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Updated AT&T coverage viewer

rjohnstone said:
Highly populated metro areas huh? That's a pretty broad statement.
Works great here in Phoenix. But of course we are only the 5th largest city in the US. Guess we don't qualify as highly populated right?


As for your complaint about coverage during football games, even Verizon can't support 50,000 users on two or three towers at the same time.
It's physically impossible for ANY carrier to support that many users at once with full service.
Which I highly doubt there are more than two in range of the stadium.
They will always give voice calls priority bandwidth over data.

They would have to bring in mobile cell sites to augment the data traffic, plus they would also need the back-haul support to go with it.
I doubt the stadium has a spare OC connection just lying around and no carrier is going to pay to have one installed just to handle traffic for a handful of football games.

Welcome to reality.
Click to expand...

3G coverage sucks in DC right now. And Edge for that matter. Drops out all the time.

Also, it is possible to cover stadiums. If a carrier is sponsoring the game they better put equipment IN the stadium. The Metro in DC has VZW coverage all through the Tunnels and AT&T is just starting to add theirs. There is such thing as coverage for buildings and such and it's embarrassing that they would advertise it by sponsoring the games but not offer it. That's just awful. haha
 
thelatinist said:
Besides, all of these maps are based on mathematical calculations based on tower distance, intervening elevations, etc. Do you really think they travel all through the woods and climb the sides of mountains to check whether people actually get a signal?
Click to expand...

Verizon does. Haven't you seen the commercials? ;)
 
bstpierre said:
Verizon does. Haven't you seen the commercials? ;)
Click to expand...

Verizon does have cars and vans which roam around checking coverage and signal strength. For the hills though, I'm sure they must use terrain coverage prediction programs (which are often derived from nuclear explosion effect programs).

They have these custom made boxes in the trunk with various types of phones, including one from each competing carrier. All have their own antenna on the roof leading down to their slot, and each has custom sofware to output the signal they're getting.

But you know, you'd think that Verizon could've gotten a pretty girl to say "Can you hear me now". At least make the ads easy on the eyes ;)
 
kdarling said:
Superbowls have been known to get dedicated fiber lines.

Otherwise, the carriers try to use microwave backhaul connections.
Click to expand...
Very true.
The Superbowl is big $$$ for any sponsor.
It makes sense to have fiber lines run for such an event as there are activities going on at the stadium and the surrounding area for several days up to the actual game. Most cities plan for years before such an event and make preparations for it.
I'm sure the stadium would be packed with repeaters as well.

College football games... I can see dragging a microwave truck out if it's a prime time TV game, but let's face it, most college game viewing audiences barely go beyond the local markets of the two competing teams.

I'm sure during an OSU game, AT&T threw in just enough sponsor cash to get their logo on the headsets and a few banners around the stadium.
 
bruinsrme said:
Wat did AT&T say they have spent about $35 billion the last two years upgrading their network?
Is that all the coverge they got for $35 billion? Verizon must have spent trillions
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IIRC, AT&T has to do a major hardware update to every tower to get 3G coverage, while Verizon only has to do some minor hardware updates and software updates to the towers to get them upgraded to the high-speed EVDO. Verizon will be in the same boat as AT&T is with 3G when they upgrade to LTE.
 
Jeffrosproto said:
IIRC, AT&T has to do a major hardware update to every tower to get 3G coverage, while Verizon only has to do some minor hardware updates and software updates to the towers to get them upgraded to the high-speed EVDO. Verizon will be in the same boat as AT&T is with 3G when they upgrade to LTE.
Click to expand...


Yes, and you can upgrade every tower to EvDO so it's broadcasting EvDO and phones show that they're on an EvDO network, but unless Verizon upgraded backhaul connections at each of those towers, you're not going to get 3G speeds. I'd be curious to know what speeds are like in the middle of nowhere on Verizon's "3G" network.
 
Jeffrosproto said:
IIRC, AT&T has to do a major hardware update to every tower to get 3G coverage, while Verizon only has to do some minor hardware updates and software updates to the towers to get them upgraded to the high-speed EVDO. Verizon will be in the same boat as AT&T is with 3G when they upgrade to LTE.
Click to expand...

verizon spent the money sooner. which was smart when it comes to "what coverage your provider gives"
 
tcphoto said:
Hey, that map doesn't look like the one on the Verizon commercial...
Click to expand...

Sure it does, just cleaned up. The blue is 3G.

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theresamapforthat2.JPG

Blueravr said:
verizon spent the money sooner. which was smart when it comes to "what coverage your provider gives"
Click to expand...

Verizon did due diligence and thus chose CDMA from the start, instead of having to upgrade to it for 3G years later like the GSM carriers.

Just because GSM was cheaper/better to deploy in Europe, for which it was designed, doesn't mean it was the best choice for the USA.
 
kdarling said:
Verizon did due diligence and thus chose CDMA from the start, instead of having to upgrade to it for 3G years later like the GSM carriers.

