AT&T’s Network Problems Aren’t Just in Big Cities Anymore

By Ed Oswald | Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 2:10 pm

AT&T Frowny The AT&T hate is strong these days, especially following the carrier’s inability to deliver two of the most highly anticipated features to the single largest iPhone market in the world. But now even I am beginning to hate AT&T, and I still unfortunately have 16 more months to deal with these folks.

I’ve been hearing a lot of reports from people about network quality issues. I never experienced them, and I guessed it had something to do with the fact that I live in a relatively small market.

That’s no longer the case. In the past few weeks, I am noticing increasingly degraded service. I watch as my phone signal flails around, losing data connectivity or becomes so sluggish its unusable. Call drops have also become increasingly numerous — before late May I may have dropped one or two calls in six months.

I’m also having problems where people are calling me and the calls are going directly to voicemail, even if I have service. The only way I know somebody was trying to reach me is a seemingly phantom voicemail notification.

So my question for our rural readers: are you seeing these problems creep into your neighborhoods? I’m quite curious.

AT&T is apparently being brought to its knees by the iPhone, and can’t keep up. It is also becoming the single strongest argument to end the company’s exclusive grip on the device. Problems like this are not the Apple way.

Looking across the Web, its becoming clear that consumers ire for AT&T is now being transferred to Apple. While this may not necessarily be fair, it was bound to happen. It is now the company’s responsibility to demand results from the carrier or move on.

I am actually hoping that T-Mobile makes a move to get the device. Personally, I think that carrier would have been a better fit for Apple if it would have had a decent network: AT&T was more a marriage of convenience and necessity.

Apple, please listen. It’s time to move on.

62 Comments

Read more: Apple, AT&T, iPhone

54 Comments For This Post

Blake Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

I have noticed the degration of service in the smaller market that I’m in, but I also know that AT&T is upgrading the towers in my area to the new standard 7.2 Mbps. The only problem that I seem to have is sending any data. Calls aren’t generally effected, but I have noticed that the quality of the sound is lowered quite a bit. I’m going to be patient with AT&T becasuse out of all the carriers, it’s just the best service, until Verizon can get more towers out here.

Jess Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 4:07 pm

I agree with Blake. The flack with AT&T right now is their pricing of the new iPhone. But subsidized pricing isn’t a new concept…although it is deterring loyal customers who would like to upgrade to the new iPHone but can’t because only new contracts get the special deal. From a business end it makes sense but that customer base might just be up for grabs once the AT&T contract with Apple ends next year.
http://www.newsy.com/videos/at_t_crashes_iphone_party

Backlin Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 4:21 pm

Maybe the degraded service can be attributed to the upgrading of the 3G?

Anyway, in my area (Southern Missouri); rural areas always had worse service than metropolitan areas (metropolitan being Springfield). In Springfield, I always got really good 3G service; but in the sticks, where I live, 3G is spotty at best (so is EDGE, but EDGE coverage is better as you can imagine), and nonexistent most of the time. The only carriers that have a blanket coverage of my area are Alltel and T-Mobile (which I heard you can get a factory-unlocked iPhone on T-Mobile, you’ll just have to ask).

Dave Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 5:28 pm

I’ve had a 1st Gen iPhone for about three or four months now. I’ve been with AT&T about three years. I live in a tiny town of about 15,000 in northern Indiana. A year or more ago, I always had the best service. I’d always brag to my friends about how I had five bars, never dropped calls, etc. They had much worse coverage and service in our area with Verizon and Sprint. Centennial was the only other provider that delivered as good of service (they are based out of Fort Wayne, just an hour away). But about a year to six months ago, all that started to change. Now I have a 50/50 chance of being able to pick up an incoming call in my own home on my iPhone. The Edge data service is abysmal. Granted some of my issues are with the crappy reception of 1st Gen iPhones, but I’ve noticed the continuation of the degredation of service even with this iPhone. AT&T is falling down in a big way. I’ve gone from being a fan to wishing I could switch services and continue to use all of the features of my iPhone. Apple and AT&T are screwing me over and I’m beginning to resent them both.

Brett Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 1:19 am

My service from AT&T has been getting progressively worse and worse. I have 12 more months left tied to them. I have to say, I love my iphone, but if this situation exists 12 months from now I will not be using an iphone or AT&T. I have a prepaid Net10 phone in my car for a backup just in case… I shouldn’t have to feel like I need to do that for as much as I spend with AT&T.

UNACCEPTABLE!

Kevin C. Tofel Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 5:25 am

I’m in the sticks between Philadelphia and Allentown. I’ve had a first-gen iPhone since July of 2007. In general, my AT&T experience has been largely positive. But about a month ago, I started seeing some of the same issues as reported: fewer bars, larger signal fluctuations and (most annoying) missed calls that went right to VM. I was thinking of upgrading that handset to an iPhone 3GS (I have a Pre with Sprint, also), but I’m a little hesitant now.

Tom Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 5:59 am

Here in Tampa the service has vastly improved and I no longer have problems after several months of hit or miss. However, just came back from California – Silicon Valley – and the reception there is terrible. One would think that AT&T, in a market which is clearly filled with early adopters, would get their act together but to the contrary. I have two family members living there and they would leave AT&T if they could. Dropped calls, lack of a signal all over the place.

Billy Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 6:33 am

My experience mirrors Kevin C Tofel, I am in Denver CO with a first gen iPhone, the EDGE network was fine until recently. Perhaps I am being ‘encouraged’ to switch to 3G. The customer service from AT&T leads me to seek other providers. An iPhone without EDGE/3G is called iTouch!

dale johnson Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 6:51 am

10 miles outside of boston and yes the loss of bars is obvious. Also obvious is that whenever a group of people gather (say more then 300+) the service in that area goes to nothing very quickly. From a nerds standpoint i would say one of the fixes they are using is to shut down some of the antennas on each tower to save on thruput in the larger system.

The Equalizer Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 7:42 am

I’m north of Boston (Andover) and have no issues. And I use a variety of devices (iPhone 3G, BB Bold, Nokia E71. Moto V9x, etc.)

dtotheg Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:10 am

There used to be some congestion in downtown Chicago which has improved a lot lately. My home (western burbs) used to be in a reception hole for all carriers (stupid local municipal rules against cell towers), but am noticing much better reception with AT&T lately. Chicago and vicinity is fine by me.

tommym Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:52 am

I noticed a degradation of call quality in the NY city and 25 miles north suburban areas about 2 months ago (= April 09). I then switched from a Nokia N78 to a Nokia N95 8GB (US version RM-421) and keep it set to “Dual Network” – the call quality is much better. There are occasional droppages of calls, but not as many as before. I can’t say that it’s not due to the bigger better phone rather than using Dual Network, which I don’t really comprehend anyway; and also I realize this isn’t the sticks, but thought I’d add to the thread anyway.

China Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 10:36 am

Switching from AT&T this month! Hallelujah!

Noelle Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:02 am

I live in Silicon Valley, as as Tom mentioned above service here is terrible. I experience patchy service, tons of dropped calls, and the direct to voice mail problem. Plus, I’ve been having this really frustrating problem where even though I have 3 or 4 bars of service, the phone will refuse to make a call. It will just say “Calling…” then never ring, and eventually give up and say “Call Failed.”

Neal Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:22 am

Just so you know, you are not “stuck” with AT&T due to a contract. It will cost you, at most, the equivalent of about 2 months’ service to bail from AT&T and go somewhere else. No sense in riding out a contract that is not working out for you just because you do not want to pay back the phone subsidy. It is fairly simple to unlock any current iPhone to work with T-Mobile (you will not get 3G nor visual voicemail, though).

I find it interesting that people have money to buy a fancy phone and pay monthly for expensive service, but then are deathly afraid of leaving before the contract is up. All you are doing is essentially paying full price for the phone if you leave before your contract is up (and that is pro-rated now). Not to mention, you can easily sell a used phone, even a damaged one, on Craigslist or eBay.

premo da don Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:32 am

I dont even have network connectivity today…. ATT sux… im in NYC

Erik Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:34 am

As an iPhone user living out in the rural, southern california desert for the last 10 months, I can say my service has been everything but satisfactory. I never get 3G coverage out here and often lose service for hours or have “call failure.” My friends that have verizon and see no problems. Once I get around Palm Springs and Indio, I have full 3G and no problems, but then in LA my service once again becomes patchy and I lose calls. I can’t wait until 2010 when I can get to a real carrier.

mantic Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:42 am

Blame the sun not att. all wireless communications have been degrading.

to mantic Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 1:31 pm

Sorry mantic, but my service through VZW has not been degrading, due to sun spots… thanks Ed for pointing this out. I did not switch to ATT years ago because of the lack of quality ATT vs VZW. Now that youre saying ATT is getting even worse, you can bet I and millions of other people will stick with VZW and t-mobile.

Navin Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 2:40 pm

Visual Voicemail went kaput on the iphone. Why is the press not reporting. I had four messages and not one came into visual voice mail. This is the first time this happened.

exit150 Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 2:49 pm

AT&T is the only downside to the iPhone. I’ve been with AT&T since the “pager days of yore”, and their service which used to be the best in NJ has only gotten worse over time. They obviously underestimated the strain iPhone users would have on their network, and have dragged their feet in making the necessary upgrades. Stupidity and greed are a dangerous combination for any service providing company.

Matt Vine Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 3:01 pm

The service here is horrendous. I’m in Corning, NY – had a 1st gen iPhone from eBay, but last october when I went to activate it they talked me into the 3G saying Corning would get service by the end of the month. Then it was the end of November. Then the end of the year and the end of the 1st quarter 2009. I’ve stopped asking – they lie.

Since March every two weeks I go through a period of back and forth signal strength mixed with periods of “no service” The most recent was this week. Friends were calling my wife’s phone (verizon blackberry) saying mine was going straight to voicemail while it was sitting right next to me showing “full strength.” Rebooting, etc didn’t help. Then it went to no signal. Last month AT&T sent me back to the store for a new SIM chip so that’s not the problem (I’m suspicious that this was just a mollifying tactic anyways). I was without service until Tuesday at 12:30. This is my business line – all numbers point to my iPhone. This is probably not the best tactic, but I was fine with it for 3 years with Verizon.

Every time this happens I tell myself that maybe they are working on the tower so I’ll have 3G when it comes back up – nope. I guess the tower just falls over or something and they have to prop it back up.

I am pissed at both Apple and AT&T. AT&T for their crappy (“Premiere Business”) service and lies. I also think they should offer me the same rate to upgrade to the new 3Gs as they’re giving newbies. I’ve been paying for their f’d sh’tty @ss service and not getting it – the least they could do is let me upgrade the parts of the phone that do f’ng work. All things being fair they should give me a free upgrade and beg forgiveness. They’ve cost me at least the price of a new phone with business I’ve lost because I don’t get a voicemail until the next day and people have taken their computers elsewhere. I’m pissed at Apple because they formed this bundle deal with an incompetent carrier and forced all of their loyal customers into contracts with them. AT&T directly reflects on this Apple product.

I think my plan going forward is to jailbreak, tell AT&T to shove their contract in a dark place and buy the MyFi from Verizon – I’ll have 3G speeds everywhere so I can use Skype or Google Voice for my phone service.

This has been an experience I won’t forget regardless of how cool the iPhone is.

Vic Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 3:26 pm

I was with AT&T on the iPhone 3G until three weeks ago. The dropped calls have become intolerable for me (I make my living with my phone–if it doesn’t work, I don’t have work). I paid AT&T their ETF, took my data-only service as well and switched over to Verizon. Three weeks, hours and hours of talk time, zero dropped calls so far.

John Baxter Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 4:53 pm

No, I continue to see few to no problems here. (Here is NE corner of Olympic Peninsula, in WA.)

T-Mobile is useless here (I would have had no iPhone had it been T-Mobile).

Apple could have engineered a version of iPhone with CDMA had Verizon been interested, even though they needed GSM nearly everywhere else. But it’s nearly too late to bother with the dying CDMA (sorry, Qualcomm). But I needed to escape from Verizon because of poor and worsening coverage, so no iPhone had it been Verizon).

M Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 6:31 pm

I’ve been using a 3G iPhone in central NJ since December 2008. Since around April I drop many calls, frequently lose 3G and have generally bad reception. It started out great, but this is disappointing.

David Says:
June 11th, 2009 at 12:07 am

I recently purchased an iPhone off eBay, because I didn’t want to deal with the Apple/AT&T Store mumbo jumbo….Before that I had a Blackberry pearl, a real piece of junk, thus why I switched. I started with AT&T a few years ago, had the BEST coverage ever! Heck, even their coverage map says I have “BEST” coverage. I’ve also noticed a big change with AT&T’s coverage in my area. I live in a fairly small town, not too big, and not too small.

I called up AT&T one day while having my BlackBerry, and asked why It kept dropping calls, and not wanting to connect to EDGE, thinking it was just my BlackBerry, they told me they were degrading a tower in my area. I wasn’t too happy about that, they said they were installing a new tower about a mile away. Still haven’t noticed any “better” of a signal. I really can’t justify paying for their services when THEY failed on their part to provide me with their service, that was once excellent.

I’m very disappointed in AT&T lately. So Blake, you’re not the only one having a problem in your area. So here I have the iPhone 3G, and can’t even get the “3G” unless I go about a few miles down the road. It’s just quite annoying.

AT&T, get your act together, or you’re gonna lose major business!

