Top 5 Competing Websites With Deadcellzones.com? (According to ChatGPT)

Here are a few websites that were active as of my last update:

Verizon Says OpenSignal Data Is "Not Valid"

Why Does Verizon Think RootMetrics Data is More Valid Than OpenSignal?  

They both stink & don't deal with the real problems!  Fixing coverage!  

Verizon dismissed OpenSignal’s data as “limited and non-scientific” after a new report said rival T-Mobile US was “within a stone’s throw of matching” the market leader on 4G availability.

OpenSignal’s Q4 State of Mobile Networks: USA report, based on 4.6 billion network measurements for the period, said its testers found a Verizon LTE signal 88.2 percent of the time. T-Mobile, meanwhile, closed the gap, reaching 86.6 percent. It also said the companies were neck and neck on overall 4G speed metrics.

Verizon, in a post on Twitter, questioned the validity of OpenSignal’s data.

OpenSignal said in the report its availability metric measures the proportion of time users can access a particular network, rather than tracking geographic coverage.

Verizon said: “OpenSignal provides crowdsourced data. Crowdsourcing favors downtown areas – that’s where the majority of the tests come from – so it doesn’t reflect the depth and breadth of the 2.4 million square miles of our 4G LTE coverage, by far the most in the industry.”

The company continued: “In addition to limited, non-scientific testing, with OpenSignal not getting a signal – the inability to perform a test is not counted against the results.”

Verizon then pointed to other studies from third-party testers including RootMetrics, J.D. Power, and Nielsen, which it said “do a better job of reflecting the actual customer experience.

“And in those tests, there is no real comparison”. RootMetrics, for example, ranked Verizon top in every category they tested in the first half of 2016, including speed.

Unsurprisingly, T-Mobile’s reaction to OpenSignal’s latest report was more favorable. The company released a statement hailing the results.

“When you combine T-Mobile’s value with great speeds and a coverage map that’s virtually indistinguishable to the big guys, well, let’s just say ‘it's on’,” said Neville Ray, the company’s CTO.

Does RootMetrics measure MVNO's like Tracfone? 

Does Rootmetrics & OpenSignal Drain Battery Life & Memory?

Sensorly, OpenSignal, MyMobileCoverage, or Rootmetrics apps basically turn your cell phone into a signal meter so you can measure your 4G & 5G cell signal strength.  These apps run in the background of your phone and send data to the provider.  They all aggregate the data and provide a theoretical coverage map.

Does The Sensorly App Drain Your Battery?

Do any of our readers use the Sensorly, OpenSignal, MyMobileCoverage or Rootmetrics signal measure apps the run in the background on a regular basis? I have been reading some blog posts that indicate that these apps drain the battery.  Would love your feedback on the added benefit if you like it or not?

Apparently they have getting a lot of user feedback and have updated the app. Here’s what you can expect in the newly updated Sensorly 3.9.6: On the Sensorly blog post they stated the following.

- Added Refresh Map Cache button to the settings page
- Fixed bug caused by switching networks on the map
- Tweaked max battery settings
- Fixed issue with the periodic wake timer resetting
- Improved Battery life

"User feedback centered around two main aspects of the app: battery life and the map. Some devices were not displaying mapped coverage and speed tests correctly, so we added a clear cache setting to reload map data and address this issue. Other map related changes will ensure that all map buttons function properly. We’re confident that these changes will provide a better overall map experience to our community."

"The team also made improvements to help optimize battery life, including making sure that maximum battery discharge for passive mapping keeps values set by the user. Changes to the way Sensorly performs check-ins and background tasks were also tweaked to aid battery longevity."

Is RootMetrics Data Too Expensive?

RootMetrics vs DeadCellZones Map

RootMetrics just sold to IHS last year for what was reportedly a huge number.  Why?  Carriers and wireless regional tower operators/service providers buy their data for competitive analysis and determine which carriers could use coverage enhancements in certain markets.  How many service providers can afford the huge price for the data?  If you are in the industry you know what I mean.

RootMetrics claims to drive test (test signal strength) in under 100 markets twice per year.  Drive testing makes sense but it is anecdotal data and only a snapshot at that time.  Can RootMetrics possibly drive test during every rush hour in every location?  No!  Do RootMetrics have actual customer complaints? No!  Are they drive testing in rural and undeserved marketing?  No!  Do their maps tell you where problems exist?  Kind of.

