My daughter will be attending college at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I want to get her a cell phone to use there. Is there one cell phone service that is better than the others in that area?

Verizon Wireless, without question, has the best coverage with the strongest signals.

Anyone else have an opinion

Not really. All services have a strong DC area signal - at least inside the Beltway.

service in DC and surrounding areas are generally very good. I like the Nextel feature of direct connect as it offers additional time - quick connect - with no additional cost.

Consumer Reports ranks Verizon Wireless as the number one carrier nationwide AND in the DC area. My husband and I recently switched from Sprint (one of the worst) and are very happy with the coverage. We particularly like that all Verizon Wireless calls to other Verizon Wireless phones are free.

Another vote for Verizon. I never drop calls in the DC area - unlike my sister who has Nextel and my friend with Sprint.

I think verizon is probably the best, but AT&T wireless is also very good.

My son was in DC last week and called me on his cell phone, we have verizon service here in CA. The reception was as good as when he calls me from our front yard.

We have a friend using Verizon visiting this summer and she can only get calls in one corner of our house inside the Beltway. We use Nextel across the country with no problems AND the walkie talkie worked during 9/11 so we are unlikely to change for that very reason.

I live in Reston, and have found frequent 'cell holes' in N.Va area and service dropping out with Sprint. I'm looking for a different carrier.

VERIZON! It works in the Metro system. My AT+T Wireless phone won't work on the subway!

I just graduated from Georgetown and still live in the area. I have had Sprint since the beginning of college and absolutely love it. I get reception everywhere, and in my apartment last year, none of my four other roommates got reception in our rooms (verizon and at&t) but I did.

Jnn makes a good point. Last I checked, Verizon was the only network that had service in the Metro system. This can be a big deal when a train breaks down in the tunnel and you're on your way to an appointment or to meet friends (happens more often than you might think). Coupled with their extensive network above-ground, I'd say Verizon is a no-brainer.

I've lived in the area 6 years, with Verizon cellular service for 4 of those, and I've yet to find a part of the city (or the burbs) where my phone doesn't work.