Which Carrier Has Fewest Dropped Calls?

When choosing a mobile carrier, reliability is a top priority for most users. Dropped calls can disrupt conversations, hinder productivity, and frustrate customers. In this guide, we’ll explore which carrier offers the fewest dropped calls, based on the latest data and industry insights.

Factors Affecting Dropped Call Rates

Dropped call rates depend on several factors:

1. Network Coverage: A robust network with nationwide coverage reduces the likelihood of dropped calls.
2. Technology: Carriers with advanced infrastructure, like 5G and enhanced LTE, often experience fewer call interruptions.
3. Congestion: Overcrowded networks can lead to more dropped calls, especially during peak hours.
4. Geography: Urban areas typically have better coverage than rural or remote locations.

Comparing Dropped Call Rates Among Major U.S. Carriers

The four leading U.S. carriers—Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and UScellular—consistently compete for the title of the most reliable network. Here’s how they compare:

1. Verizon

• Strengths: Known for excellent coverage in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
• Performance: Verizon often ranks as the carrier with the fewest dropped calls, thanks to its extensive network infrastructure and reliability in remote locations.

2. AT&T

• Strengths: Offers strong coverage, especially in metropolitan areas, with a rapidly expanding 5G network.
• Performance: AT&T boasts low dropped call rates and is a close competitor to Verizon in terms of reliability.

3. T-Mobile

• Strengths: Leading in 5G availability and speeds, T-Mobile excels in urban and suburban regions.
• Performance: While call reliability is strong in cities, rural coverage can sometimes result in higher dropped call rates compared to Verizon or AT&T.

4. UScellular

• Strengths: Provides localized coverage in specific rural areas where larger carriers may struggle.
• Performance: Dropped call rates can vary significantly depending on the region.

How to Reduce Dropped Calls

Even with a reliable carrier, occasional dropped calls can occur. Here are tips to minimize interruptions:

• Switch to Wi-Fi Calling: In areas with weak cellular coverage, Wi-Fi calling can ensure uninterrupted communication.
• Check Coverage Maps: Review carrier coverage maps to ensure strong service in your area.
• Upgrade Your Device: Older devices may struggle to connect to newer networks, leading to more dropped calls.
• Monitor Network Congestion: Avoid making calls during peak hours if possible.

The Verdict: Which Carrier Is Best for Dropped Calls?

Studies and user surveys frequently place Verizon at the top for having the fewest dropped calls. However, AT&T and T-Mobile are strong contenders, particularly in areas where their coverage excels. Your choice should depend on your location, usage habits, and network preferences.

For more detailed insights into coverage and dropped call rates in your area, explore Cell Phone Coverage Maps for a data-driven approach to choosing the best carrier for your needs.

By prioritizing a reliable network, you can stay connected without the frustration of dropped calls. Choose wisely and enjoy seamless communication!

Why I Am Dropping Frontier TV: Commercial Interruptions During Live Hockey Games

As a dedicated hockey fan, there's nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of watching a live game. The thrill of seeing your favorite team battle it out on the ice, the tension in close matches, and the pure excitement of a last-minute goal are experiences that are irreplaceable. Unfortunately, my time with Frontier TV has marred these moments, and I’ve reached my breaking point with interruptions on TNT and ESPN during the Stanley Cup Finals.

Coverage Map Audits Are Needed

Coverage map audits are indeed necessary to ensure accuracy, transparency, and accountability in the cell phone industry. 

Why all the Lies About Cell Phones On Airplanes?

Using Cell Phones on Airplane Myth

Why Won't Wireless Carriers Admit Coverage Problems?

Does Admission of Guilt = Class Action Lawsuits?

There can be several reasons why wireless carriers may be hesitant to openly admit problems with their network coverage or services:

Skiing In A Dead Zone is Not Safe

Skiing this weekend I experienced some spotty coverage in Colorado at a few ski resorts. Skiing in such an area can indeed pose certain risks and challenges. Here's why:

Emergency Communication: In the event of an accident or emergency, having access to a reliable means of communication is vital. If you're in a dead cell zone, you may not be able to call for help or communicate with emergency services effectively, which can hinder response times and jeopardize your safety.

