What is your opinion of AT&T in Mpls/St. Paul area? Who has best service in area?

[russban]

I am going to switch my service from Qwest due to poor service such as poor signal strength, dead spots, etc.. I live and work primarily in the north metro area but do get around all over including all parts of outstate MN. I am not as worried about who's plan is the best but who's service/coverage is the best. I have had a couple of people who have had good things to say about AT&T's service, but I would appreciate any feedback people can give.
Thanks in advance for any info!

[photoeditor]

I know very little about AT&T in the Cities; I do know that both Verizon and T-Mobile work very well in the metro area. Verizon is licensed for about the seven county metro area, maybe a bit beyond; beyond that you're using Sprint towers on, say, I-35, US 169: I-94: US 52 and so on, which are included in the no-roaming area in all Verizon plans for the Cities. And analog roaming in the bits between. Verizon also now has digital coverage in most of its own service area in the Arrowhead (St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties). Verizon has broader rural coverage generally in the Midwest in the areas that I need it.

T-Mobile, of course, doesn't support analog, so no signal if you're outside the T-Mobile/roaming partner GSM footprint. But that digital footprint for the Cities is bigger than Verizon's, including everything within about a 60 mile radius and more than that along some highways; it goes to Mankato, Brainerd, Rochester -- basically all the Interstate highways in the state, and it also covers US 52 as far as I-90; 169 north to Brainerd, south to Mankato; 53 from Duluth/Superior to Virginia (this part via roaming partner Unicel).

AT&T's service map indicates that they're licensed for the metro area, the St. Cloud area, the Minnesota side of the Mississippi south of the cities, and Rochester, and has TDMA throughout that area. AT&T GSM so far only covers the cities and the inner suburbs. I've never tried it and don't know anyone who has tried it, so I have no idea of how it actually works. Check their website for the maps.

As always, check reception in the areas you need it before your money back/cancel the control guarantee has expired.

[parthery]

AT&T has excellent coverage in the Cities...GSM is solid as well.

Outside the Cities, St. Cloud, and Albert Lea you will be roaming on Midwest Wireless...they are TDMA and your voice mail and caller ID will follow. SMS will not work. Most MN plans include all this area as home area as well.