Will Northeast MI ever receive 3G?

[randu22]

What is wrong with AT&T ,  Verizon has had 3G in Alpena for at least 2 years and now has LTE today and AT&T still has 2G or edge.

Did they just concede this area to Verizon???  I used to be loyal to AT&T but this is just getting ridiculus.

Wake up or lose.

Randy

[Tpeltz]

They haven't invested in their network and backhaul in northern MI for the most part. Therefore, some areas are now 2 generations behind in cellular technology. Are you sure Alpena now has usable, active Verizon 4G LTE? I was just there a few days ago and did not see LTE on my iPhone 5. 

[Tpeltz]

Verizon 4G LTE is online in the Alpena, MI area, which I have confirmed with a few people in the area. 

[Lewyman]

Verizon LTE is live in Alpena? Are you guys serious??? Still waiting for AT&T LTE here in Romeo/Almont!!!! Coverage stops 8 miles south of me. Big Red LTE coverage has been here at my house and when it goes live in Gaylord/Lewiston I am switching.

[Tpeltz]

Lol yes! Verizon LTE live at Alpena! I know it sounds far too good to be true, but believe it. It is there. Supposedly Rogers City is going live in a week or two. 

[Lewyman]

@Tpeltz
It isn't officially cool until you run a speedtest.

[Tpeltz]

@Lewyman

LOL. I will be sure to run a few speed test when I go there and I'll post them on here.

[JREwing53]

In the Eastern UP, you can't run speedtests on AT&T.  The Edge data network is too slow to run the test.

[Lewyman]

Well I was down at Costco this evening in Shelby Township and AT&T's LTE was running pretty good. This is a screenshot saved on my Samsung GS3 and I was out of the LTE coverage area when I sent it.

[JREwing53]

Here is our horrbly slow speeds here in the Eastern UP.  As you can see, this has to be embarrasing for AT&T.

Basically everyone should forget about an AT&T smartphone living up here.

[randu22]

I think I got you beat in Alpena

Randy

Test Date: Dec 24, 2012 11:48 PM
Connection Type: Cellular
Server: Mount Pleasant, MI
Download: 0.01 Mbps
Upload: 0.01 Mbps
Ping: 341 ms

[Lewyman]

Those two speedtests are horrible. When I'm in Lewiston my browser won't even load to run a speedtest. If AT&T would have truly started upgrading their entire network to HSPA+ 21 when Verizon started rolling out LTE, all of Michigan would be upgraded by now. Sad!

[Wild Banchi ACE - Master]

I guess there's a reason why most people here in Bay City and the state of Michigan for that matter rely on Verizon Wireless for their cellular needs...

My plan is worth it, though!

[Mjrtom7]

I see that Verizon in Alpena now has 4G LTE service......I found out by reading it on my laptop in my office....BECAUSE MY PHONE WOULDN'T EVEN OPEN UP A PAGE ON MY BROWSER DUE TO {word filter evasion} EDGE NETWORK IN THE AREA!!!

[JREwing53]

That is really pathetic on ATT's part.  I just don't know what they are thinking.

AT&T had better be laying some high speed cable dang fast in 2013, and converting a lot of towers, or else they will be history up here in the UP.

[Lewyman]

I feel for you good folks up there. What sucks is the fact that Verizon has statewide 3G and will have complete 4G LTE coverage next year but looking at their actual coverage map for voice/3G/LTE they have A LOT of non coverage areas. In the U.P. and northeast MI especially there are WAY TOO MANY white areas of no service. AT&T has better coverage in those areas but the data service isn't worth a dodo so it is a tough call which carrier to stay with if phone service is more important than data. What is unbelievable is the fact that there is no Verizon service and very shotty AT&T service in and around Garland Golf Course in Lewiston.  

[Lewyman]

Well I had a big go around with AT&T C.S. today regarding wireless service. I gave my dad my old HTC Inspire last month because his older Motorola flip phone was shot. I simply put his 3G SIM into the Inspire, and turned mobile data OFF because he doesn't use it at all. Well today he got his new bill and AT&T added $35 a month on top of his $50+ normal bill and took it upon themselves to reset his account and he lost ALL of his 2000+ rollover minutes. C.S. said that they can't do anything about it and their policy is you MUST have a data plan on a smartphone even if you don't get the phone from AT&T or use mobile data. So basically if someone buys a smartphone on Ebay or is givin a used phone for example, and wants to enjoy all the features and will only use wifi instead of mobile data, AT&T says you can't do that.  And on top of that my ma has the same phone and is paying for a 2GB plan, and this past week AT&T pushed an update that stops you from turning mobile data OFF. When you uncheck mobile data it quickly resets and turns back on. So they load your phone up with bloatware that always wants to update and sync which is a waste YOUR data. [Please keep it courteous]. I'm done!! There are 5 of us that are dropping them and getting Verizon this week. AT&T launched 3G in Detroit in 2006 and yet northeast MI is still on USELESS EDGE??? That shows you what they think of their customers. I don't care if they launched LTE Advanced in Lewiston tomorrow....they are done. Even though I upgraded my phone recently I am going to GLADLY pay the ETF and be done with them!!!!

