AT&T Cellular coverage is great near major freeways, but to get coverage as you get farther away from urban areas can sometimes require a larger external antenna. My Motorola V3XX phone has an external antenna jacks.
I purchased the following external (magnetic mount) antenna and cell phone adapter for under $35 from a seller on ebay.
- Wilson magnetic mount external cellular antenna 301103
- Motorola v3 Wilson antenna adapter number 352015
When mounted on the roof of the van, the external antenna allows me to get usable reception in places where phone calls would not normally work. Using the external antenna usually gets me two extra “bars” of reception. (With one bar showing on the signal strength meter making a phone-call is doddgy at best, but with three bars the calls go right through.) The antenna was well worth the $35 cost. Of course, nothing will help you when you are traveling through a truly remote location.