and then take a look at a Verizon cellsite. One of the main differences is the fact that almost every Verizon cellsite has a generator on site that holds enough fuel to run a cellsite without power for long periods of time. Carriers like US Cellular and Cingular have to haul around portable generators every time there is an outage that lasts for more than 4-5 hours.  It isn't just a marketing tool to state that they are the most reliable network.  They are investing an appreciable amount of money into it each year to maintain and improve on their quality.

[Rowdy]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by Johnboy976

I have both Verizon and Cingular. When I went home to Tulsa four months ago, my coverage was better with Verizon. Customer service is better as well. It was rated at the top in a recent poll, with T-Mobile following at a close second. And the idea that Verizon doesn't share towers seems odd to me. Verizon (according to the FCC and JD Power & Associates) has the largest coverage map in the lower 48 states. Sure, some states have better coverage with Cingular, but far more do with Verizon. The only issue you may run into is the network. Unless you have a lot of family members or friends who already have Verizon, you will be using up a lot of your anytime minutes. Still, I would go for Verizon, if you were sure you wouldn't go over your minutes.

I know for a fact dozens of verizon customers have come to town and found their blackberries to be completely useless up until this year. Sprint and cingular are both offering broadband data speeds in the Tulsa market and verizon's new towers are merely "adequate."

Verizon currently only serves tulsa metro and lawton. When I try to buy a plan, it gives me a coverage map of texas. According to their site, they do offer voice-only on other carrier's towers.

That's because there wasn't a rollout of the network until then.  How could their Blackberries work if there wasn't a Verizon tower on the air at that time? Verizon serves many areas like HWY 75 to Okmulgee or the Turnpike all the way up to Vinita and even at Grand Lake. Then there's Mannford-Terlton-Hallett-Bristow-Sand Springs-Sapulpa are just a few others that are not Tulsa Metro.

[Johnboy976]

Here is some more info on Verizon Wireless:

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/electronics/cell-phone-plans/index.html

[Ibanez]

In my line of work it is imperative that I can be reached any time of day no matter where I am.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by Rowdy


Where do you get your information from? Verizon utilizes the new, Rev A EVDO technology that Sprint uses so to say Sprint is faster is ridiculous. Every site in Tulsa has Rev A EVDO.  How can Verizon be in the process of getting to Tulsa when they are already here? Sites are going up each and every month and they are building out quite vigorously.

Take a look at a Sprint or US Cellular cellsite and then take a look at a Verizon cellsite. One of the main differences is the fact that almost every Verizon cellsite has a generator on site that holds enough fuel to run a cellsite without power for long periods of time. Carriers like US Cellular and Cingular have to haul around portable generators every time there is an outage that lasts for more than 4-5 hours.  It isn't just a marketing tool to state that they are the most reliable network.  They are investing an appreciable amount of money into it each year to maintain and improve on their quality.

I get my information from side-by-side personal comparison. Yes, verizon uses evdo just like sprint, but verizon is only using evdo on their towers. My guess is they are either congested or limiting bandwidth during the buildout. I would tend to go with the later because I was consistently hitting the exact same speeds everytime.

Lots of cell sites use generators, verizon didn't invent them.