[gregzoll_1]

It is because ATT does not own those markets, it is companies like Dobson and one other that owns them. Dobson as a roaming agreement carrier has refused to do anything with their cellular network, dating even as far back as 2002, when data type services started to come about.

Under their agreement with ATT as a roaming carrier, they are only required under FCC rules and regulations to have within reasonable cellular voice coverage. Add to that you have a large area of the U.P. covered by a National forest, the government along with the Indian tribes are not going to put up Cellular towrs to give out seasonal coverage, or coverage to maybe 1-2 percent that are actual ATT customers.

I remember when ATT started the whole GSM/Gait thing. Dobson forever sat on their hands, and had only AMPs radios in 99% of their towers. The other 1% was a mix of AMPS and TDMA, not even SMS was allowed.

[Tpeltz]

@gregzoll_1

With all due respect, you are 100% wrong. AT&T does own the northern Michigan market and the upper peninsula of Michigan. They bought Dobson in 2007 and integrated the network in early 2008.

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=24030

The fact is that AT&T bought Dobson's systems and have literally upgraded maybe 40% of the coverage footprint to basic 3G. AT&T has simply ignored the rest of the network. For the sake of other readers on this forum, please do more research before you post something to verify your statement is correct.

[Lewyman]

@gregzoll_1
Like Tpeltz stated, AT&T does own the network in northern Mi including the U.P. and the fact that there are Indian tribes and National Forests have nothing to do with the network now being two generations behind. Putting up new towers are not necessary, but rather network investment in antenna and hardware upgrades at existing cell sites and the biggest issue is fiber/microwave backhaul which they are far behind in. The big issue with me against AT&T is this.....if you have a voice and texting plan then you should be able to use your SIM card in ANY phone that AT&T has especially if you pay full price for the phone without being clipped for a data plan. A contract is supposed to be an agreement between two parties...not everything 100% in one sides favor. Thats OK, there are five people in my family that AT&T is losing.

[Tpeltz]

I agree with Lewyman 100%. 

On a different note, I am heading to Alpena today. I'll do some speed tests around the city on Verizon's 4G LTE and post them here. 

[Lewyman]

@ Tpeltz

Nice. Now I have seen many Verizon speedtests from around my home area of Romeo/Almont running up around 60 Mb/s down and 20 up. Thats near the towers but still that is fast. I looked at the specs on the new HTC Droid DNA and in the network bands they have added PCS to the standard LTE, and Evdo RevA. LTE Advanced I would guess??

[gregzoll_1]

Tpeltz, it still comes down to it, that money will not be invested into that area. They see it as a low use of data, only voice calls on the majority. And at that, you have a large swate of the U.P. that is unpopulated, or only sees a small increase of population during the Summer.

Face it, the U.P. is lucky to even have cellular available, along with high or should I say low speed Internet for landline consumers.

[Tpeltz]

Verizon 4G LTE in Alpena, MI. 

'Nuff said. 

[Lewyman]

@gregzoll_1

I see your point but it's not just about small populations anymore. MANY people travel all over the state...including the U.P....on business or vacationing. Many more than you realize.If there wasn't decent customer usage then do you think Verizon would invest in upgrades across their entire network statewide? If AT&T would rollout HSPA+ statewide then their customer base would grow even in the U.P. AT&T now has 4 cities in Puerto Rico with LTE service while areas like Alpena, Grayling, Houghton/Higgins Lake, and especially 1/4 of the I-75 corridor that are still on Edge. To me that is a slap in the face to the loyal customers that have been promised 3G since 2007.

[Lewyman]

@Tpeltz

Very nice. Your area should get it soon!!!

[gregzoll_1]

Lewyman, to give you an example, you can travel I-39 in Illinois, and once you leave Normal, IL, until you get to around the Rockford area, you are on Edge. Then when you leave the Madison, WI area, again you go to Edge, never seeing 3G, unless you are in Steven's Point. And even it is for about a mile or two along I-39/US-51 and then you are left with Edge.

The average bars you see in the majority of the U.P. where we go, you are lucky to even get 3 bars, most times it is 1 bar, and always Edge.

Even at my workplace in Springfield, IL, you walk around the six block area around it, you get nothing but Edge. Once you leave that tower footprint, then it goes back to 3G.

Face it, ATT is not putting the money into the network as they promised they were, back when they were making the statements 3 years ago that they were going to grow to meet consumer demand.

[RomeoPimpkin]

@gregzoll_1

Well I agree with you. That is the point of this thread. AT&T has not invested in upgrading their network in northeast Michigan incuding the U.P., as well as many other rural parts of the country.  If it wasn't profitable than Verizon wouldn't be upgrading their entire network to 4G. I switched to Big Red this past Thursday and now have the HTC Droid DNA. Its a superfast phone but what really makes it enjoyable to use it on the super fast LTE network....not a retro 2G network(EDGE). 

[Lewyman]

I just got the Droid DNA as well and love it. I was with Ameritech/SBC/Cingular/AT&T since the early '90s but just switched to Verizon. If AT&T ever upgrades their network NATIONWIDE I would consider switching back. Until then I am not paying $$$ for a phone and data plan that doesn't work in northern Mi where I spend quite a bit of time.

[Lewyman]

@ Tpeltz

Here is a Verizon LTE speedtest from downtown Almont, Mi taken on my new Droid DNA