Job=Mom

Hi guys...I hope someone in "the know" can answer this question...we are due for some new cell phones in our family, and since our son is going to Stanford in fall, any word on cell reception problems with certain carriers?

We have Verizon, and I thought I read somewhere that there are possible reception problems with Verizon. BTW, my son visited Stanford last week, and he did say that he had no service in certain areas on campus...any words of wisdom and advice?

kingmo1990

I hear that the only good, solid carrier on campus is AT&T...I'm on Sprint now though, so I guess I'll probably have to get a new cell phone for Stanford.

whylion

ATT gives you a small discount ($10.00 a month) I think. You get information about it in the approaching Stanford materials that they send in the summer. I think Stanford makes them do this in return for giving them the cell monopoly. But it works out pretty well because all of my daughters friends are also on ATT

pearlygate

My ATT cell phone only have 1-2 bars in lagunita, frosoco, west campus tennis, junipero serra and lyman area. So it's not full bar coverage for the whole campus.

nngmm

AT&T is the only one that reliably works at Stanford.

alwaysinsession

I've heard that ATT works great on campus, and that's true; however, I was there for a weekend and I have Verizon. I had great service everywhere, even in dorms.

im_blue

AT&T has a monopoly on campus - they're the only carrier with a mini-tower in the area. I believe students get a 20% discount.

Job=Mom

Thanks, guys...yikes, looks like we need to choose between Verizon and AT &T...just have to make sure AT &T works for us over here too. We're soon moving to a rural and mountainous area in WA....but we HAVE to talk to our son at Stanford! Plus, our old phones are literally falling apart....any more feedback would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much!

gladmom

This is great info for our family too. Palo Alto is out of area for our midwest carrier. Maybe we will switch the whole family to AT&T. Tell me more...

Job=Mom: So you are moving to a "rural and mountainous area in WA." Sounds much more interesting than our flatland suburb. Wish you the best in your new home!

Job=Mom

Thanks, GladMom!

im_blue

You guys will be happy to know that all dorm phones can make unlimited long distance calls for free.

nngmm

my son never had a dorm phone (I think you have to pay for it, and kids still pretty much have to have a cell phone)

whylion

There is a phone in each dorm room. The kids got instructions on how to find out the number but never tried it. According to my daughter it rings occasionally with wrong numbers.

gladmom

im_blue: That's very nice. Do you know if it costs extra for that phone or that service?

whylion: My daughter figured out how to use her dorm phone (not at Stanford) after she temporarily lost her cell phone. You had to call a number and set up an account. There was an article in her college newspaper about a student who didn't have a cell phone. Obviously this is such an oddity these days that it makes for interesting news.

im_blue

Phone and internet service have been included in all student rooms for the last couple of years. Every student pays a $50 quarterly telecommunications fee. Previously, phone lines were around $25/month and internet connections were $10/month per computer.