we live in the twin cities area in mn. my daughter lives in a dead zone--we can't call each other on the verizon cells because of it. she's only 10 miles away, right on the edge of the mpls border. it seems like the more they advertise their "improved service", the worse it gets. i've been a customer for a long time, but i'm getting ready to bolt when my contract is up. dropped calls, no messages, unfriendly sales people at the malls...it all adds up.