How to Pick a Wireless Carrier

The hubbub over my recent post about who has the largest cellular network might have raised more questions than it answered. If the three biggest carriers all have about the same amount of coverage, how do you pick among them, especially considering they definitely don't cover the exact same areas?

The answer: Very carefully.

For most people, there's a lot of trial and error in picking a cell plan. They start with one company for a year or two. They decide the grass is greener on the other side and switch. After another year, they switch back. We're all vulnerable to advertising and hype, so it's hard to stay put, especially when a particularly important call drops off.

So, how do you pick a carrier? Here's what I recommend (in rough order):

• First, face facts: Cellular service is not perfect. Far from it, really. In rural areas, in and around large buildings, and in your basement, service is not going to be great. The proximity of an appropriate cellular tower and the load on that tower are important variables in service areas like this, but there are just as many that you can't even begin to take into account, like electromagnetic interference, network outages and equipment failure, and whether your battery is about to die. Accept that cellular service is a little flaky, and that you might have to walk or drive a ways to get an improved signal.
• Check coverage maps: These aren't perfect, but every carrier offers them. On some carrier's sites you can drill down to the city level to see where in town coverage is offered. T-Mobile's interactive coverage map is particularly impressive. Look up coverage for your house, office, and other areas where you anticipate using your cell phone. But just because you see coverage in the areas where you work or live doesn't mean you'll actually get coverage there, so use coverage maps as a way to rule out carriers who definitely don't cover your part of town. Here are direct links to various coverage maps and locators from the bigger carriers:
  - Cingular
  - Sprint/Nextel
  - Verizon Wireless
  - T-Mobile
  - Alltel
  - U.S. Cellular
• Consider the plans and prices: Now that you've whittled down the choices, you'll want to make sure your carrier offers the services you want to buy for your area. High-speed 3G wireless, music services, mobile TV... these are all far less widespread than simple voice service. Also do a little comparison shopping to see if one carrier is offering a deal you can't refuse.
• Consider the handset: Most cell phones are unique to each provider. If you really want a Sidekick, you're going to have to go with T-Mobile, and if you really want a Motorola Q, you'll have to use Verizon. (The exception is if you get an unlocked phone on the aftermarket, but few users actually do this.) If your heart is set on a certain phone, your choice may be made for you. However, remember that different phones offer different quality of service (aka "you get what you pay for"). It may sound obvious, but a phone with a larger antenna will typically get better reception and experience fewer dropped calls than a tiny handset with a small antenna. Check product reviews of the phones you're considering to make sure you don't end up with an overly touchy handset that's prone to these problems.
• Take a test drive: Most carriers offer 30-day guarantees. (Verizon's guarantee is only 15 days and T-Mobile's is 14 days, but these vary by state.) If service is poor in your area, you can return the phone for a full refund. Beware, however, as some users have complained that these refunds can be difficult to obtain without a bit of a fight from the carrier. You could also consider renting a handset for a month or two to see how you like it.
• Throw a party: My favorite tip, if only because it's the most fun. Want to know who has the best cellular service at your house? Throw a soiree and invite everyone you know. Make sure they bring their cell phone, and ask if you can give it a spin. Take notes on call quality for each carrier. Before the end of the evening you'll probably find a service that sounds good and a phone that you like, too. This doesn't help with service when you're away from home, but knowing you can get a quality signal in every room in your house is worth a lot. (I don't know about you, but I get tons of calls on my cell even when I'm sitting around at home.) Plus, it's the only way to do side by side comparisons of the various carriers in a controlled environment.