Navigation and Directions: Cell phones are often used for navigation and accessing maps while skiing. Without a cell signal, you may lose access to GPS services, making it more difficult to navigate the slopes, locate specific areas, or find your way back to safety.

Group Coordination: If you're skiing with a group or friends, staying connected is important for coordination and safety. In a dead cell zone, you may struggle to communicate with others, making it challenging to regroup, share information, or seek assistance if needed.

Safety Information: Ski resorts and designated skiing areas often communicate important safety information and updates through mobile apps or text messages. In a dead cell zone, you may miss out on crucial safety announcements or warnings about changing weather conditions, closed trails, or other hazards.

To ensure your safety while skiing, it's recommended to choose skiing areas with reliable cellular network coverage. If you find yourself in a dead cell zone, take extra precautions, such as skiing in groups, staying within well-marked and familiar trails, carrying alternative means of communication (such as two-way radios), and being prepared for emergencies with a plan in place.  

Is this a safety hazard not providing cell coverage throughout the mountain? I think so. Happy skiing.

AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega Executive Compensation

Ralph de la Vega CEO of AT&T Mobility Made $11 Million in 2010

The CEO of AT&T Mobility makes $10 million dollars per year. See the latest numbers of Ralph de la Vega's Compensation for 2010 from Forbes.  Ralph took a modest salary of $820,833 and other stock bonuses that grossed him exactly $10,894,670 in 2010.

Ralph de la Vega was the former CEO of AT&T Mobility, which is the mobile phone division of AT&T Inc. He held the position from 2007 to 2016. During his tenure, de la Vega played a significant role in expanding AT&T's wireless business, including the launch of the iPhone exclusive partnership in 2007.

Under de la Vega's leadership, AT&T Mobility experienced notable growth, expanding its network coverage, and launching initiatives such as the deployment of the 4G LTE network. He also oversaw the acquisition of Alltel's wireless assets and the integration of AT&T's wireless business with its wireline operations.  

How does this compare to his superior Randall Stephenson's executive compensation who took home $27 million in 2010.  Sounds like a wonderful Ponzi scheme to me or a house of cards that is waiting to come crashing down has also paid out $10 billion dollars of dividends to shareholders.   See the details of Ralph de la Vega's compensation in 2010. 

Salary	$820,833.00
Bonus	$0.00
Restricted stock awards	$4,000,024.00
All other compensation	$96,850.00
Option awards $	$36,513.00
Non-equity incentive plan compensation	$1,700,000.00
Change in pension value and nonqualified deferred compensation earnings	$4,240,450.00
Total Compensation	$10,894,670.00

Southwest Airlines Request A Call Back Has Major Problems

Southwest Automatic Request A Call Back Has Major Issues

For several years Southwest has had a problem with its automatic call back feature.  Instead of waiting on hold for 5, 10 or 20 minutes call customer service at their phone number 800-435-9792 it gives you the option of calling you back.  When the system does call you back and you follow the instructions to of hitting any key when " " is on the line.   It just hangs up.

I have even experimented with turning WiFi calling off on the phone and the problem still persists.  I also added the Southwest 800 number to my phone book so it wouldn't be blocked.  The reason I am writing about the problem is that apparent customer service is aware of it based on this discussion Serious Problems.  Yet nothing has been done to fix the issue in the last two years.

I assume Southwest is a problem outsourcing their call back feature to a third party telecom company.  I would like to know what telecom company is providing this service and would love to call them out also in this blog post.  Southwest always has had great customer service and this happens to be something that does not seem to be getting resolved.   I would bet AT&T and/or Verizon are providing this 8000 call back service and scamming Southwest by dropping calls and then charging them for each call.  Wouldn't put it past them to do this.  

This hangup problem has occurred with me several hundred times and it's annoying and wastes my time.  The problem seems to happen most when the wait is longer than 10 minutes.  Please chime in below under discussion and let us know if you have had similar issues with customer service.

I am also a huge fan of Southwest Airlines and think they are light years above every other airline by far.  I think their customer service is amazing when you can reach them and love their credit card point system.  Hopefully, enough people will read this post so they can do something to fix the problem.  Comments appreciated.  

