Note that I am not particularly competent in radio, but in those particular cases, wouldn't the geography (lots of hills around SF) and the prevalence of tall buildings (in the downtown cores of both cities) be a relevant concern?
Hills and buildings are a concern, but are a solved problem. :)
Let's ask folks who live in Berne or the hillier parts of Tokyo about the quality of their cell service. I bet it's far better than ATT users get in NYC or SF.
