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Comparisons of Cellular Service Quality?
dmr asks: "What are the best sources of information for cell phone service quality? Is there a source out there which can give a reputable ranking of service, coverage, dropped-calls, etc, for the major cell phone providers, broken out by region? There's a huge pile of anecdotes and tall tales out there. Where can someone find out which providers work best in his hometown? Bonus points for assessments of capital improvements to equipment, as well as trends from the past."Update: A commenter points out that MyRatePlan has a great coverage map comparison tool.
Seriously, the only solution is to talk to people around you. Anyone with a cell phone, find out what they use.
Each cell phone plan is different, this is to confuse you, there is no way to compare apples because now two companies offer the same or similear plans. Nation wide no roaming, but does that mean there is no signal where they have no towers (sprint), or agreements to use any tower (AT&T, Verizon)? How many minutes, broken up by weekend, peak time, night. How is the data service? What about voicemail?
Then there is coverage area. I have been in places where there are none of them have service. I don't care who your provider is you can't use the phone, unless satalite ever makes it. My current phone (voicestream) has coverage most of the places I go, but not everywhere. My previous phone (Verizon) had service almost everywhere, but I moved in the city and suddenly I had no service at my house, but down the block has it fine. (that was a few years ago, I suspect it is fixed by now)
The bottom line is you need to figgure out where you have to have service, and where it would just be nice. I don't know anyone in South Dakota, so it doesn't matter that I have little service there. I know people in North Dakota, but decided I can live without a phone when I visit them. I have to have service at my home (I have replaced the land line with my cell phone), others may decide no service at home is acceptable so long as there is service other places. If you don't travel often, then pay $1.00/minute for roaming isn't a big deal, if you travel you need to deal with roaming costs and ability. With GSM (voicestream, but there are others) you can get a dual band phone for Europe use, or just buy a phone in Europe and put the sim card in, at $2.00/minute or more! Other providers make it harder to get service in Europe.
You might consider a no roaming or long distance phone, with a trusted friends address, if you know a lot of people in an area you don't live in anymore. You can then get a phone number that is a local call for them, and you don't pay roaming. So long as you have other means for locals to reach you, (or don't care if they can) this can be a good idea. However if you send the bill to your address they might diconnect you, as happened to one friend of mine.