Dropped Call Etiquette

How many times have you had a dropped mobile phone call and played phone tag trying to reconnect the phone call? Each time I always wonder if the person I am talking to is going to call me back or I should call them. Well, I saw this post on a Richard Wolpert's blog and think this etiquette is spot on and should be shared with the entire world . . .

If you are on a cell phone call and the call gets dropped, the proper etiquette is that that person that initiated the call in the first place calls the other one back. No dual dials. No dual voice mails. No delays to get the call going again. Its really this simple.

1. if you initiated the call and it drops you call the other person back.
2. if you received the call and it drops you just wait for the call back.

Please pass this along or forward the link to this post to everyone you know. It will save us all time and frustration.

How to Purchase More Data on T-Mobile's Not So Unlimited Data Plan?

T-Mobile's Not So Unlimited Data Plan

If you read the details of the "unlimited data plan" it says the following: Includes up to 2GB of high-speed data on T-Mobile's network instead of standard 500MB (as part of our Simple Starter plan).

T-Mobile Data Plan Usage

We called T-Mobile today in order to purchase more data since our current 2GB data plan ran out apparently.  As you can see by the chart above we don't use more than 1GB of data per month on average.  If you are traveling and using Google Maps for navigation you won't be able to very easily if they cap your plan and turn the data off.

Why am I not able to purchase another 1GB or 2GB of data?  You can't according to the customer service person I spoke with.

T-Mobile proceeds to send me survey questions over text on how easy it was to resolve the issue.  All of my responses of course were 0.  There is not solution to the problem of purchasing more data.

Here is how you find the data pass.

T-Mobile's data passes cost $5 to $10.  Here is the pricing schedule below.

Below is a Tweet and a response from T-Mobile. Apparently they have data passes that they don't seem to promote.

@DeadZones Hey there! Are you looking for our Data Passes? Check them out over here :-) https://t.co/ClmVlPidyj *MelY

— T-Mobile Help (@TMobileHelp) September 21, 2016

It might be time to consider a data plan from Republic Wireless.  Its a pre-paid data plan that will work on T-Mobile's network.  All you need is a SIM card and you can use T-Mobile same phone.

 

What Would You Rather Have: Portable Emergency Cell Tower or Defibrillator?

AT&T's Network Is Known To Cause Heart Attacks! 

AT&T (NYSE: T) made a product announcement yesterday to start selling a portable cell tower in a suitcase.  You have to laugh when you see the product because you are more likely to die of a heart attack trying to connect to the network in an emergency.  The emergency cell tower is designed to be used and deployed in a disaster scenario when there is no cellular service.  However, you are more likely to die of a heart attack being stuck in a dead zone before you are able to set up your emergency cell tower to get coverage.   This product is so dumb that you know the US Government will by buying these things in droves because AT&T will be terrifying officials with fear.  I have an idea . . . How about using some of the emergency funds to fix the cell coverage dead zones you already have?    If spectrum were more open in rural areas the private sector could solve the coverage issues themselves with products like: Solar Powered Remote Cell Towers. 

This begs the question why are they offering this if their cellular network covers 98% of the population?  This portable cell tower only covers a 1/2 mile radius and it is way overpriced. Who or what company is going to buy this for $15,000 - $45,000 depending on options?  Who is going to spend 30 minutes trying to set this up in the middle of a disaster?  How can they possibly have enough of these portable towers in place to repair their broken network when it inevitably crashes?  

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How Much is Verizon's Upgrade Fee?

Used Car Salesman at Verizon Wireless Stores

A $30 upgrade fee is ridiculous and out of principle you should leave the arrogant carrier.  A "used car salesman like experience" is what you will likely expect going into a Verizon Wireless store today.  Verizon is now charging existing customers a new $30 upgrade fee to any existing customers purchasing new mobile equipment at the discounted price with a two-year contract.  Verizon is letting some lucky customers trade in their phones to reduce the fee a bit, but how that helps will depend very heavily on what kind of user you are.   All negotiable.

