Cell phone service

Most Oberlin students have cell phones, and while T-Mobile or AT&T may have the best service in your home town, that doesn't guarantee that you'll get more than two bars in Oberlin. Your old provider may work perfectly fine, but, if you are considering switching providers you may want to consult this guide and other Obies using the service provider in question.

No cell phone provider is perfect. Verizon and Sprint have the most standard coverage across campus. In general, more people lose service in the science center, in basements, and in Decafe than in other areas on campus. If you use either Verizon or Sprint you are guaranteed to have service at least somewhere in your dorm room (provided you don't live in a basement).

You may also consider getting a phone plan with free roaming to help with coverage.

Contents

[edit] Verizon

Verizon is considered the best service provider on campus. It is the most commonly chosen provider by students and gets the most coverage in North Campus and South Campus. It has solid service across campus, and decent service inside most buildings.

Verizon has a kiosk in the Midway Mall if you need support for something. [1]

[edit] Opinions

one of my housemates has verizon and gets terrible service and loses her phone calls all the time. (we live on South Pleasant St. roughly across from the Firelands.) --jkimmel 19:15, 15 Oct 2005 (CDT)

Verizon is always great when i'm outside; when i'm inside certain buildings i tend to have trouble (but so does everyone else) —Tevi 13:29, 10 June 2007 (EDT)

I've never lost service with Verizon except in the Science Center and in certain basements. — Tim 17:58, 11 June 2007 (EDT)

I had Verizon for 5 years here. In my experience, it's better on North campus, but really sucks on South campus. I lost calls whenever I tried to talk inside. -J (15 August 2007)

[edit] Sprint

Sprint service is comprabale to that of Verizon. While Verizon may guarantee you more bars, Sprint comes in a close second. Sprint provides better coverage on South Campus, while Verizon is more suited to North Campus.

[edit] T-Mobile

T-Mobile's coverage is improving because a new cellphone tower was installed nearby. T-Mobile offers cheaper plans than Verizon but provides less coverage. Cellphone use inside buildings is more limited under T-Mobile.

[edit] Opinions

T-Mobile has been shady since May and now barely gets service in Oberlin at all. I think the tower is not doing so well. You only get two bars or so outside, and one inside. It also could have to do with the heat. However, it works more than it doesn't (and way more on central campus than in, let's say Tank), and is waywayway cheaper than verizon, offering plans with less minutes. I'll probably keep mine after the plan runs out. --216.207.86.214 (6 Aug 2005)

actually i've never had a problem with T-Mobile in Oberlin - even if the number of bars comes in and out a little bit, it's not like i ever lose my connection, or even have trouble figuring out what the other person is saying. and they seem to hear me fine too. --jkimmel 19:14, 15 Oct 2005 (CDT)

I get service pretty much everywhere outside. Inside most buildings I do not get service, except for the Feve and my apartment for some reason. (I have a Motorola SLVR.) —alxndr (talk) 16:11, 10 June 2007 (EDT)

[edit] Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile's service is acceptable throughout Oberlin. Like with T-Mobile, the service inside buildings is not great.

[edit] Cingular

Students have mixed opinions about Cingular. Recent contributors, though, have had fewer nice things to say about Cingular than other providers.

[edit] Opinions

...in my experience it works well outside, but I've had issues with it inside Harkness, being near a window helps a lot. --68.234.143.232 (14 Jun 2005)

[edit] AT&T

Fair coverage around campus. Less than optimal coverage inside buildings, especially basements. Decent coverage on campus grounds and around town.

[edit] Opinions

My personal experience is that it works fine outside, but requires a windowsill position, leaning, to get indoor coverage (at least in Burton). --24.106.234.198 (16 Aug 2005)

[edit] External Links

Retrieved from "http://oberwiki.net/Cell_phone_service"