Ethan Says:
June 11th, 2009 at 11:54 am

Live in the tri-state area. For years ATT has been ok but lately calls are going directly to voicemail quite often, esp. international calls. My contract ends late Sep. but I am seriously thinking to take the hit and switch …

eideard Says:
June 11th, 2009 at 2:41 pm

T-Mobile is rolling out 3G and then towards 4G starting this September- in our neck of the prairie. Even though we live in a state capitol, AT&T hasn’t seen fit to schedule 3G. So, the decision is an easy one.

My wife and I would prefer iPhones. Android is a lot more likely.

Michael Says:
June 12th, 2009 at 7:00 am

My service in Minneapolis is much better now than it was during the first year of the iphone – I experienced tons of dropped calls in the past.

However, this past year has been much better in Minneapolis – although I still wish the data speeds were a bit better – they are much better than EDGE was of course, but I feel they could still be faster. Right now I probably average 750-1000kbps in Minneapolis on 3G

I was in Key West, FL in May and they have 3G coverage there and I got blazing fast download speeds – 1700kbps or so – but I attribute that to the fact that there are far fewer people there putting demands on the data network.

ElderOp Says:
June 13th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

I have been with At&T for many years… for home phone, cell phone, DSL, and, before I had to move because of a big Apt fire, U-Verse. I have had no problems at all in SW Houston. I am about due for a new cell, and will probably go with the Samsung Impression on AT&T. My current cell is an older Samsung I bought unlocked and set up for AT&T… does what I need, including internet. What I would really like would be the Toshiba TG01, but AT&T doesn’t have it. Many here seem to be Apple Fan Boys… I am not… I wouldn’t buy Anything with an Apple brand on it. Just my opinion… Everyone welcome to their own opinions.

Robert Atinson Says:
June 14th, 2009 at 11:45 am

In the zip code of 25550, two iphones, one 2g and one 3g both have problems. Random dropped incoming calls from landlines or other at&t customers. Only one time could it be replicated on the phone with at&t, with no mention of me getting a refund for three months of horrid service with my new 3g. Phantom voice mails, straight to voice mail, or the best, constant ring then voicemail.

“Your phone was losing information among the towers”-at&t

I get sent on the always famous, trade sim cards. Too bad it was already done! Now it is that two iphones are both bad and need replaced, at&t is done helping now.

Cueroso Says:
June 19th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

AT&T has a unique way of addressing reception problems, too: the Reception Map is GOD! If the reception map says everything is fine, then everything is fine. Period.

If there is a problem in your area, then they just redraw the reception map until it shows “Fabulous” as your reception strength, and the problem is solved!

And ZIP code 92264, with some of the most affluent people in southern California (I’m NOT one of them!), is left with not even craptastic reception, just pretty much no reception at all, most of the time.

But the map says “Fabulous”, so what’s the problem?!

LaTulipeNoire Says:
June 20th, 2009 at 11:41 am

I live in southern Westchester (40 miles north of NYC) and service has been abysmal of late. The frustration is all the greater given I had a strong signal (5 bars) for the first year I owned the iPhone (I live close to a tower). Now I get a weak to zero signal throughout most of the house. I can understand that in true AT&T form they have sold service an coverage before being able to actually provide them, so I get that while I’ll have a signal (and a “3G” icon) the data transfer may be sluggish or non-existent because all my iPhone brethren are vying for the same, scarce, bandwidth simultaneously, but going from 5 bars to zilch – how do they do it ?!?

I worked in eastern Europe a lot in the past and was accustomed to making uninterrupted calls not only while traveling across networks but even crossing national borders: one ongoing 60-minute phone call while driving from Vienna to Bratislava ? No problem ! With AT&T, I can’t make it from one train station to the next without dropping the call – forefront of technology, eh ?

Patrick Says:
June 21st, 2009 at 9:40 am

I am in Madison, GA and the EDGE Network has not work here in two days. Before it worked OK. Is it a coincidence this started when the 3GS launched?

tina Says:
June 21st, 2009 at 7:54 pm

I live in a small town in Wisconsin, had no prob w/ AT&T signal until about 2 weeks ago, suddenly no signal ANYWHERE. Including driving 60 miles to a large city, nothing. I have NOT been able to get through to customer service (can’t sit on hold for an hour, thnx) & can’t even get a signal to check my own voice mail. A few months into my contract & my phone is useless. I HATE AT&T. Never should have left Sprint!!!

Bob Steinberg Says:
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:27 pm

Just bought the iPhone. Great device married to a miserable infrastructure. AT&T’s network is an incredible disappointment. I am learning that disabling the 3G setting of my iPhone frequently enhances my reception. This reflects badly on Apple. AT&T must be forced by its user base to improve. Write … write and write some more of the poor AT&T network service!!!!! I live 20 miles north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, a couple hundred yards from a major thoroughfare. There is hardly any service with the Edge network and none with 3G. If AT&T cannot deliver 3G service within 20 miles of San Francisco, what happens throughout the USA.

dan Says:
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm

Edge service has gone through the floor in the past couple of months in the San Francisco Bay Area. My 1st Gen iPhone is almost unuseable. I assume it is the service, not the iPhone. If it wasn’t for the iPhone I would have verizon, but Im seriously thinking about shifting, I cant run my business like this.

kal Says:
June 25th, 2009 at 10:03 am

In the last 6 weeks calls fail 98% from Akron Ohio area. Was about 5% before that.
Basically UNUSABLE now.

Michael TheLaw Professor Says:
June 25th, 2009 at 11:01 pm

Don’t get angry at AT&T because of the iPhone pricing. I’m sure that AT&T had to pay HEFTY fees to Apple just for the contract exclusivity. I don’t know about the issue with the iPhone as I just ordered one and will have to wait a good 10-14 days until it arrives.

tommym Says:
June 26th, 2009 at 5:03 pm

I complained about the difficulties staying connected, as documented in this thread to the AT&T rep on 611, and she suggested I upgrade my SIM card. I went into the AT&T Store in NYC (78th and Broadway) and the dude just typed in a few things, and gave me a new one for free. Immediately my old one, in the phone stopped working. I’ve just put in the new one, and things seem good so far. I will report back. PS> the AT&T rep on the phone said it would cost, like, $25, but, as I mentioned, it was free at the store.

tommym Says:
June 27th, 2009 at 10:21 am

No improvement after putting in a new SIM card. Plus my GF, who’s also AT&T with a 1st generation iPhone, has been getting disconnects following beeping too.

sharon Says:
June 29th, 2009 at 9:16 am

I’m in Bartlesville OK and my AT&T service worked just fine until about a week ago it all went to heck. My family has 3 different phones, we were all AT&T because nothing else worked on the edge of town but now we cannot recieve incoming calls 95% of the time – just rolls to VM then when you try to call the voice message, you can’t because the network is too busy.