Negotiation and hassle is basically what Verizon would like their customers to deal with.  Nothing is straightforward and it sounds like everything is negotiable.  Atleast that is why my wife said on her last trip to a Verizon Wireless store and that what it sounds like with the new $30 upgrade fee that is negotiable. Verizon bogus statement says:

"This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever.While the upgrade fee is not unique to Verizon Wireless, most devices can be traded in with our green friendly trade-in program at verizonwireless.com/tradein as a way to save money or potentially offset the fee completely."

Senate Investigation of Carrier IQ Spyware

U.S. Senator Al Franken just sent Carrier IQ a nasty letter. Today Franken fired off a letter to Carrier IQ CEO Larry Lenhart raising questions about the company's practices and demanding answers by December 14.  Earlier this week a story was launched by Gizmodo that Carrier IQ is Secretly Recording your Mobile Phone Actions.

It appears the Carrier IQ software captures a broad swath of extremely sensitive information from users that would appear to have nothing to do with diagnostics—including who they are calling, the contents of the texts they are receiving, the contents of their searches, and the websites they visit. These actions may violate federal privacy laws, including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This is potentially a very serious matter.  Read the letter below.  Click to enlarge.

Verizon Phones Suddenly Not Working

My wife's Droid phone keyboard suddenly stopped working and I am beginning to think there are other people who are having the same problem.  Typing on the keyboard is impossible and it stops after a few letters.  The arrow key does not work to go back as well.   She ran into a few friends also on Verizon and the store and it appears that they are having the same issue.  However, this time it was on a Blackberry phone.

Is Verizon making changes in their customer's settings remotely without telling customers? Is this a big conspiracy to get Verizon customer to upgrade their phone during the Holiday shopping period?  I am beginning to wonder if Verizon is tampering with their customer's phones in order to make them go into a store and upgrade.   Please share your experiences below if your phone settings are suddenly getting changed and causing technical issues.

After doing some research on Twitter it appears other customers are having similar issues.  See this Twitter search for "Verizon Phone Not Working".  

Phil Falcone of LightSquared is my Hero

Phil Falcone of Harbinger Capital Partners has invested billions of dollars into building a satellite wireless 4G network that will disrupt the the large and corrupt incumbents AT&T and Verizon who want to crush him. These incumbents are making false claims and a gross misrepresentation of facts in the marketplace. Verizon and AT&T are not competing fairly once again by using their unfair lobbying strength in Washington to create obstacles for innovation. The incumbents are using their power to stamp out a new entrant into the marketplace. Is it ironic that the chief lobbyist for AT&T and Verizon in Washington is also the head of the GPS Council? Smells like corruption and a PR spin to me.

The ridiculous drama surrounding LightSquared's attempts to launch its terrestrial/satellite network continues to unfold in the court of public opinion, and more importantly in the halls of the FCC. The corrupt FCC is in the midst of trying to decide if LightSquared should be allowed to commercially launch its satellite cell phone service. There is some minor evidence that the spectrum to be used will cause interference with commercial GPS systems that do not have proper filters. LightSquared has said that the interference issue is being caused by GPS devices not equipped with the proper filters, and in addition has filed a new spectrum plan that would see the company initially use a different chunk of its spectrum in order to reduce interference issues in the near term.

See this video on Light Squared from RCR Wireless

AT&T Steals $1 Billion from Customers in Illegal Taxes

On the heals of Verizon (NYSE: VZ) charge $93.5M in illegal taxes AT&T (NYSE:T) tops it stealing nearly 10 times more at $1B dollars.  The taxes collected were said to be in violation of the Internet Tax Freedom Act. The law bars federal, state and local governments from taxing Internet access and from imposing discriminatory Internet-only taxes such as bit taxes, bandwidth taxes, and email taxes between Nov. 1, 2003 and Nov. 1, 2014.

Of course, AT&T did not admit any wrongdoing in the Class Action case filed.  Lawyers at Midwestern law firm, Bartimus Frickleston Robertson & Gorny PC filed lawsuits in all 50 states. Robertson said that the class in the case varies in size depending upon how it is counted. He said there are roughly 29 million contracts and 49 million individual phone numbers that are covered under the class period, which runs from November 2005 to September 2010.

A federal judge in the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois approved a proposed settlement in the case last week. According to lawyers at the Kansas law firm Bartimus Frickleton Robertson & Gorny PC, AT&T will be working with the firm to get state and local governments to repay a maximum of $956.16 million to customers.