Which map tells you more about where problems exist?  What RootMetrics doesn't have are actual customer coverage complaints like what we publish on Deadcellzones.com.  We get 3,000-5,000 people per day that visit our web site and contribute dead zones directly to the map.

If you are looking to purchase data from RootMetrics than you most certainly should also look at purchasing our crowdsourced Dead Zone data.  Positive signal strength data and negative signal strength information can be quite complimentary.  Contact us for further details on pricing and why we can help you save money.  

Rootmetrics Has Raised Lots of VC Money

Cell phone signal benchmarking has been pitched to VCs as a science but in reality gathering, the data is all about social recommendations and user input in order to have scale. Bellevue, WA-based Root Wireless, a mobile app that analyzes gathers signal strength for cellular devices and it is unclear how many users they have and in what areas. The company has raised $4M+ and is likely still seeking deals from Amazon Wireless, Radio Shack, and Best Buy to validate their retail advisory business model. Their map highly the performance of cellular networks and devices within an anecdotal period of time and uses this data to make recommendations for customers who will be purchasing products at retailers.  After the Root Metrics recently raise $900,000 as reported in January 2011 they have raised a total of $4M after their $3.25M series B round in 2009. Root Wireless formed a partnership last month with CBS Interactive to allow the tech news site CNET to post maps of cellular network strengths and weaknesses.   They have no shortage of publicity calling them the "hottest company" by Lead 411" but is this credible?  The company is also up for a CTIA Emerging Technology Award as well.  Has this helped them come even close to the number of volunteer users we have on a daily basis?

I have some questions about their premise as a business.  Much like the carrier maps, it's hard to discern what their signal strengths are actually telling me?  Is it a dead zones, weak zone, drop call area, etc?  Does the company have enough data in enough areas to make proper recommendations?  Does signal strength even matter if you are in a complete dead zone?  If you are in a building does this affect the signal mapping?  What are retailers or consumers willing to pay for this feature?  Isn't the real problem helping consumers in remote areas get any signal let alone 2 to 5 bars?  There are far too many dead zones in the US for retailers and carriers to mapping signal strength in certain areas.  Do their maps take into account rush hour versus driving around at 3am?  How are they helping mobile users find access to WiFi which is going to be the standard for connectivity in the future? 

Compare Cell Phone Reception Maps

Which consumer-generated cell phone reception map DeadCellZones.com, GotReception.com, CellReception.com, RootWireless.com, SignalMap.com has the best user experience and is most useful?  Please test the user experience and evaluate each website based on the following criteria below.  Submit your comments below in the comments box.  Our ranking is ordered below but would like to hear you?

1) Try searching for comments by carrier
2) Try finding a location by zip code, address, city, state
3) Try submitting a coverage complaint and comment.

#1 DeadCellZones.com

#2 RootWireless.com

#3 SignalMap.com

#4 GotReception.com

#5 CellReception.com

Cell Phone Signal Booster FCC Certification Standards

Published by Quantum-Wireless on February 04, 2010

Wilson Electronics has asked the Federal Communications Commission to raise its certification standards for cell phone signal boosters to prevent interference to service providers’ networks and equipment while increasing customer satisfaction.

In November 2009, Wilson submitted a ‘Petition for Rulemaking’ to the FCC recommending additional tests that cell signal boosters must pass in order to meet FCC certification standards. Some details include more testing on feedback detection and auto-shutdown to prevent interference with cell towers. Wilson also wants more stringent controls on proximity detection and auto shut down to prevent signal overload of cell towers.

“At the root of this issue is that we’re all trying to provide customers with better cell phone coverage and service,” said Joe Banos, Wilson's chief operating officer. “We strongly believe that raising the FCC certification approval standards for cell signal boosters would protect the performance of cell towers and prevent service disruptions that can be caused by some unsophisticated cell phone signal boosters in service today.”

Wilson also called for bi-directional signal amplification. Some signal boosters amplify only the incoming signal but do nothing to increase the phone’s weak signal transmission back to the tower where amplification is needed most and bi-directional signal amplification would remedy this problem.