from about 2003-2006 I was with VZW and all their blackberries and was happy as a clam with the VOICE coverage.... I did however experience some limited connection switching (1XEV to 1x for example)....

I then decided with that issue and VZW's always being 1 to 2 years behind on their current Berry's compared to ATT...I decided to move to ATT....Since then I have been with them...

Now that VZW has stepped up their game in the BB market with respect to device's.... Now that I have experienced 99,000 dropped or call fails with ATT.... I about to jump ship to VZW..

I would love to hear all commentary, opinions etc....

It obviously depends on your personal experience. In the Phoenix area, I have had excellent service with AT&T and don't see many/any of the problems that I hear those i other areas complain about. A couple of my kids have VZW, and are likewise satisfied with their coverage.

Ultimately, you have to choose based on your experience. Do you have any friends/co-workers who are with VZW? Do they live/travel/work in the area where you do? Find someone who has VZW and pick their brain about their service/coverage, etc., maybe take a ride with them along your daily route to see what works/doesn't work.

VZW has certainly stepped up their game when it comes to phone selection lately.

Good luck!

Look at where you will use it, as said above by fonejunkie, where you live, work, travel and play. And make sure the carrier you pick provides coverage there. Then pick a device.

Coverage in my area is GREAT for both "based upon the map"

Philadelphia has better Verizon coverage but I'm not sure the Bold will work on the Verizon network. Maybe someone else knows from experience.

Thanks... I will be getting a VZW device if I move to them....or holding out for the 9700 if I stay with ATT

The grass is always greener as they say. You left Verizon for AT&T, and now you're going to leave AT&T for Verizon. When Verizon doesn't suit your needs in another few years, are you going to head back to AT&T?

As others have said, it all depends on the coverage provided where you frequent. You said both offered comparable coverage, so if you were happy with Verizon's voice quality and coverage, then stick with them. Of course, I believe AT&T is recognized as the largest BlackBerry carrier, so if you want the widest choice of devices, you might want to stick with AT&T.

So there... my offer to help is a response of non-committal to any particular carrier.

So? Not only do users needs and wants change, but so do carriers. The best choice for any individual today is not necesarily the best choice two years (or even two months) down the road. I personally think you should continuously reevaluate your options and choices and update them as necessary.

Don't trust the map! The ATT map I should have 4 bars of 3G where I live, but I have 1 bar of EDGE at best. There is a "white hole" as they describe it on my street.

Talk to friends, family, coworkers, people who frequent the places you habg out and see which they use and how they like it. that is the way to really find out.

The Bold 9000 is GSM and will not work on Verizon.

I'm not worried about coverage...Verizon is excellent in the area...as it is pretty much nationwide if you're near civilization...

x2 on not trusting the map. I live in an area of Southeast Texas that shows a huge 3G area, but I never can get 3G service. When I emailed AT&T about why their map shows 3G in my area but I can never get it, they responded that 3G wasn't available in my area.

Already mentioned several times in this thread but it can't be reiterated enough (apparently) -- select your carrier first. Don't rely on the map. I've been in countless dead and borderline areas that were marked as "good" or better on coverage maps. The maps don't mean a thing. No one goes out to test actual coverage for these things.

again, not worried about the coverage. I know it to be great in the area.

Check with local Verizon users to assess their experience. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, ATT's network has been hit hard by the popularity of the latest iPhone 3Gs. I was on ATT and gave my daughter a 3Gs but we found it a little laggy. So, I recently switched to Verizon with a Storm 2 and have better signal, coverage and data response. As others have said, this reversal of fortune between the two carriers is probably temporary and over the course of a year may switch again. The popularity of the Droid on Verizon might start may change things for them, too.