[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8753895] NBC-news had short article in 2005 titled “Why cell phone service here sucks”. Since 2005 coverage may have gotten worse, but in 2005 they anectdotely reported “near perfect signals” everywhere.

Through all my travels – in major cities, on highways, on country roads and even “the middle of nowhere” – my cell phones (I brought a few to test) always worked. They constantly received near perfect signals. My boss had a similar experience recently. Traveling through Wales – in cities, towns and even on rural, one-lane roads -– he and his wife were able to make phone calls without dropouts, static or any problems at all.

The phones seemed to work everywhere. I was able to hold conversations inside buildings -– in basements of department stores, in the back of restaurants, in the subways. I was even able to browse the Web and tend to my email while traveling on subway trains. This was not a hit-or-miss proposition. I was able to do this every time I tried. No way that’s going to happen here in the United Stat