Nate Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 11:45 am

Well looks like ATT is trying to fix this

AT&T is upgrading its network and using 850MHz spectrum to beef up its 3G wireless network, which should help alleviate dropped calls and slow network connections for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S users.

Apple said this week that it sold more than a million of the iPhone 3G S model worldwide this past weekend after the phone went on sale Friday. Exactly how many of those phones were activated on AT&T’s network in the U.S. isn’t yet known, but the addition of more data intensive iPhones is likely to put a strain on the carrier’s network.
That said, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel told the blog Gearlog on Tuesday that the company is ready for the onslaught of new iPhone users. One of the things it has been doing to prepare is upgrading its network so that it can offer 3G wireless service using its 850MHz spectrum licenses. For the most part, AT&T has been using spectrum in the 1900 MHz band to deliver its 3G services, which have become saturated, Gearlog explains. This means that as AT&T sells more 3G devices, such as the iPhone, it has been cramming more users into an ever more crowded spectrum band.
This could explain why some users have complained of dropped calls and slow Net connections using the iPhone 3G, an issue that CNET News pointed out nearly a year ago after the iPhone 3G was launched. The problem has been particularly acute in large cities, such as New York and San Francisco, where there is a concentrated base of iPhone users and where the 1900MHz spectrum is predominant.
Siegel says that upgrading equipment to allow AT&T to use its 850MHz spectrum for 3G services should help relieve some of the congestion issues. Because the 850MHz spectrum is at the low end of the frequency band, it is able to travel longer distances and penetrate walls more easily than signals on the 1900MHz band.
When asked about problems with dropped calls for iPhone 3G users a year ago, Siegel told CNET News that the company had been working to expand the portion of its 3G network that runs on the 850MHz band. Back then he downplayed the need for adding 850MHz spectrum for 3G services by saying that it “doesn’t mean you can’t get a good experience on 1900MHz.”
Now Siegel thinks that adding 850MHz will make a big improvement, according to the Gearlog story.
“The 850, when it’s turned on in individual markets, people notice a big difference,” he is quoted as saying.
In addition to adding 850MHz 3G service, AT&T has also been making other improvements to its network, such as upgrading to the next iteration of HSDPA technology, which is expected to double download speeds on AT&T’s network.

michael folk Says:
July 12th, 2009 at 5:49 am

not only has the cell phome service gone to hell,the network is slowed way down.i live 65 miles north of las vegas and at&t has a strangle hold on the whole valley.during peak times you are lucky to get on line and when you can make a connection its slower than the second coming of jesus.whats up with that?

Peter Says:
August 13th, 2009 at 9:57 am

YES! AT&T’s cell service has been horrible recently. EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE for about 2 months now. I used to be able to go out in my yard and could count on getting reception, between 1 to 3 bars, and though sometimes I would have to keep moving around, it would work. Sometimes when it was bad, I would just go down the street a mile.

Not so now. Not only no bars (not even the smallest ‘DOT’ bar), but it doesn’t register an ‘AT&T’ source. NOW, I have to drive 3-4 miles back into town to get any bars. And it’s even shoddy there now.

What is UP?!

I’m in West Sonoma County near Sebastopol, CA.

Hate AT&T Says:
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:53 pm

I’m in Wilmington, NC and my service is HORRIBLE. I can’t emphasize how terrible it is enough. No edge, definitly no 3g (ever!!) in spite of 2 years of being told we would have it, dropped calls, only occasional visual voicemail, and the list goes on. I’ve made multiple calls to AT&T and no solution. They are truly the worst company I’ve ever dealt with.

adam Says:
September 22nd, 2009 at 2:47 pm

File your complaint with the Better Business Bureau to make AT&T take action!

http://www.bbb.org

ilana Says:
September 25th, 2009 at 11:24 am

Generally speaking I was the most loyal AT&T /Cingular customer, especially after totally disaterous experience with Sprint and their careless customer service. Now, I am not sure what to say anymore. I have been using Euro unlocked Nokia E71-2 made for US network since November 08 and I had no problems. I guess the only thing that makes me concerned is my bill. They are the most expensive network and I feel like a dumbest person for paying more than the rest. But then another question raises, which other service offers as good customer service, adequate network, quality phones and better bill int he end of the month? T-mobile uses some left field parts on their phones locking them out for any other service users, verizon is just as expensive as AT&T and spring…..i wont comment on that. I had them for 8 years and all 8 years I fought with their customer service over unfair usage on my bills.

Mahik Says:
September 30th, 2009 at 8:22 pm

I stay in Lafayette, Louisiana and own this sluggish ATnT from 18 months.
Well my story is not different than this. People say they called me, but it went straight on the VM. I don’t know why. I need to switch the phone off and on again several times a day. Making a phone out became cumbersome these days. I get ‘error in connection’ atleast 10 times a day. I was thinking to upgrade it and get an iPhone for extra facilities, but then I thought these facilities are useless if the phone can’t make a call out. Hopefully I won’t miss any call from any employer if they wish to grant me a job.

Tony Says:
October 3rd, 2010 at 11:53 am

AT&T less bars in more places,

Dave Says:
October 31st, 2010 at 10:24 am

I work as a contractor for AT&T. The one think that I have noticed happen in the last few years is that they really don't care. They don't care if I point out a problem that could affect the signal at all. They seem to care if the tower lights are lit more than something that would affect their users. ALL instructions and suggestions come from the top of the organization (Nothing from the cell techs seems to migrate upward).

I've been with them for many years. I STILL do the word on their systems in this area (Southern part of Texas). They don't want to hear about problems. They don't care that I can get or make calls.

I live a few miles away from a tower that used to have reasonable signal. They've "UPgraded" their system there but don't have the facilities to use the upgrade. The site has been operating on temporary antennas now for 2 years. I feel like I'm on Green Acres when I have to run outside and jump on top of the truck box of my pickup to make or get a call. Calling the people that I deal with doesn't seem to help. They have to take their direction from the top too.

This is a case of a company who is out of touch with the user. And doesn't care. I remember when the cell techs used to be excited and like doing the work that they do. Now they all have this feeling that no one listens to them when they try to do the right thing. Instead they get in trouble. They have to follow a "ticket" system. If they pass a cell site that is on fire they have to pass it by and go to the next ticket.

It's a shame to see this happen to a system that used to work well.

Mike Says:
April 20th, 2011 at 4:55 pm

Lol, the best part was (I live in Hawaii) when the tsunami was announced AT&T lost service statewide (and only AT&T). I called their emergency # and the agents reply was, “Sir, have u been keeping up with the news in your area? There is a tsunami, it probably damaged the towers.” my question of course was, “how? The tsunami isn’t scheduled to hit for another 5 hours….” got transferred to a manager. Screw AT&T.

