How 2... Check cell phone coverage

Etan Horowitz | Sentinel Staff Writer

December 1, 2007

The most important thing to consider when choosing a cell phone provider is whether there is good coverage in the areas you use your phone the most. Here are some ways to check coverage before you sign a contract.

1. All of the major carriers offer coverage maps where you can put in an address, intersection, ZIP code or city and see the strength of the coverage.

For T-Mobile, go to t-mobile.com/coverage; for Sprint, go to sprint.com/coverage; for Verizon Wireless, go to verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController; For AT&T, go to wireless.att.com/coverageviewer.

2. When you go to one of these Web sites, first enter you home address to check the coverage around your house. You might want to also enter your work address, a relative or friend's address, or anywhere else you plan to make a lot of cell phone calls.

3. If you are thinking of getting a data plan with your phone so you can surf the Web or send and receive e-mails, check the maps to see the strength of the data coverage.

4. If you want to compare all of the carriers at the same time, you can use Signal Map (signalmap.com), which relies on user submissions to display signal strength. The site is only as good as the information people submit, so don't rely on it exclusively.

5. If you are still worried that you won't get reception in your neighborhood, ask your neighbors what cell phone carriers they have and whether they get good reception. You should also inquire about how long you have to return the phone and cancel your contract if you don't get service in your house.