Best cell phone coverage

[FosterMomma]

We are moving to TV in 4 weeks and wondered if any of you have thoughts on the best cell phone carrier? I need to be able to talk unlimited, North America wide because we have kids all over the place. I have read that there are problem spots... which one is best?

[jswintberg]

We live in Osceola Hills and consistently have 3 of 5 bars with Verizon. Having said that, I know there was a petition earlier in the year to Verizon regarding poor coverage in parts of The Villages.

[Bosoxfan]

Been in the Villages 6 years and have never had a problem with Verizon.
Also the carrier isn't always the problem. If you have an old phone it doesn't matter who the carrier is. I've always had a good phone so maybe that along with Verizons coverage is the reason we haven't had problems. If I were to guess why folks are having problems I'd think old phone, flip phone or cheap phone.

[kaydee]

We are just north of 466 have Verizon & have great service through out The Villages

[Buckeyephan]

I have Sprint and live in Gilchrist. Excellent service at home but as I go farther north in The Villages, the signal is less consistent. On another note, we're looking into upgrading our iPhones. The days of buying your phone seem to be over. They really push leasing the phones and are phasing out 2-year contracts. The process has been frustrating and confusing.

[Newbeginnings]

I have AT & T, very good coverage, and I have a new Iphone 6, and we have an extender in our house, 5 bars. We are south of 466A near Hillsborough.

[jnieman]

We are moving to TV in 4 weeks and wondered if any of you have thoughts on the best cell phone carrier? I need to be able to talk unlimited, North America wide because we have kids all over the place. I have read that there are problem spots... which one is best?

What Village are you moving to? It makes a difference for coverage.

[looneycat]

I have AT & T, very good coverage, and I have a new Iphone 6, and we have an extender in our house, 5 bars. We are south of 466A near Hillsborough.

so you had bad coverage and needed an extender to make it good?

[dewilson58]

We are just north of 466 have Verizon & have great service through out The Villages

We are South of 466a and all good down here too.

[MikeV]

Verizon gets my vote.

[JoMar]

We live south of 466A in Hillsborough, Verizon is 2 bars at best. The sent an extender and parts of the house was still weak. The extender was returned. We have a stucco house so that creates an issue. Verizon did a signal evaluation and advised us that we are on the fringe of their service and more than 2 bars is not likely so dropped calls will happen. At least they were upfront about the service.

[tuccillo]

AT&T can also be spotty in that area. We have a AT&T microcell box. It creates a cell zone in your house and routes the calls through the internet. It works very well - 5 bars inside most of our house, drops down to 3-4 bars at the opposite corner from the box.. AT&T acknowledges that the coverage is spotty and provided the microcell box for no cost.

We live south of 466A in Hillsborough, Verizon is 2 bars at best. The sent an extender and parts of the house was still weak. The extender was returned. We have a stucco house so that creates an issue. Verizon did a signal evaluation and advised us that we are on the fringe of their service and more than 2 bars is not likely so dropped calls will happen. At least they were upfront about the service.

[jnieman]

AT&T can also be spotty in that area. We have a AT&T microcell box. It creates a cell zone in your house and routes the calls through the internet. It works very well - 5 bars inside most of our house, drops down to 3-4 bars at the opposite corner from the box.. AT&T acknowledges that the coverage is spotty and provided the microcell box for no cost.

We also have an ATT Microcell box and it has made a world of difference for us. We mostly always have 5 bars. Without it 2 at the most.

[JoMar]

We also have an ATT Microcell box and it has made a world of difference for us. We mostly always have 5 bars. Without it 2 at the most.

The Verizon product did not stop the dropped calls at the far end which is where we made most of our calls. So now we use the landline or call from another location where we do get enough signal.

[Newbeginnings]

so you had bad coverage and needed an extender to make it good?

Inside the house was a problem, very large stucco home we have a a AT&T microcell unit, which was provided by AT&T, 5 bars inside our home now, before the unit it was 2-3 bars. . Once we are outside it is no problem. Just sayin lived in 2 other homes in The Villages and no problem with AT&T, most people in our neighborhood have some type of unit to help with coverage inside because most of us are against a wooded preserve with lots of trees also. We are south of Hillsborough also.

[l2ridehd]

AT&T and no problems anywhere, even in a large stucco home. Have lived in 3 villages and no issues anywhere. No extender used.

[jnieman]

Inside the house was a problem, very large stucco home we have a a AT&T microcell unit, which was provided by AT&T, 5 bars inside our home now, before the unit it was 2-3 bars. . Once we are outside it is no problem. Just sayin lived in 2 other homes in The Villages and no problem with AT&T, most people in our neighborhood have some type of unit to help with coverage inside because most of us are against a wooded preserve with lots of trees also. We are south of Hillsborough also.

Just a question. Did you say that visitors to your home with other phone plans can hook up to your Microcell unit?