Guest Says:
June 22nd, 2011 at 12:04 pm

I live in a small mountain town in central California that has ONLY at&t service – no other towers. my service has definitely gotten worse in the last month or so. I have complained to no avail being told our tower is "degraded" but they don't know when it will be fixed. so we have a whole town full of unhappy people but we just don't count in the big picture. There is absolutely nothing we can do! We ALL hate AT&T for selling us devices that will not function properly where we live!!

keith Says:
January 27th, 2012 at 8:53 am

iam in mendota il and have had all the same problems as all of you at&t takes or says they take down my complaint but nothing seems to happen theres a spot 40 min. from me where i get no service for 12 miles yet they wont let me out of my contract

8 Trackbacks For This Post

So What’s Up with AT&T’s Network? Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 6:25 am

[…] to see five and calls going right to voicemail. Say what? I though it was just me but then I read Ed Oswald’s recent post about AT&T issues in rural areas. All of the same symptoms are there. What used to be a safe haven for me in the land of cows and […]

Inquiring Minds Ponder AT&T Network Woes | GottaBeMobile.com Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 7:44 am

[…] why we’ve seen recent degradation of service, especially in rural areas. Both Kevin Tofel and Ed Oswald are reporting similar issues to what I and other users around my area are experiencing. […]

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June 10th, 2009 at 9:16 am

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June 10th, 2009 at 5:36 pm

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June 26th, 2009 at 7:13 am

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October 21st, 2009 at 4:30 pm

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So What’s Up With AT&T’s Network? Says:
January 10th, 2011 at 11:16 am

[…] to see five and calls going right to voicemail. Say what? I though it was just me, but then I read Ed Oswald’s recent post about AT&T issues in rural areas. All of the same symptoms are there. What used to be a safe haven for me in the land of cows and […]

Blake Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
I have noticed the degration of service in the smaller market that I’m in, but I also know that AT&T is upgrading the towers in my area to the new standard 7.2 Mbps. The only problem that I seem to have is sending any data. Calls aren’t generally effected, but I have noticed that the quality of the sound is lowered quite a bit. I’m going to be patient with AT&T becasuse out of all the carriers, it’s just the best service, until Verizon can get more towers out here.
Jess Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I agree with Blake. The flack with AT&T right now is their pricing of the new iPhone. But subsidized pricing isn’t a new concept…although it is deterring loyal customers who would like to upgrade to the new iPHone but can’t because only new contracts get the special deal. From a business end it makes sense but that customer base might just be up for grabs once the AT&T contract with Apple ends next year.
http://www.newsy.com/videos/at_t_crashes_iphone_party
Backlin Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Maybe the degraded service can be attributed to the upgrading of the 3G?

Anyway, in my area (Southern Missouri); rural areas always had worse service than metropolitan areas (metropolitan being Springfield). In Springfield, I always got really good 3G service; but in the sticks, where I live, 3G is spotty at best (so is EDGE, but EDGE coverage is better as you can imagine), and nonexistent most of the time. The only carriers that have a blanket coverage of my area are Alltel and T-Mobile (which I heard you can get a factory-unlocked iPhone on T-Mobile, you’ll just have to ask).
Dave Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I’ve had a 1st Gen iPhone for about three or four months now. I’ve been with AT&T about three years. I live in a tiny town of about 15,000 in northern Indiana. A year or more ago, I always had the best service. I’d always brag to my friends about how I had five bars, never dropped calls, etc. They had much worse coverage and service in our area with Verizon and Sprint. Centennial was the only other provider that delivered as good of service (they are based out of Fort Wayne, just an hour away). But about a year to six months ago, all that started to change. Now I have a 50/50 chance of being able to pick up an incoming call in my own home on my iPhone. The Edge data service is abysmal. Granted some of my issues are with the crappy reception of 1st Gen iPhones, but I’ve noticed the continuation of the degredation of service even with this iPhone. AT&T is falling down in a big way. I’ve gone from being a fan to wishing I could switch services and continue to use all of the features of my iPhone. Apple and AT&T are screwing me over and I’m beginning to resent them both.
Brett Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 1:19 am
My service from AT&T has been getting progressively worse and worse. I have 12 more months left tied to them. I have to say, I love my iphone, but if this situation exists 12 months from now I will not be using an iphone or AT&T. I have a prepaid Net10 phone in my car for a backup just in case… I shouldn’t have to feel like I need to do that for as much as I spend with AT&T.

UNACCEPTABLE!
Kevin C. Tofel Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 5:25 am
I’m in the sticks between Philadelphia and Allentown. I’ve had a first-gen iPhone since July of 2007. In general, my AT&T experience has been largely positive. But about a month ago, I started seeing some of the same issues as reported: fewer bars, larger signal fluctuations and (most annoying) missed calls that went right to VM. I was thinking of upgrading that handset to an iPhone 3GS (I have a Pre with Sprint, also), but I’m a little hesitant now.
Tom Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 5:59 am
Here in Tampa the service has vastly improved and I no longer have problems after several months of hit or miss. However, just came back from California – Silicon Valley – and the reception there is terrible. One would think that AT&T, in a market which is clearly filled with early adopters, would get their act together but to the contrary. I have two family members living there and they would leave AT&T if they could. Dropped calls, lack of a signal all over the place.
Billy Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 6:33 am
My experience mirrors Kevin C Tofel, I am in Denver CO with a first gen iPhone, the EDGE network was fine until recently. Perhaps I am being ‘encouraged’ to switch to 3G. The customer service from AT&T leads me to seek other providers. An iPhone without EDGE/3G is called iTouch!
dale johnson Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 6:51 am
10 miles outside of boston and yes the loss of bars is obvious. Also obvious is that whenever a group of people gather (say more then 300+) the service in that area goes to nothing very quickly. From a nerds standpoint i would say one of the fixes they are using is to shut down some of the antennas on each tower to save on thruput in the larger system.
The Equalizer Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 7:42 am
I’m north of Boston (Andover) and have no issues. And I use a variety of devices (iPhone 3G, BB Bold, Nokia E71. Moto V9x, etc.)
dtotheg Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:10 am
There used to be some congestion in downtown Chicago which has improved a lot lately. My home (western burbs) used to be in a reception hole for all carriers (stupid local municipal rules against cell towers), but am noticing much better reception with AT&T lately. Chicago and vicinity is fine by me.
tommym Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:52 am
I noticed a degradation of call quality in the NY city and 25 miles north suburban areas about 2 months ago (= April 09). I then switched from a Nokia N78 to a Nokia N95 8GB (US version RM-421) and keep it set to “Dual Network” – the call quality is much better. There are occasional droppages of calls, but not as many as before. I can’t say that it’s not due to the bigger better phone rather than using Dual Network, which I don’t really comprehend anyway; and also I realize this isn’t the sticks, but thought I’d add to the thread anyway.
China Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Switching from AT&T this month! Hallelujah!
Noelle Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:02 am
I live in Silicon Valley, as as Tom mentioned above service here is terrible. I experience patchy service, tons of dropped calls, and the direct to voice mail problem. Plus, I’ve been having this really frustrating problem where even though I have 3 or 4 bars of service, the phone will refuse to make a call. It will just say “Calling…” then never ring, and eventually give up and say “Call Failed.”
Neal Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Just so you know, you are not “stuck” with AT&T due to a contract. It will cost you, at most, the equivalent of about 2 months’ service to bail from AT&T and go somewhere else. No sense in riding out a contract that is not working out for you just because you do not want to pay back the phone subsidy. It is fairly simple to unlock any current iPhone to work with T-Mobile (you will not get 3G nor visual voicemail, though).

