Cell Phone Reception

I have changed cell phone companies twice. Does anyone on the board know who's cell phone reception is the best on 30A and around Destin Area? The Sandestin area is the worse for drop calls.

thanks

the hutch

Alltel is the best for all of 30-A and surrounding area. I have tried them all, except for the new Cingular/ATT, but they have the worst complaints for customer service nationwide. A rep at Alltel recently told me that due to the massive crowds that we tend to experience, such as Atlanta spring break, that they will be adding another tower to help handle the volume.

Cingular/ATT actually has good coverage in the area, but the cs complaints are very true. After the merger, we somehow ended up with two seperate accounts, account numbers, and bills from them. Mr. Mouse spent mucho time with their cs reps on the phone trying to get it all straightened out, and I'm still not sure it's right.

I use Alltel and the only small dead spot I know of is at the intersection of 30-A and 395 - probably interference.

I was about to switch for overall coverage problems, but since with merger with AT&T, Cingular coverage is very good, 30-A area, Destin, and Panama City included. I've been an Atlanta area customer for a long time, so didn't have any customer service problems resulting from the AT&T merger.

I have Verizon, (I'm not a local but I stayed in a Hol...) Sorry got a carried away again . Anyway I have a trimode phone from Verizon. Great reception nation wide. 2-3 years ago the service was bad in SoWal but it's very good now .

Cingular is better since the merger, but I still can't get reception when I'm on the sand at our place -- though I can from inside the house, which is an improvement from before the merger.

My wife has T-Mobile and her coverage is not good.

We had visitors from up north with Verizon service and their coverage was amazingly good.

Cingular is better since the merger, but I still can't get reception when I'm on the sand at our place -- though I can from inside the house, which is an improvement from before the merger.

My wife has T-Mobile and her coverage is not good.

We had visitors from up north with Verizon service and their coverage was amazingly good.

We were out a BigSky this Feb. Only the Verizon customers (of which I am) could get a signal. I also have great reception all over SoWal

Have any of the cell services improved their coverage lately?

I still use Alltel, and have not noticed much change. It still has pretty good coverage in most of this area, most of the time.

We have Sprint and have had no trouble with it. I once talked from the Home Depot in Destin all the way back to Seagrove Beach and the line was clear the whole time. (It was my mother. )

Sprint is good for me, family, and family's co-workers. I get a small dropout on 98 at Camp Helen, otherwise good all along 98 and from Grayton east on 30A. I don't spend as much time west of Grayton, so I can't recall how it is there.

I get horrible reception w/Sprint all over 30-a...have to go to 98 to get signal ...how old is your phone?...Red

Cell phone coverage in NW Florida is a whole story in itself. AllTel is still by far the best coverage, even out into the gulf. They were the only cell phone system serving the area for a long time, even to the point of locking out the other providers. Then AllTel over-extended and went bankrupt. They closed most of their offices and then suddenly reorganised with funding from some of the other providers, who (poof!) got instant acess to the area.

The best bet, especially if you are living there, is to get an AllTel 'pay as you go' phone (that's what I use down there now) from a wal-mart or drug store in the area you will mostly be in - you just buy a set number of minutes on a phone card and put them into the phone. It's cheap, so if it falls overboard it dosen't matter. There is no contract, no phone insurance and its a easy no frills solution.

If you are just visiting, keep your real phone for back home and reload the 'Florida Phone' minutes for the next trip. The AllTel phone also works in Gatlinburg and other areas where the other phones don't, but may use 'double minutes' sometimes in those areas.

I get horrible reception w/Sprint all over 30-a...have to go to 98 to get signal ...how old is your phone?...Red

Well, that's the funny thing--the phone's almost 2 years old and it's pretty basic.

Redfisher:

Mine is truly antique - A Sanyo SCP-4500 from 1999 or 2000, I think. The other Sprint phone in the family is a year-old Treo. Both are good all along the east half of 30A, but the Treo will roam here at home in Seagrove once in a blue moon. Sounds like your problem could be more phone than Sprint.

We have 4 family phones on Sprint and have had very good luck around Seaside/Grayton etc. Great signal on the beach as well.

I have Verizon, and get NO signal along 30-A, spotty up to 98. My phone's only a year old, but not an expensive one. Does the phone make that much difference?

I have Verizon, and get NO signal along 30-A, spotty up to 98. My phone's only a year old, but not an expensive one. Does the phone make that much difference?

I have an LG brand phone and am on the Verizon network also. I get basic phone reception most places around Grayton, Watercolor, Seaside, but cannot send or receive blackberry email until I'm up on 98 most of the time. Occasionally, my email will post when I'm at the third floor bar at the Watercolor Beach Club, so guess where I spend the days when I need to get my email?????

Occasionally, my email will post when I'm at the third floor bar at the Watercolor Beach Club, so guess where I spend the days when I need to get my email?????

Cap'nCrazy, I can just hear you say "And that's my story and I'm sticking to it." :funn:

Cap'nCrazy, I can just hear you say "And that's my story and I'm sticking to it." :funn:

"That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!!!!"

T-Mobile: In general, near an interstate highway I can count on a good signal except that I always lose my signal on I-85 between mile markers 68 and 66. I also don't get a signal in some parts of Newnan, GA, even within a mile of I-85. On the trip down to Seagrove I get no signal between Troy and DeFuniak Springs. From there on I get a good reception except that I don't get a signal in most of Seaside.

Verizon: Except for a few spots in South Alabama, we get a good signal.

For years, it was Alltel, some seem to still think so. I use Nextel and have very good luck on 30-A.

Sandestin is a mystery. ALL cell phone have a dead zone there. It has been rumored that Sandestin does something to cause this, but I can't imagine what. It IS strange, though, that all calls get dropped in that general area.

For years, it was Alltel, some seem to still think so. I use Nextel and have very good luck on 30-A.

Sandestin is a mystery. ALL cell phone have a dead zone there. It has been rumored that Sandestin does something to cause this, but I can't imagine what. It IS strange, though, that all calls get dropped in that general area.

My Alltel works fine in Sandestin.

Cingular here, represent. No real complaints. It's variable in the house, about 100 feet from 30a, but I always manage to get a few bars. On 30a and the beach I have no troubles at all. And the only dead spots on the way down are on some of the boonie 2-laners.

I have Verizon, and get NO signal along 30-A, spotty up to 98. My phone's only a year old, but not an expensive one. Does the phone make that much difference?

Making sure you have the most current software upgrades in your phone can make a BIG differrence!! Check with your carrier to see how you do this....usually it is done "over the air" which means you can just do it from your phone yourself. The carriers are constantly making changes that can positively impact your service but if you don't have the upgrades it can't help you. I use Verizon and it has improved SIGNIFICANTLY over the past couple of years (main use is 30-A).....sounds like you may need software upgrade or new phone.