ipad3 does Palm Springs

4g LTE doesn't exist there yet on Verizon or the deathstar (AT 'n T).  So you're either on vzw's 3g or AT&T faux "4"g.

Testing was done with a Verizon-variant ipad 3 setup with month-to-month service.  I used an AT&T Elevate LTE hotspot, connecting the ipad via wifi.

AT&T coverage seemed a lot more consistent, especially in the southwest side of Palm Springs.  A weak AT&T signal was usable-ish where Verizon was nearly nonexistent.  Verizon also had no penetration into the basement levels of Hotel Zoso (downtown Palm Springs).  AT&T did, but service was s-l-o-w.

The 3g service on Verizon was perfectly fine for running Waze on the iPad - I had no problem marking the location of a police sobriety checkpoint, for example.