<p>Trying to decide between At&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Know about all the plans but wondering if anyone has an experience with the reception in the area since Bloomington is not exactly a major city. Any one(s) we should avoid? Thanks.</p>
<p>bump. Also, should I bring an unlocked phone to Bloomington and get a plan or just buy a newer one with a plan? OP: What are the different plans? Best value?</p>
<p>@Salami809. I think it really depends on what your needs are. My S is an international student so we need to consider international texting and voice and then international travel plans for when he is home at Christmas and possibly the summer. </p>
<p>All 3 have unlimited domestic talk and text as well as international texting (qualifying countries differ). You can also choose an amount of data with each but with T-mobile the data is unlimited. You still pay for a certain amount but if you go over your monthly allotment they slow down the speed. With AT&T and Verizon you can get a 2 year contract. T-Mobile does not have any contracts and they factor the cost of the phone into equal payments that go on your monthly bill. </p>
<p>I do not know if you are a parent or student but one thing that needs to be considered is whether the student will get the phone in his/her name or whether a parent will assist. Most freshman have not yet built credit so this impacts costs and options. </p>
<p>All three websites have live chat options where I have received prompt and friendly responses to my questions. I also found a number of articles online that compare the companies. Be sure to find recent articles as the cell phone world is constantly changing.</p>
<p>I should also note that IU faculty, staff and students receive a 8% discount with AT&T. At least this is what it says on the IU website.</p>
<p>Having spent several days in Bloomington this spring and summer, I can say that my T-Mobile service worked well in all but a few locations on campus where others reported dead zones as well. I was able to tether a laptop and get reliable 4G service in my hotel and on campus too. I was always downtown or on campus.</p>
<p>In my experience traveling, there will always be dead zones in a given area no matter the carrier (usually where you need service most). I frequently check this web site for more objective data: opensignal.com</p>
<p>Oddly, even though the opensignal data shows T-Mobile to be the 4th best, I had few issues, so I wouldn’t be too worried. They show ATT as the best on campus and in town. Other sites seem to suggest the same about ATT in Bloomington. Nonetheless, my kid will be sticking with T-Mobile since we had no issues during visits.</p>
<p>BTW, WiFi calling can make life easier for kids in dorm rooms if the cell towers don’t cooperate. Of course, not every phone supports that option.</p>
<p>@Thaumaturge, thanks so much for the input. This is exactly what I suspected after reading reviews online but it is nice to hear it from someone firsthand.</p>
<p>Thanks also for the heads-up on WiFi calling. Will have to check that out. </p>
<p>I had sprint for a year and the service was awful–dropped calls constantly, no service in my dorm room, etc. etc. AT&T had no issues for me unless I was in a traditional dead zone (basement of Woodburn/Ballantine, Jordan Hall interior labs, etc.)</p>
<p>Thanks very much @soccergurl7988. </p>
<p>Great thread, altho I am bummed to hear Sprint Service is SO bad? :(</p>