Read more: AT&T faces $1B settlement in mobile Internet access fee lawsuit - FierceWireless

What is the Most Uncompetitive U.S. Industry?

One of the best ways to determine the amount of competition in an industry is to look at the dividend yield of the industry.  The dividend yield is usually determined by the amount of excess cash a company has left over at the end of the year less expenses.  Dividends are typically only paid by companies in industries where there is little room for growth and that have huge profit margins.  The S&P 500 average dividend yield is 1.9% and the telecom industry has a 5.3% yield.  This yield is surprisingly even higher than our highly subsidized utility industry at 4.3%.  

The telecom industry is notorious for under-investing in its infrastructure because shareholders always come before customers.  The US is way behind the rest of the World in wireless service availability and speeds.  This is the primary business reason why I think there is not enough competition in the wireless business and too much telecom corruption in the FCC.  See our wireless telecom competition chart.   The FCC measures competition incorrectly at a local level and does not look at macroeconomic financial issues with respect to the ability to compete.   

Both Verizon & AT&T are two of the highest dividend-paying companies on Wall Street and are threatening to consolidate an industry even more at the expense of their customers.  AT&T paid $10 billion dollars in dividends to shareholders in 2010 while competitor Verizon paid $5.4 in dividends in 2010.   Consumers who are interested in seeing more innovation should make sure that our politicians block the merger.  AT&T has plenty of spectrum and will do just fine without acquiring T-Mobile. 

Why Does AT&T Wireless Hate Me?

Randall Stephenson AT&T CEO & Tim McKone AT&T Lobbyist

Deadcellzones.com has been trying to speak with AT&T (NYSE: T) executives for the last 10 years without any success in working with a giant telecom company.  We have sent many emails and made numerous phone calls to executives asking to share out crowdsourced coverage information with AT&T executives in order to help them build out their network where customers need it most.  We have also spoken to a handful of AT&T marketing, network operations, public relations middle management, executives but continually get blown off like our coverage maps are not important and don't exist.  Randall Stephenson my contact information is right here if you or any of your executives want to do the right thing and take our information for free.

Do they ignore us because they have been given a green light from the FCC to lie to consumers about their theoretical coverage maps?  Does AT&T ignore us because we don't have a telecom management pedigree or have raised millions of dollars in venture capital?  What validation do we need to get acknowledged by your employees?  Is this because AT&T would rather see our consumer-generated "dead zone" coverage maps disappear, rather than admit they are under-investing in their infrastructure where they hold spectrum licenses?  It makes good business sense to me to buy a spectrum license in areas that you have no intention of building out cell towers and coverage because if it won't be profitable.  However, is this ethical and shouldn't the FCC be auditing these gaps to give back this spectrum to regional carriers who might actually use it and provide coverage?

Deadcellzones.com has received hundreds of thousands of cell phone coverage complaints over the last decade and we publish them on our AT&T map.  We continue to receive hundreds every day from frustrated customers who want coverage help and ways to improve their over-promised AT&T signal strength. Why do we do this asked one prominent member of the FCC?  Because AT&T does not publish the information themselves because they fear if their competitors get this information they will exploit their weak coverage areas.  Sounds like a win for consumers if cell phone reception was more transparent?    

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Photo From @jbtaylor

Jon Stewart on FCC & Comcast Corruption

We all know the FCC is a joke but this one takes the cake as one of the most ridiculous conflicts of interest I have ever heard. The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart just railed the former FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker for becoming a lobbyist for Comcast. The hilarious segment was complete with booing and hissing from the audience when the commissioner’s actions were revealed.  Criticism of Commissioner Baker has come from almost every media outlet including The New York Times, TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone and now The Daily Show.  Freepress has collected more than 60,000 letters urging Rep. Darrell Issa to investigate Baker’s sudden departure with a goal of 100,000 before delivering them to the congressman.  Send you a letter demanding the resignation and clamping down of the FCC corruption. 

DeadZones.com Censored Blog Posts

10 Reasons Why The FCC is a Joke

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson Executive Compensation

AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega Executive Compensation