katytibbs

My son and husband just got home from AU orientation. M husband said the IT director made a point of saying that Verizon wireless reception was very bad in some dorms. She said they came out last year to assess what needed to be done to improve it but decided to not do it.

We have a family plan with Verizon and will need to change plans. I was trying to figure out whether a mass campaign might work to convince Verizon will lose more business (not just the student but also the family) Any suggestions? concerns? I'd appreciate feedback.

boysx3

I'd wait a bit before doing anything drastic. We have Verizon, too--and when my son was on campus for orientation he never had any problems with reception. I'd wait to see if your son has any problems on campus before changing carriers. if there indeed are some problems with reception in certain buildings, will your son have classes in those buildings?

Remember that AU has a contract with another wireless company and makes $$$ when more people sign up with their partner.

applicannot

DC is a Verizon city. You'll get excellent service in most of the city and even in the metro (well, it won't be excellent, but it will work). Service in the metro is hard to come by. I say explore the college and the city for a month and then decide.

dudedad

Service on Metro is an issue for the underground parts of the system. Only Verizon and I believe Sprint (using roaming) work underground. This powers that be are supposed to open this below ground piece to all wireless carriers soon but don't hold your breath on this. Metro is still using railcars deemed unsafe by the NTSB several years ago and hasn't got the resources to replace them.

mini

My d. is is Leonard, and has Verizon and has had no problem. Maybe it varies by dorm.

hello5

Well that's good to hear. S just got a new phone and a 2 year Verizon contract. Didn't seem to have problems during orientation or in his Fall dorm - Leonard also.

katytibbs

My son did try it out in the building that will be his dorm. and he did have problems It is the south dorms, particularly if you are on a certain side, or have an interior room.

littlebird

At orientation they said Verizon reception is the worst on the south side, unfortunately for us since my d will be in Letts and she just got a new phone on a 2 year contract also.

mukraker

I lived in Hughes (on north side) and had excellent reception with Verizon. I know, however, that the reception is terrible in Anderson and Letts (south side), so you have to either talk next to the window or go down to the lobby. In some buildings service is fine, in others it's patchy -- particularly in the Katzen Arts Center, where you lose reception in many internal areas of the building. It's a mild frustration, but Verizon has by far the best coverage in DC and the only coverage in the Metro.

AmericanUGirl

Stick to Verizon. Really in my experience it works fine. I had Verizon last year and AT&T this upcoming year and I'm pretty nervous. Verizon works in the metro which is a huge draw!

tortoe

I lived in Anderson last year, and yes, the reception sucks. But its nothing to change plans over. I would just have to go to the lounge or find a weird spot in my room where I got service. Plus, I was so happy I had it when I rode the metro because you get GREAT service in the metro and if I was meeting friends and running late, or making plans for dinner after being downtown, I could let people know easily.

Stick with Verizon, yes reception sucks on south side, but its managable. I made lots of calls from my room easily and if i was having touble i would just to go the lounge. No worries. =)

katytibbs

My son is insisting on changing plans in the next week before he leaves. I am thinking about changing just his plan and not our whole family, Verizon is just so much better for where we live.

dammitjanet797

Why don't you look into paying for a phone in his room if he is that concerned about having service? It may be more cost effective if he's on your family plan. Many of my friends were glad they stayed with Verizon once they realized they were the only ones with service in the metro, even if that meant sometimes dealing with crappy reception in their room.

mukraker

I absolutely agree -- stick with Verizon. Consider that most students only live in the dorms for a year or two, after which the bad reception will no longer be an issue. I've never had a dropped call on Verizon in DC outside of AU's campus -- the service is that good in the city.

katytibbs

we didn't change plans, just seemed too much to do, and now my son has to go outside to call me back when we talk. I wish Verizon would do something