I find it interesting that people have money to buy a fancy phone and pay monthly for expensive service, but then are deathly afraid of leaving before the contract is up. All you are doing is essentially paying full price for the phone if you leave before your contract is up (and that is pro-rated now). Not to mention, you can easily sell a used phone, even a damaged one, on Craigslist or eBay.
premo da don Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:32 am
I dont even have network connectivity today…. ATT sux… im in NYC
Erik Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:34 am
As an iPhone user living out in the rural, southern california desert for the last 10 months, I can say my service has been everything but satisfactory. I never get 3G coverage out here and often lose service for hours or have “call failure.” My friends that have verizon and see no problems. Once I get around Palm Springs and Indio, I have full 3G and no problems, but then in LA my service once again becomes patchy and I lose calls. I can’t wait until 2010 when I can get to a real carrier.
mantic Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Blame the sun not att. all wireless communications have been degrading.
to mantic Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Sorry mantic, but my service through VZW has not been degrading, due to sun spots… thanks Ed for pointing this out. I did not switch to ATT years ago because of the lack of quality ATT vs VZW. Now that youre saying ATT is getting even worse, you can bet I and millions of other people will stick with VZW and t-mobile.
Navin Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Visual Voicemail went kaput on the iphone. Why is the press not reporting. I had four messages and not one came into visual voice mail. This is the first time this happened.
exit150 Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
AT&T is the only downside to the iPhone. I’ve been with AT&T since the “pager days of yore”, and their service which used to be the best in NJ has only gotten worse over time. They obviously underestimated the strain iPhone users would have on their network, and have dragged their feet in making the necessary upgrades. Stupidity and greed are a dangerous combination for any service providing company.
Matt Vine Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
The service here is horrendous. I’m in Corning, NY – had a 1st gen iPhone from eBay, but last october when I went to activate it they talked me into the 3G saying Corning would get service by the end of the month. Then it was the end of November. Then the end of the year and the end of the 1st quarter 2009. I’ve stopped asking – they lie.

Since March every two weeks I go through a period of back and forth signal strength mixed with periods of “no service” The most recent was this week. Friends were calling my wife’s phone (verizon blackberry) saying mine was going straight to voicemail while it was sitting right next to me showing “full strength.” Rebooting, etc didn’t help. Then it went to no signal. Last month AT&T sent me back to the store for a new SIM chip so that’s not the problem (I’m suspicious that this was just a mollifying tactic anyways). I was without service until Tuesday at 12:30. This is my business line – all numbers point to my iPhone. This is probably not the best tactic, but I was fine with it for 3 years with Verizon.

Every time this happens I tell myself that maybe they are working on the tower so I’ll have 3G when it comes back up – nope. I guess the tower just falls over or something and they have to prop it back up.

I am pissed at both Apple and AT&T. AT&T for their crappy (“Premiere Business”) service and lies. I also think they should offer me the same rate to upgrade to the new 3Gs as they’re giving newbies. I’ve been paying for their f’d sh’tty @ss service and not getting it – the least they could do is let me upgrade the parts of the phone that do f’ng work. All things being fair they should give me a free upgrade and beg forgiveness. They’ve cost me at least the price of a new phone with business I’ve lost because I don’t get a voicemail until the next day and people have taken their computers elsewhere. I’m pissed at Apple because they formed this bundle deal with an incompetent carrier and forced all of their loyal customers into contracts with them. AT&T directly reflects on this Apple product.

I think my plan going forward is to jailbreak, tell AT&T to shove their contract in a dark place and buy the MyFi from Verizon – I’ll have 3G speeds everywhere so I can use Skype or Google Voice for my phone service.

This has been an experience I won’t forget regardless of how cool the iPhone is.
Vic Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I was with AT&T on the iPhone 3G until three weeks ago. The dropped calls have become intolerable for me (I make my living with my phone–if it doesn’t work, I don’t have work). I paid AT&T their ETF, took my data-only service as well and switched over to Verizon. Three weeks, hours and hours of talk time, zero dropped calls so far.
John Baxter Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
No, I continue to see few to no problems here. (Here is NE corner of Olympic Peninsula, in WA.)

T-Mobile is useless here (I would have had no iPhone had it been T-Mobile).

Apple could have engineered a version of iPhone with CDMA had Verizon been interested, even though they needed GSM nearly everywhere else. But it’s nearly too late to bother with the dying CDMA (sorry, Qualcomm). But I needed to escape from Verizon because of poor and worsening coverage, so no iPhone had it been Verizon).
M Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I’ve been using a 3G iPhone in central NJ since December 2008. Since around April I drop many calls, frequently lose 3G and have generally bad reception. It started out great, but this is disappointing.
David Says:
June 11th, 2009 at 12:07 am
I recently purchased an iPhone off eBay, because I didn’t want to deal with the Apple/AT&T Store mumbo jumbo….Before that I had a Blackberry pearl, a real piece of junk, thus why I switched. I started with AT&T a few years ago, had the BEST coverage ever! Heck, even their coverage map says I have “BEST” coverage. I’ve also noticed a big change with AT&T’s coverage in my area. I live in a fairly small town, not too big, and not too small.

I called up AT&T one day while having my BlackBerry, and asked why It kept dropping calls, and not wanting to connect to EDGE, thinking it was just my BlackBerry, they told me they were degrading a tower in my area. I wasn’t too happy about that, they said they were installing a new tower about a mile away. Still haven’t noticed any “better” of a signal. I really can’t justify paying for their services when THEY failed on their part to provide me with their service, that was once excellent.

I’m very disappointed in AT&T lately. So Blake, you’re not the only one having a problem in your area. So here I have the iPhone 3G, and can’t even get the “3G” unless I go about a few miles down the road. It’s just quite annoying.

AT&T, get your act together, or you’re gonna lose major business!
Ethan Says:
June 11th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Live in the tri-state area. For years ATT has been ok but lately calls are going directly to voicemail quite often, esp. international calls. My contract ends late Sep. but I am seriously thinking to take the hit and switch …
eideard Says:
June 11th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
T-Mobile is rolling out 3G and then towards 4G starting this September- in our neck of the prairie. Even though we live in a state capitol, AT&T hasn’t seen fit to schedule 3G. So, the decision is an easy one.

