New Hall, 1957 E Street and the Ivory Tower have the worst cell phone reception among University residence halls, according to a GW-sponsored survey.

This summer, the University commissioned a consulting firm to study the quality of cell phone service on campus to find where students receive the best and worst reception.

New Hall received the worst overall ratings. Among academic buildings, Ross Hall, Rice Hall and the School of Media and Public Affairs have the worst cell phone service.

Consulting firm LR Kimball and Associates tested six different cell phone providers – AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Nextel, T-Mobile and Cingular – over a three-day period in July. Each location tested was given a rating of good, fair or poor for each provider.

The study, sponsored by Information Systems and Services and the Student Association, is intended to help members of the GW community choose the best cell phone service provider.

The study found T-Mobile to have the worst reception on both the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses. Verizon had the best ratings on the Mount Vernon Campus, with a rating of “good” in each dormitory tested.

Sprint, Nextel, Cingular, Verizon and AT&T each had service rated “good” in most buildings tested on Foggy Bottom. Buildings where service was rated lower than “good” varied for different carriers.

Students can find the complete results of the study online at http://www.gwu.edu/phonesurvey.html. The quality of cell phone service often relies on proximity to a cell phone tower.

“None of the carriers can attempt to guarantee service 100 percent of the time,” a Verizon official said. “However, if you have dead spots, it’s because it’s not near a cell phone tower.”

J. David Grossman, the SA’s chief information officer, said the SA hopes the University and service providers will take action to improve service on campus.

“The SA’s hope is that the survey will lead the major cell phone companies to improve coverage on GW’s campus,” Grossman said.

The SA conducted a survey last semester to gauge concern about cell phone reception. The survey showed that Verizon and Sprint were the most popular service providers among students. AT&T was the third most common provider.

“The Student Association brought the matter to our attention last spring semester.?More recently, at Colonial Inauguration sessions earlier this summer, some parents raised concerns and questions about cell phone service,” Kerry Washburn, ISS director of administrative applications, wrote in an e-mail.

Senior John Lucks, a Verizon customer who lives in New Hall, said service in his dorm is poor.

“I don’t get any service at all,” Lucks said. “If I lean out of my window maybe, but other than that, there is nothing.”

Another Verizon customer and New Hall resident, senior Rachel Russell, is also displeased with her service.

“I go downstairs like everyone else to use the phone,” Russell said.

Senior Michael Hill, however, said his Sprint phone is fairly reliable.

Cell phone service can be inconsistent due to radio-wave activity and the structural makeup of a building.

Students may be hesitant to change providers, however, due to the hassle of changing telephone numbers, multi-year contracts and special service deals that may discourage a change.

Russell, for example, said she will not change service providers due to the discount she receives because her family members all use Verizon.

“It’s frustrating,” Russell said. “I knew that New Hall had bad cell phone service before I moved in, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is frustrating.”