ATT Mcell, address doesn't match account address

Are you in a rural area or have moved your MicroCell from one physical location to another? The address issue usually happens at time of initial activation and is most commonly associated with addresses that are rural because the E911 GPS coordinates sent by the MicroCell doesn't match what is in the database as a "real" address. Another cause is sometimes folks who have satellite or WiFi connections will have address mis-matches because the MicroCell does not support connections other than land-based (cable/DSL). It will work, but not reliably.

 

I would send a pm to CusomerCare (link in my sig) with the issue, your account information, the best way for them to contact you, and your location.

I am a professional computer nerd and manage quite a few microcells, both older orange/white and new black.

While there might be a glitch in the reg system, the norm is that there is no requirement regarding the account address and the microcells physical location.

I have microcells on accounts with account address in Los Angeles or other major cities, but the microcells are physically located in Colorado, Montana, Hawaii, etc, (caveat: as long as ATT is authorized to provide service at the microcells location.)

One trick I use in rural locations when I get an address mismatch issue, is I use Apple Maps, Google Maps, or similar internet mapping site on my smart phone or tablet, with GPS enabled. I let it "tell me" what address it believes I am located at, and use that as the microcell location.

Sometimes it is right on the money, other times, it tells me that I am quite far from the address I think I am at. ie: the entry gate to the property is 1234 Any Canyon Road, but by the time you get to the house, it thinks we are at 1456 Any Canyon Road. The GPS and the county (or USPS) address fairies don't always use the same numbering standards. (I know that somebody somewhere must be shocked at this revelation!)

Generally rural fire and police/sheriff know the area well, and after the microcell is active, you can always contact your local agency 911 coordinator and ask them to put notes into the 911 system that if the get a cellular 911 call at 1456 Any Canyon Road, the entrance gate is actually at 1234 Any Canyon Road.

Not sure if this helps your situation, but I know some people that have encountered this same issue.

Good luck,
Mark

That is not entirely correct. At Initial Activation (first time activation) the physical location of the MicroCell must match the GPS coordinates sent by the MicroCell to AT&T. Quite often, the physical address is the same address as the owner of the account (which would be the billing address). Once activated, the MicroCell can be moved to another location within a MicroCell Service Area and all one has to do is change the address of where the MicroCell is currently located. If the address matches the received GPS coordinates, the unit is activated for use. The serial number of the MicroCell is tied to the account holder of the cellular account via the primary cell phone number, and as long as the primary phone number is not changed, the MicroCell should be able to be activated almost anywhere (within said service areas).

 

If the coordinates don't match then one can, and sometimes successfully, "trick" the locational database using the technique mentioned above. Contacting the local E911 operator is not a bad idea but keep in mind that if you do that, you should program your cell phone to auto-dial the complete 10-digit number and not use 9-1-1 for emergency calls via your cell phone. The reason being is that dialing the 10-digit number is just like calling in on a land-line whereas dialing 9-1-1 will send the call to the Highway Patrol, State Trooper, what ever who in turn will transfer the call to your local E911 operator. That is usually very quick but sometimes any delay can be dangerous. Obviously if you are outside of your area code then you'll need to use 9-1-1.