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Milwaukee, can you hear me now?
Can you hear me now? Now? How about now?
Chances are you've had a few dropped mobile calls in your Milwaukee life. This week, a new list just may confirm why. When it comes to cell coverage, seems Milwaukee's not keeping pace.
Time teamed up with OpenSignalMaps to compile a list called the "Worst Cities In The U.S. For Mobile Phone Reception Might Make You Want To Move." It's on Time's Techland page now.
Milwaukee isn't the worst. Â Yet, according to the report, we're the seventh worst.
The report notes that our worst carrier is T-Mobile and the best carrier in town is Sprint. Although, if you check OpenSignalMaps, it appears that Verizon is the best in town.  Nonetheless, Time says this and Milwaukee still makes the list of worst cities for reception, "Among the 75 cities with populations over 250,000—according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2011—Sprint generally had the best average signal readings and T-Mobile had the worst; Milwaukee is no exception."
The worst city for mobile phone reception? Bakersfield, California.
Here's the full list:
10. Detroit, Mich.
9. Lexington, Ky.
8. Jacksonville, Fla.
7. Milwaukee
6. Tucson, Ariz.
5. Toledo, Ohio
4. Lincoln, Neb.
3. Oklahoma City, Okla.
2. Colorado Springs, Colo.
1. Bakersfield, Calif.
Personally, I rarely have problems with AT&T, my provider. Â Coverage in the area is generally good. Â Although it can improve at area sports venues. Â
Agree with this latest list? Â Thoughts? Chime in via Talkbacks.
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CarolV | Aug. 21, 2012 at 4:03 p.m. (report)
Maybe the writers were basing it on Summerfest coverage because I couldn't get any data while at Summerfest this year - no FourSquare, no FB, slow on all. I barely got text messages through after minutes of trying during the Foo Fighters show when trying to contact someone making a beer run or when we lost someone with our group in the crowd. The Hoan drops calls everytime too. I wonder if it has something to do with the lake not having towers on the entire eastern portion of Milwaukee? You can't obviously put towers in the lake.
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littletinyfish | Aug. 21, 2012 at 12:08 p.m. (report)
I have Sprint and I was just in Chicago and could not get anything to load while down town there. Maps were empty, Foursquare recommendations were gone. My phone was pretty useless. In Milwaukee I never have a problem (though 3G is still frustratingly slow).
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swoakes | Aug. 21, 2012 at 11:45 a.m. (report)
I agree on the coverage at sporting events. It's awful.
I have AT&T and there are a couple of notable dead spots that I encounter every day. Calls are consistently dropped in the Third Ward, especially in the area around the 794 overpass. There's also a nifty dead spot in Tosa around 68th and Milwaukee St. Seems silly that areas in urban environments like that could have zero coverage.
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