Verizon Wireless Network Review

Since moving to Chicago's Western suburbs in 1995, I have had no less then five different cellular phone services, including Nextel (now merged with Sprint), PrimeCo (now merged with U.S. Cellular), T-Mobile (hated it), Cingular Wireless (now merged with AT&T Wireless) and now, Verizon Wireless, the service my company uses.  Out of all other mobile carries I have used over the past ten years I have to say Verizon Wireless offers the best connection throughout the Chicago area, including my home in Aurora, where Cingular continues to fail me.   

My Viewpoint

Verizon Wireless, the nation second largest cellular phone provider after AT&T Wireless, is famous for those "can you hear me now" commercials which claim to offer the best overall nationwide coverage.  I cannot speak to the national claims by in and around Chicago Verizon Wireless delivers, well almost.    

I live some forty miles west of Chicago, in the state of Illinois' second largest city, Aurora, and with Verizon Wireless I get decent service, typically getting acceptable reception in and around my house, but there are blind spots.  By contrast, AT&T Wireless fails to deliver consistent service to my Motorola phone.  There are no hills to contend with, and no skyscrapers, in fact there are miles and miles of flat land punctuated by water and electrical towers.  It is the lack of cellular towers in and around Aurora that makes reception horrible.  That is why when my contract recently expired with AT&T Wireless I switched to Verizon Wireless despite the discount I could have realized by having my primary land line phone service through AT&T.

So far reception in the city of Chicago has been stellar.  Even in the deep valleys formed by Chicago's loop skyscrapers reception is usually above par, certainly better than AT&T.  There are notable dropouts in and around some of the city's largest buildings, but that is to be expected.  And of course reception in some of the subway tunnels is troublesome, but not so inside most of the high rises in the city, and I have worked in quite a few.            

Verizon Wireless currently offers both personal and business cellular phones and accessories by all of the major manufactures including Motorola, Nokia, LG, Siemens, Samsung and its own branded line of phones.  Business phone brands include smart-phone /PDA makers BlackBerry, Palm, Samsung and again a self branded unit.   The personal phones vary in price from free to $199.00 for the Samsung SCH-a970 equipped with Bluetooth and mobile web, while the prices for smart-phones varies from as low as $249.00 for the Palm Treo 650, to $399.00 (discounted price) for the new Palm Treo 700p Bluetooth capable unit.  Most of the phones have color displays, cameras, and subscription internet access. 

Overall I have very few complaints about Verizon Wireless service in the Chicago area.  The fact that I get reception in and around my house is a huge plus for me.  While AT&T promises fewer dropped calls, Verizon delivers. 

If you need a reliable wireless phone service that offers a better bang for your buck in the Chicago area, look no further then Verizon Wireless; can you hear me?  You bet I can!