My wife and I would prefer iPhones. Android is a lot more likely.
Michael Says:
June 12th, 2009 at 7:00 am
My service in Minneapolis is much better now than it was during the first year of the iphone – I experienced tons of dropped calls in the past.

However, this past year has been much better in Minneapolis – although I still wish the data speeds were a bit better – they are much better than EDGE was of course, but I feel they could still be faster. Right now I probably average 750-1000kbps in Minneapolis on 3G

I was in Key West, FL in May and they have 3G coverage there and I got blazing fast download speeds – 1700kbps or so – but I attribute that to the fact that there are far fewer people there putting demands on the data network.
ElderOp Says:
June 13th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
I have been with At&T for many years… for home phone, cell phone, DSL, and, before I had to move because of a big Apt fire, U-Verse. I have had no problems at all in SW Houston. I am about due for a new cell, and will probably go with the Samsung Impression on AT&T. My current cell is an older Samsung I bought unlocked and set up for AT&T… does what I need, including internet. What I would really like would be the Toshiba TG01, but AT&T doesn’t have it. Many here seem to be Apple Fan Boys… I am not… I wouldn’t buy Anything with an Apple brand on it. Just my opinion… Everyone welcome to their own opinions.
Robert Atinson Says:
June 14th, 2009 at 11:45 am
In the zip code of 25550, two iphones, one 2g and one 3g both have problems. Random dropped incoming calls from landlines or other at&t customers. Only one time could it be replicated on the phone with at&t, with no mention of me getting a refund for three months of horrid service with my new 3g. Phantom voice mails, straight to voice mail, or the best, constant ring then voicemail.

“Your phone was losing information among the towers”-at&t

I get sent on the always famous, trade sim cards. Too bad it was already done! Now it is that two iphones are both bad and need replaced, at&t is done helping now.
Cueroso Says:
June 19th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
AT&T has a unique way of addressing reception problems, too: the Reception Map is GOD! If the reception map says everything is fine, then everything is fine. Period.

If there is a problem in your area, then they just redraw the reception map until it shows “Fabulous” as your reception strength, and the problem is solved!

And ZIP code 92264, with some of the most affluent people in southern California (I’m NOT one of them!), is left with not even craptastic reception, just pretty much no reception at all, most of the time.

But the map says “Fabulous”, so what’s the problem?!
LaTulipeNoire Says:
June 20th, 2009 at 11:41 am
I live in southern Westchester (40 miles north of NYC) and service has been abysmal of late. The frustration is all the greater given I had a strong signal (5 bars) for the first year I owned the iPhone (I live close to a tower). Now I get a weak to zero signal throughout most of the house. I can understand that in true AT&T form they have sold service an coverage before being able to actually provide them, so I get that while I’ll have a signal (and a “3G” icon) the data transfer may be sluggish or non-existent because all my iPhone brethren are vying for the same, scarce, bandwidth simultaneously, but going from 5 bars to zilch – how do they do it ?!?

I worked in eastern Europe a lot in the past and was accustomed to making uninterrupted calls not only while traveling across networks but even crossing national borders: one ongoing 60-minute phone call while driving from Vienna to Bratislava ? No problem ! With AT&T, I can’t make it from one train station to the next without dropping the call – forefront of technology, eh ?
Patrick Says:
June 21st, 2009 at 9:40 am
I am in Madison, GA and the EDGE Network has not work here in two days. Before it worked OK. Is it a coincidence this started when the 3GS launched?
tina Says:
June 21st, 2009 at 7:54 pm
I live in a small town in Wisconsin, had no prob w/ AT&T signal until about 2 weeks ago, suddenly no signal ANYWHERE. Including driving 60 miles to a large city, nothing. I have NOT been able to get through to customer service (can’t sit on hold for an hour, thnx) & can’t even get a signal to check my own voice mail. A few months into my contract & my phone is useless. I HATE AT&T. Never should have left Sprint!!!
Bob Steinberg Says:
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Just bought the iPhone. Great device married to a miserable infrastructure. AT&T’s network is an incredible disappointment. I am learning that disabling the 3G setting of my iPhone frequently enhances my reception. This reflects badly on Apple. AT&T must be forced by its user base to improve. Write … write and write some more of the poor AT&T network service!!!!! I live 20 miles north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, a couple hundred yards from a major thoroughfare. There is hardly any service with the Edge network and none with 3G. If AT&T cannot deliver 3G service within 20 miles of San Francisco, what happens throughout the USA.
dan Says:
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Edge service has gone through the floor in the past couple of months in the San Francisco Bay Area. My 1st Gen iPhone is almost unuseable. I assume it is the service, not the iPhone. If it wasn’t for the iPhone I would have verizon, but Im seriously thinking about shifting, I cant run my business like this.
kal Says:
June 25th, 2009 at 10:03 am
In the last 6 weeks calls fail 98% from Akron Ohio area. Was about 5% before that.
Basically UNUSABLE now.
Michael TheLaw Professor Says:
June 25th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Don’t get angry at AT&T because of the iPhone pricing. I’m sure that AT&T had to pay HEFTY fees to Apple just for the contract exclusivity. I don’t know about the issue with the iPhone as I just ordered one and will have to wait a good 10-14 days until it arrives.
tommym Says:
June 26th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I complained about the difficulties staying connected, as documented in this thread to the AT&T rep on 611, and she suggested I upgrade my SIM card. I went into the AT&T Store in NYC (78th and Broadway) and the dude just typed in a few things, and gave me a new one for free. Immediately my old one, in the phone stopped working. I’ve just put in the new one, and things seem good so far. I will report back. PS> the AT&T rep on the phone said it would cost, like, $25, but, as I mentioned, it was free at the store.
tommym Says:
June 27th, 2009 at 10:21 am
No improvement after putting in a new SIM card. Plus my GF, who’s also AT&T with a 1st generation iPhone, has been getting disconnects following beeping too.
sharon Says:
June 29th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I’m in Bartlesville OK and my AT&T service worked just fine until about a week ago it all went to heck. My family has 3 different phones, we were all AT&T because nothing else worked on the edge of town but now we cannot recieve incoming calls 95% of the time – just rolls to VM then when you try to call the voice message, you can’t because the network is too busy.
Nate Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Well looks like ATT is trying to fix this

AT&T is upgrading its network and using 850MHz spectrum to beef up its 3G wireless network, which should help alleviate dropped calls and slow network connections for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S users.