[tuccillo]

Visitor's cell phones will use the Microcell box if they are an AT&T customer and you add them to the on-line approved user list. This is easy to do.

Just a question. Did you say that visitors to your home with other phone plans can hook up to your Microcell unit?

[jnieman]

Visitor's cell phones will use the Microcell box if they are an AT&T customer and you add them to the on-line approved user list. This is easy to do.

Oh, that makes sense that if they are ATT customers.

[babbgene]

I live in Bonita and have Verizon. I currently have 2 bars. There are times , even with the extender, I have to go to the window, standing up, to have an conversation. Looking for an replacement supplier.

[FosterMomma]

Our home is on Summerchase Loop which is across from the Savannah Center... north? I haven't been there yet.

[Opmoochler]

AT&T works fine for us in Hadley and all over.

[juneroses]

The October POA Bulletin which I just received this AM provides a Verizon update. They report a new site at Micro Racetrack Road was recently added. Another new site at Sumter Landing is due for activation this month. Finally two more cell sites - timing/location TBD - are due in 2016.

Much earlier, the POA had asked for input from Villagers so they could address reception issues with Verizon. Don't know if this was instrumental in the new sites added/to be added, but it does appear that Verizon is working to fix reception problems in the southern portion of the Villages.

[bigallis1]

I live down near Brownwood and have not had any trouble with Verizon reception.

[mgcsooner]

Dunedin area Verizon 6+ Outside 3 bars but never LTE here, inside CBS home sometimes 3 bars, usually 1-2 bars and frequent complaints. Love Verizon everywhere but here.
FYI interested in whether other Verizon customers notice if they are getting full LTE SVC throughout there area.

[joldnol]

had metro with no problems in Jax., moved here and coverage was spotty at best. No problems with our new verizon phones in dunedin

[Northerner52]

Have Verizon on a iPhone 6+ and have lost calls on 301 and 466 between Morse and Buena Vista. Otherwise good coverage. Sitting in Hillsboro I have two bars as I write this.

[BS Beef]

Verizon hands down.

[LI SNOWBIRD]

I missed welcoming you --you are a breath of fresh air--welcome

[village dreamer]

I use comsumer cellular, with a flip phone............love it , no problems. I live near Brownwood.

[bikeman]

We live in Hemingway, and verizon admits we are in a dead zone. We also have an extender and it does not matter. Verizon has made promises, but we continue to have drop call after drop call. There are some 400 residents with the same problem. You had better check.

[Packer Fan]

I have ATT and when I am in the Villages it works great all over. Donna has Verizon - not so much in some places.. We both have Iphones

[Carla B]

OP said she will be located near Savannah Center. The problem areas seem to be just north and south of 466A, a long way from Savannah Center.

I haven't heard any complaints with cell phone coverage north of 466, so I guess any of the cell providers have good coverage there.

[jrdonn]

We live south of 466A in Hillsborough. In and around our home the iPhone is almost useless.
I bought an Ooma unit, the unit was $99 and we only pay the taxes each month of about $4. Works great, runs off the internet (VOIP). Too bad that we have to buy extenders and other phone systems when we pay Verizon, AT&T so much each year. I called Verizon and they offered to sell me a $300 range extender. They should include this if you ask me.

[tuccillo]

We are on the southside and AT&T gave us a microcell box (routes cell phone calls through our broadband router) for no cost. It works great.

We live south of 466A in Hillsborough. In and around our home the iPhone is almost useless.
I bought an Ooma unit, the unit was $99 and we only pay the taxes each month of about $4. Works great, runs off the internet (VOIP). Too bad that we have to buy extenders and other phone systems when we pay Verizon, AT&T so much each year. I called Verizon and they offered to sell me a $300 range extender. They should include this if you ask me.

[dotti105]

We live in Gilchrest, on Pinellas. No phone issues at all. We use an old iPhone 4 and a iPhone 5s and have AT&T.

We haven't had problems with dropped calls anywhere in The Villages. No extender of any type needed.

[RErmer]

Cricket! Cheap and reliable all over , including when traveling. Cricket is owned by AT&T, so that's the network they use. We live in Glenbrook, close to Savannah.

[Northerner52]

Anyone use Straighttalk? Verizon or ATT versions?

[wozencraftsl]

I have a regular cell phone about 5 years old with AT&T service. Have had no usage problem throughout The Villages or anywhere else.

[fmdjr1950]

Had T- Mobile with no success so we asked people who live and work in TV and other areas of Florida any most said to get Verizon and they were right we switched and have had no problems with them.

[tbonewillie]

After nearly 15 years with different cell phone services here, I can assure you that in the Villages VERIZON is by far the best, most consistent service available.

