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Mjrtom7's profile

Explorer

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25 Messages

Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 6:57 PM

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Will Northeast MI ever receive 3G?

I've heard talk about how ATT is "working on their network coverage" and plans to provide 3G service in Northeast MI "in the coming months".  Well, now that another 2 year contract has expired, I'm seriously wondering if I would be better off jumping to Verizon.  The EDGE data network up here if virtually useless.  5 full bars, yet extremely poor data transfer.  

 

Can anyone provide an HONEST answer as to when this coverage is planned to be upgraded???  Verizon has had 3G for quite a long while up here...

Scholar

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136 Messages

12 years ago

@jamileh - With all due respect, LTE in Detroit has no effect on the condition of the AT&T network in northeast lower Michigan. That is well over a hundred miles away. And the network really hasn't improved around here, otherwise there wouldn't be threads inquiring about network improvements in NE MI...because there haven't been any. The EDGE is still terrible here and 3G or HSPA+ hasn't been launched (except in Gaylord) which is in north central MI. 

Scholar

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391 Messages

12 years ago


I have to agree 100% with Tpeltz. The network up in northern Michigan is very slow and outdated especially for the good people that live up there full time. I have a cottage up there but live downstate and I can tell you for a fact the EDGE network in S.E. Michigan is totally different than up there. The network here was upgraded to EDGE class 10 which will run at 150Kb/s and stream low quality video, send mms messages, and email pictures.....and that was 5 years ago!!!!!! However, EDGE upnorth should be classified as 1G in my opinion. Pretty much anywhere north of Saginaw and away from I-75 you will be lucky to see 50Kb/s. I am hoping that AT&T continues to upgrade fast because once Verizon launches LTE across the north, it will be very tough to get customers to come back.

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

I was traveling home this past weekend and had no data coverage along I-75 from around the 199 to south of the Pinconning exit. 4G appeared on my phone briefly around the 187 mile marker then went off again back none. Restarted my phone twice and still no data until reaching the start of 4G coverage at the rest area around the 174. Looks like they are moving on getting I-75 covered...just hope they keep on going and finish up the rest of N.E. Mi. !!!!!

Explorer

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25 Messages

11 years ago

"...we recently upgraded the network in the Detroit area to LTE and have improved the overall network in Northern Michigan."  

How can you say that you have improved the overall network in Northern Michigan?  Oh wait....I suppose even the most minor upgrade, anywhere north of Saginaw, would have to qualify as an 'improvement'.  

As I drove around Alpena this morning struggling to get any type of data response on this Edge network, I'm left wondering how these companies can get away with claiming they provide a service, when technically, they do not.  

 

If I wasn't locked into contract with ATT, I would jump ship in a heartbeat.  I couldn't be more dissappointed in the service...

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

I know I got the same problem in Lewiston. EDGE sucks!!! Verizon announced a few days ago new LTE service launching in Marquette and Petoskey. With all of the small markets in other states they have deployed LTE in the last 1 year and 9 months, they have kind of stiffed northeast Mi as well. At least Alpena,Tawas,Oscoda, and areas like that should have it already. And I see in the last year and a half AT&T has completely covered N&S Dakota with 3G and now they are rapidly deploying HSPA+.

Scholar

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173 Messages

11 years ago

The Drummond Island and Cedarville towers are still on Edge, which really baffles me.  These are huge tourist areas in the Upper Peninsula.  Sault Ste Marie is 4G now, but people around my area are flocking to Verizon in droves.  

I don't know what the holdup is with upgrading these towers to at least 3G.

Explorer

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25 Messages

11 years ago

I'm sure there is some ATT exec who has a vacation home somewhere around the Sault. I can't see any other reason for upgrading there so early? Why not Escanaba? Ishpeming? (with all due respect to the fine folks living in those areas)

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

Verizon 3G is pretty decent in northern Mi but there more dead zones for sure and AT&T does have better voice coverage no doubt. I was in S.E. Arkansas almost two years ago and it was all EDGE. Now looking at their coverage map I see pretty much the entire state is 3G/4G. The only reason I can think of that AT&T has ignored Northeast and the U.P. is they know a large percentage of wireless customers are with Verizon and have been even when it was Alltel.

Scholar

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173 Messages

11 years ago

There is no reason that Escanaba and Ishpeming shouldn't have 3G/4G coverage.  

Explorer

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25 Messages

11 years ago

Lewyman...all he more reason to improve the service coverage in the area! I work for a company that uses handheld computers which access the att network for data transmission, and half of the time these units are in "noack" (no acknowledgment) for data signal the majority of the time.
I'm hoarse from barking up this tree for so long...
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