Apple said this week that it sold more than a million of the iPhone 3G S model worldwide this past weekend after the phone went on sale Friday. Exactly how many of those phones were activated on AT&T’s network in the U.S. isn’t yet known, but the addition of more data intensive iPhones is likely to put a strain on the carrier’s network.
That said, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel told the blog Gearlog on Tuesday that the company is ready for the onslaught of new iPhone users. One of the things it has been doing to prepare is upgrading its network so that it can offer 3G wireless service using its 850MHz spectrum licenses. For the most part, AT&T has been using spectrum in the 1900 MHz band to deliver its 3G services, which have become saturated, Gearlog explains. This means that as AT&T sells more 3G devices, such as the iPhone, it has been cramming more users into an ever more crowded spectrum band.
This could explain why some users have complained of dropped calls and slow Net connections using the iPhone 3G, an issue that CNET News pointed out nearly a year ago after the iPhone 3G was launched. The problem has been particularly acute in large cities, such as New York and San Francisco, where there is a concentrated base of iPhone users and where the 1900MHz spectrum is predominant.
Siegel says that upgrading equipment to allow AT&T to use its 850MHz spectrum for 3G services should help relieve some of the congestion issues. Because the 850MHz spectrum is at the low end of the frequency band, it is able to travel longer distances and penetrate walls more easily than signals on the 1900MHz band.
When asked about problems with dropped calls for iPhone 3G users a year ago, Siegel told CNET News that the company had been working to expand the portion of its 3G network that runs on the 850MHz band. Back then he downplayed the need for adding 850MHz spectrum for 3G services by saying that it “doesn’t mean you can’t get a good experience on 1900MHz.”
Now Siegel thinks that adding 850MHz will make a big improvement, according to the Gearlog story.
“The 850, when it’s turned on in individual markets, people notice a big difference,” he is quoted as saying.
In addition to adding 850MHz 3G service, AT&T has also been making other improvements to its network, such as upgrading to the next iteration of HSDPA technology, which is expected to double download speeds on AT&T’s network.
michael folk Says:
July 12th, 2009 at 5:49 am
not only has the cell phome service gone to hell,the network is slowed way down.i live 65 miles north of las vegas and at&t has a strangle hold on the whole valley.during peak times you are lucky to get on line and when you can make a connection its slower than the second coming of jesus.whats up with that?
Peter Says:
August 13th, 2009 at 9:57 am
YES! AT&T’s cell service has been horrible recently. EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE for about 2 months now. I used to be able to go out in my yard and could count on getting reception, between 1 to 3 bars, and though sometimes I would have to keep moving around, it would work. Sometimes when it was bad, I would just go down the street a mile.

Not so now. Not only no bars (not even the smallest ‘DOT’ bar), but it doesn’t register an ‘AT&T’ source. NOW, I have to drive 3-4 miles back into town to get any bars. And it’s even shoddy there now.

What is UP?!

I’m in West Sonoma County near Sebastopol, CA.
Hate AT&T Says:
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
I’m in Wilmington, NC and my service is HORRIBLE. I can’t emphasize how terrible it is enough. No edge, definitly no 3g (ever!!) in spite of 2 years of being told we would have it, dropped calls, only occasional visual voicemail, and the list goes on. I’ve made multiple calls to AT&T and no solution. They are truly the worst company I’ve ever dealt with.
adam Says:
September 22nd, 2009 at 2:47 pm
File your complaint with the Better Business Bureau to make AT&T take action!

http://www.bbb.org
ilana Says:
September 25th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Generally speaking I was the most loyal AT&T /Cingular customer, especially after totally disaterous experience with Sprint and their careless customer service. Now, I am not sure what to say anymore. I have been using Euro unlocked Nokia E71-2 made for US network since November 08 and I had no problems. I guess the only thing that makes me concerned is my bill. They are the most expensive network and I feel like a dumbest person for paying more than the rest. But then another question raises, which other service offers as good customer service, adequate network, quality phones and better bill int he end of the month? T-mobile uses some left field parts on their phones locking them out for any other service users, verizon is just as expensive as AT&T and spring…..i wont comment on that. I had them for 8 years and all 8 years I fought with their customer service over unfair usage on my bills.
Mahik Says:
September 30th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
I stay in Lafayette, Louisiana and own this sluggish ATnT from 18 months.
Well my story is not different than this. People say they called me, but it went straight on the VM. I don’t know why. I need to switch the phone off and on again several times a day. Making a phone out became cumbersome these days. I get ‘error in connection’ atleast 10 times a day. I was thinking to upgrade it and get an iPhone for extra facilities, but then I thought these facilities are useless if the phone can’t make a call out. Hopefully I won’t miss any call from any employer if they wish to grant me a job.
Tony Says:
October 3rd, 2010 at 11:53 am
AT&T less bars in more places,
Dave Says:
October 31st, 2010 at 10:24 am
I work as a contractor for AT&T. The one think that I have noticed happen in the last few years is that they really don't care. They don't care if I point out a problem that could affect the signal at all. They seem to care if the tower lights are lit more than something that would affect their users. ALL instructions and suggestions come from the top of the organization (Nothing from the cell techs seems to migrate upward).

I've been with them for many years. I STILL do the word on their systems in this area (Southern part of Texas). They don't want to hear about problems. They don't care that I can get or make calls.

I live a few miles away from a tower that used to have reasonable signal. They've "UPgraded" their system there but don't have the facilities to use the upgrade. The site has been operating on temporary antennas now for 2 years. I feel like I'm on Green Acres when I have to run outside and jump on top of the truck box of my pickup to make or get a call. Calling the people that I deal with doesn't seem to help. They have to take their direction from the top too.

This is a case of a company who is out of touch with the user. And doesn't care. I remember when the cell techs used to be excited and like doing the work that they do. Now they all have this feeling that no one listens to them when they try to do the right thing. Instead they get in trouble. They have to follow a "ticket" system. If they pass a cell site that is on fire they have to pass it by and go to the next ticket.

It's a shame to see this happen to a system that used to work well.
Mike Says:
April 20th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Lol, the best part was (I live in Hawaii) when the tsunami was announced AT&T lost service statewide (and only AT&T). I called their emergency # and the agents reply was, “Sir, have u been keeping up with the news in your area? There is a tsunami, it probably damaged the towers.” my question of course was, “how? The tsunami isn’t scheduled to hit for another 5 hours….” got transferred to a manager. Screw AT&T.
Guest Says:
June 22nd, 2011 at 12:04 pm
I live in a small mountain town in central California that has ONLY at&t service – no other towers. my service has definitely gotten worse in the last month or so. I have complained to no avail being told our tower is "degraded" but they don't know when it will be fixed. so we have a whole town full of unhappy people but we just don't count in the big picture. There is absolutely nothing we can do! We ALL hate AT&T for selling us devices that will not function properly where we live!!
keith Says:
January 27th, 2012 at 8:53 am
iam in mendota il and have had all the same problems as all of you at&t takes or says they take down my complaint but nothing seems to happen theres a spot 40 min. from me where i get no service for 12 miles yet they wont let me out of my contract

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