Cell Phone Question for any LA Residents

[ArsPolitica]

I'll be starting UCLA in a couple weeks, and I don't want a dorm phone, I just want to use my cell. What providers have good coverage in LA in general, the Westwood area more specificly?

I have a Sprint phone, but it's not yet activated so it can still be returned.

Any advice?

-Cameron

 

[serialb]

I had a Verizon and used to hang out in Santa Monica last year... No reception problem at all.

serialb

 

[frizzlefry]

UCLA you say? Hmmmm, well my sis was on airtouch (now verizon) and it sucked. I have AT&T and when visiting her or other friends in downtown etc, no problems whatsoever. Don't go with sprint they suck too. I have a few friends on pacbell and they don't have too many holes..... so I'd say go with either Pacbell/Cingular or AT&T. Funny how AT&T's the only one that hasn't/isn't changing names.....

 

[Tonec]

Cingular has good coverage but their system in westwood is always busy. Its fine during the summer but as soon as students come back, the 310 area code numbers become very unreliable. It also depends on the hall but there are very few rooms that get any reception at all. My advice is to buy a decent 2.4 cordless, most people just end up talking out in the hall or the breezeways.

 

[frizzlefry]

<< Cingular has good coverage but their system in westwood is always busy. Its fine during the summer but as soon as students come back, the 310 area code numbers become very unreliable. It also depends on the hall but there are very few rooms that get any reception at all. >>


yeah my friends say the same. all of them went with pacbell/cingular when they had/have that free mobile to mobile unlimited promotion.

 

[RossMAN]

This has been asked quite a few times in the UseNet NewsGroup alt.cellular.*

Here's a good post about Sprint PCS

Lots of dead areas along Sunset Blvd. near campus because of the hills.
Big dead spot on campus at the Anderson School of Management. Spotty
coverage around the northwest campus residential areas because of the
tall buildings and hills. Otherwise, fairly good service, especially if
you have a clear eastern view (western is not as good because of the
hills and the relative lack of towers out in Santa Monica).

Jeff Lew
UCLA Atmospheric Sciences

Everyone seems to have a different opinion of what cell providers offer good coverage. The general consensus seems to be Sprint PCS and Verizon are about the best you'll get.

Sprint PCS hot deal

Verizon hot deal

 

[ArsPolitica]

Thanks everyone.

RossMan- I think I may have a class with professor Lew this year, weird to see his name mentioned on an AnAndTech forum.

I think I'm gonna go with sprint, but I'll wait to activate it until I get closer to move in day so that I can cancel if service sucks. Thanks for linking the deals, I actually got in on the Office Max deal from a couple weeks ago, 150 with 200 in rebates. I need to submit the rebates by the 15th, so I'm gonna have to activate before then. If I cancel service, will I still get the rebates, or can I return the phone to oficemax?

 

[RossMAN]

Don't rebates usually require original UPC symbols and receipts? To my knowledge OfficeMax nor any other retailer will accept returned merchandise with the UPC cut out besides that would be fraud.

Your best bet is to read these posts and see what people are saying about cell phone service in Westwood/UCLA. The next best thing to do is ask other students and UCLA faculty members.

 

[ArsPolitica]

It must be late, I'm not thinking clearly. Of course they wouldn't accept the phone back with a big whole in the box where the upc should be. That link is very helpful, now maybe I'll go with ATT.

 

[frizzlefry]

<< It must be late, I'm not thinking clearly. Of course they wouldn't accept the phone back with a big whole in the box where the upc should be. That link is very helpful, now maybe I'll go with ATT. >>


Thank you, thank you. Now wasn't that what I suggested a while back?

 

[ArsPolitica]

I'm really off to bed now, but still have no idea.

From the newsgroups, it looks like some say yes for sprint, some no. Some say ATT, others say Verizon cause they have towers on campus. I think I'm gonna take back my phone to Office Max, and just wait to see firsthand what reception the dorms have.

-Cameron

 

[samarth]

<< Otherwise, fairly good service, especially if
you have a clear eastern view (western is not as good because of the
hills and the relative lack of towers out in Santa Monica). >>



This is so true. I have cingular(yeah, free mobile to mobile...) and i lived on both sides of Sproul. No reception the turnaround side but perfectly good the side facing the IM field.
well, now in the apt, it does not work inside the building, sucks.

 

[Passions]

It's really simple

No = Cingular, Sprint
Yes = AT&T, Verizon

 

[JMaster]

Sprint SUCKS in UCLA area, trust me.

 

[BruinEd03]

I just got verizon and i LOOOOOVE it. I can actually get reception inside my apt whereas i couldn't with my bro's cingular. And i've had many friends in dorms say they can't get recption unless the phone's right next to the window.

-Ed