8000 Total Dead Zone Complaints & Growing!

After launching DeadCellZones.com back in 2000 we have received almost 100,000+ coverage complaints from the big 4 carriers. We currently have 8,000+ user generated complaint locations on our maps since we converted from a database driven complaint form in October of 2007. We try and keep the data fresh and only maintain a complaint in our database for 3 years or whenever a carrier fills gap with additional coverage and updates the location. We typically receive between 20-1,000 daily complaints posted to our map while averaging between 200-1000 unique visitors per day through. Over the last few days we have received 2,300+ new coverage complaint locations (from 20,000 unique visitors) after Kim Komando did a story on "Avoiding Dead Zones" on her syndicate radio show to more the 2.5M people. Our users find us through primarily organic search and word of mouth. Thanks to our user generated support here are our monthly unique visitor numbers below . . .

The Kim Komando Show - Cool Site of the Day

Thank you to Kim Komando who wrote a nice article on our service. We received approximately 15,000 visitors and lots of additional complaints on a Sunday which is very impressive. This media coverage generated more traffic than previous coverage in the Wall Street Journal, LA Times and NY Times. I love Kim's explanation in the newsletter below . . .

You could look at the maps of providers' service areas. But these are often optimistic. So, let's take this one to the people. On Dead Cell Zones, anyone can report poor service areas. The reports are plotted on a map, so you can view those in your area. Also, the complaints are color coded. That means you can see which network has the fewest complaints in your area. This will take some of the stress out of choosing a cellular provider. Just do the community a favor. Report dead spots you encounter.
http://komando.com/coolsites/

Can Femtocells Fix U.S. Residential Cell Phone Coverage Problems?

A femtocell—originally known as an Access Point Base Station—is a small cellular base station, typically designed for use in residential or small business environments. It connects to the service provider’s network via broadband (such as DSL or cable); current designs typically support 2 to 5 mobile phones in a residential setting. A femtocell allows service providers to extend service coverage indoors, especially where access would otherwise be limited or unavailable. A number of non-U.S. operators have announced intention to have field trials in 2008, including O2, Softbank, TeliaSonera and Vodafone. Most analysts agree that 2008 will primarily be field trials and soft launch, while commercial launch will be commence in 2009. When will the U.S. carriers get their act together and catch up to the rest of the world?