Just because GSM was cheaper/better to deploy in Europe, for which it was designed, doesn't mean it was the best choice for the USA.
Click to expand...

So Verizon just delayed the inevitable. Their transition to LTE will likely be more difficult than AT&T's, and other GSM/UMTS carriers since CDMA->LTE is not the standard upgrade path.

Clete2 said:
Is AT&T working on LTE?
Click to expand...

Yes.
 
yg17 said:
So Verizon just delayed the inevitable. Their transition to LTE will likely be more difficult than AT&T's, and other GSM/UMTS carriers since CDMA->LTE is not the standard upgrade path.
Click to expand...

That is absolutely... incorrect. You are apparently basing your post upon the commonplace, but bogus, idea that LTE is natively GSM compatible.

It is not. LTE has been chosen by GSM carriers, but that does not make it GSM. LTE has also been chosen by CDMA carriers, but that does not make it CDMA either.

In other words, CDMA -> LTE is the same as GSM -> LTE... each has to move to a totally different air and backend interface.

Actually, moving to LTE is slightly easier for CDMA carriers, as they are far more likely to have already implemented massive IP backend networks, which LTE is based upon.

Verizon has it all over ATT for 4G, as Verizon has invested heavily not only in the airwave auctions, but in fiber backhaul. Moreover, Verizon is defining the equipment, since they're first implementers.
 
I don't know about the rest of the country but ATT's 3g in nyc over the past couple of weeks has completely disappeared. at work in bklyn i used to get decent 3g coverage - now by 11am it completely goes away and at home in chelsea its even worse. I don't know what att is doing but their coverage has gotten worse - they can show any map they want to but in nyc as far as i'm concerned they don't offer 3g. i usually have to leave my phone on edge because the flipping back and fourth just seems to make it worse.
 
I love it. For me, in central Florida I have solid 3G all over anywhere I am likely to be. Woot! I always have 5 bars solid and it is way betetr than Sprint for my area. :)
 
the.sheepdog said:
I love it. For me, in central Florida I have solid 3G all over anywhere I am likely to be. Woot! I always have 5 bars solid and it is way betetr than Sprint for my area. :)
Click to expand...

your lucky - don't visit nyc or you will not be happy.
 
xcrunner said:
I Don't. I think their network sucks in any highly-populated metro area and they don't care enough to fix it. Take the Ohio State University where if I even think about trying to use my 3g connection it drops down to edge. Or at every OSU football game this year where they are the "Official sponsor of Ohio State athletics" and guess what...NO F'NG DATA AT ALL during the entire game. It's pathetic and I'm about to leave. I *really* wish the iPhone would go to Verizon...*so* bad.
Click to expand...


kdarling said:
Verizon did due diligence and thus chose CDMA from the start, instead of having to upgrade to it for 3G years later like the GSM carriers.

Just because GSM was cheaper/better to deploy in Europe, for which it was designed, doesn't mean it was the best choice for the USA.
Click to expand...



iPhone Wars: AT&T vs Verizon, "evil of two lessors"
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/08/01/iphone-wars-att-verizon-and-the-evil-of-two-lessors/
 
its all about personal constitutional freedoms. Florida's own constitution affirms the national one. We dont make local laws slighting the national founding fathers intent.

1. free speech (no local laws about it)
2. free to own and carry firearms and legally protect yourself or others without risk of arrest or liability. Castle doctrine about your rights to protect yourself. In NY you are a criminal for using a gun to protect yourself from a criminal.

3. No state income taxes.

(sorry for the off topic)
 
the.sheepdog said:
its all about personal constitutional freedoms. Florida's own constitution affirms the national one. We dont make local laws slighting the national founding fathers intent.

1. free speech (no local laws about it)
2. free to own and carry firearms and legally protect yourself or others without risk of arrest or liability. Castle doctrine about your rights to protect yourself. In NY you are a criminal for using a gun to protect yourself from a criminal.

3. No state income taxes.

(sorry for the off topic)
Click to expand...

Most all states have income taxes.

I'm very conservative as well, so I agree. I have 100% banned two states from me ever living there (though I do visit NYC sometimes): California and New York.
 
shk718 said:
I don't know about the rest of the country but ATT's 3g in nyc over the past couple of weeks has completely disappeared. at work in bklyn i used to get decent 3g coverage - now by 11am it completely goes away and at home in chelsea its even worse. I don't know what att is doing but their coverage has gotten worse - they can show any map they want to but in nyc as far as i'm concerned they don't offer 3g. i usually have to leave my phone on edge because the flipping back and fourth just seems to make it worse.
Click to expand...

26th and 12th ave it's pretty good. and i also work in midtown and it just gets a bit slow around 11am. but what do you expect when there are a million people within a square mile
 
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