[burky]

Consumer Cellular is the best I have ever found. They require no contract, and their rates are WAY MORE competitive than anyone else. A typical monthly bill for two users runs around $45 and you can change your plan, via the web at any time, so you can wait until the last day of the billing period and select the cheapest rate plan for your voice/data actually usage that month! :-)

Consumer Cellular (CC) uses the AT&T network so you have the excellent coverage of AT&T worldwide (we have virtually never lacked a good connection and have traveled the world, even in the wilds of Africa where there was solid cell service!).

Finally CC has the best customer service I have ever encountered. All agents are based in the US, and are uniformly polite and very helpful.

If you have an AARP Membership there is a 5% discount off your monthly fees.

In my humble opinion, CC is one great company! [:-)}

[willbush]

Switched from AT&T to Verizon in 2011 due to poor coverage not only here but throughout the USA. We get great Verizon coverage here in ST Charles and all over the USA while traveling in our motorhome.

[siralex2]

I have had Verizon for 4 years and have never had a problem anywhere in the Villages or the outskirts.

[PipeDream]

Verizon, hands down. Tried other carrier (AARP) and calls were dropped repeatedly in The Villages. Up north, we laugh at our neighbors who are outside making calls. We say to each other "They don't have Verizon". You get what you pay for.

[Dkay718]

I am in The Villages approximately 5 months of the year and do quite a bit of U.S. travel the rest of the year. I had to change my long time provider to Verizon to accommodate these different areas. Verizon may be a little more expensive but gives the best coverage across the country and especially in The Villages.

[OhioBuckeye]

We were Verizon subscriber for 20 or more yrs. But we live south of 466A, in the Village of Charlotte & Verizon was terrible. My wife complained about it 4 different times & our local Verizon said they were going to put up more towers & that was 2 yrs. ago, they haven't yet. So my wife called the corp. office & she got dropped 3 times while talking to them, gotta laugh, they asked my wife why she kept getting disconnected, my wife said, "It's your service". they gave back all of our money & let us out of the contract. We're now with Consumer Cellular, we never had a dropped call. It's cheaper, no contract! Verizon won't do a thing for you. They don't have to, if you get mad & drop them you're just one out of millions of subscribers.

[OhioBuckeye]

Consumer Cellular is the best I have ever found. They require no contract, and their rates are WAY MORE competitive than anyone else. A typical monthly bill for two users runs around $45 and you can change your plan, via the web at any time, so you can wait until the last day of the billing period and select the cheapest rate plan for your voice/data actually usage that month! :-)

Consumer Cellular (CC) uses the AT&T network so you have the excellent coverage of AT&T worldwide (we have virtually never lacked a good connection and have traveled the world, even in the wilds of Africa where there was solid cell service!).

Finally CC has the best customer service I have ever encountered. All agents are based in the US, and are uniformly polite and very helpful.

If you have an AARP Membership there is a 5% discount off your monthly fees.

In my humble opinion, CC is one great company! [:-)}
I agree totally. People that have Verizon have brain freeze. They've never checked around. If they would just try Consumer Cellular, they would see real quick how they've been ripped off by Verizon! I pay $60. a month for 2 people. If Verizon's had a $60. month subscription, by the time they get all of their extra charge on it, it would be about $100. a mo.

[stujake]

My wife and I have Verizon on our iPhone 6's and we have no problems anywhere in The Villages.

[Sunnygram]

In March we moved from St. James to Hillsborough, very near Brownwood.
Service with Verizon was fine for 2 months, THEN, Verizon decided to mess with the tower near the St. James gate. I felt like we had stepped back in time
with all the dropped calls we began to get.

To make a long story short - Verizon acknowledged the 3 − 4 times a day of
dropped calls and said to us, after their investigation - that was the best we would get and told us to find another carrier and they would not charge us late or cancellation fees.

NO, they didn't - BUT they drove us crazy charging and re-charging us for the phones we had returned. THANK YOU TRACKING NUMBERS - which save our
bank account nearly $700. I was about to charge them for the hours and hours and aggravation for trying to get this straight and our account corrected!!!

What a nightmare!

[dadspet]

Had T-Mobile it was awfull so switched to tracfone/Verizon that is good but now on cricket/att that's good

[blueeagle65]

In the twelve years we've been in TV we have had ZERO problems with Verizon service. Never failed to connect and never dropped. This also applies to everywhere we've traveled up and down the east coast. We've always had more than a basic phone which may be part of our success.

[Dave@TV]

We have been in The Villages for over 10 years and have found Verizon to have the best overall coverage. Friends and family that have visited have found spotty coverage with other major providers.

[llsartist]

We have Verizon, have had it in Virginia, for years… When we moved down here..the service remained the same. Great service.

[Challenger]

In the twelve years we've been in TV we have had ZERO problems with Verizon service. Never failed to connect and never dropped. This also applies to everywhere we've traveled up and down the east coast. We've always had more than a basic phone which may be part of our success.

Wish I could say that. Verizon stinks in Tamarind Grove