Sporadic issue with dropping bars: at home and on the go.

And I'm searching for making model of phone in your post and got nothing...   ?

iPhone 12 Pro. All iPhone house, different models…older and newer than mine

Well I was expecting a Samsung S22 ultra ...surprised

If it was just on February 22nd I would say it might be because of the outage. But you indicate this has been going on for some time.  

Likely a defect in your SIM or phone.

You can start by having a SIM card replaced or change from a physical sim to the ESIM on your own (You can Google how to do that)

If replacing the SIM card doesn't resolve the problem, then you have to consider it's the phone itself that needs troubleshooting, or replacing, or repair.

You should go through the usual troubleshooting steps, typically starting with just turning on airplane mode and then turning it off again and see if your phone reconnects to the network. Or resetting network settings which would erase all of your Wi-Fi passwords.   The most irritating would be up to a complete factory reset of your phone.   This will erase an ESIM if you are using one! ⚠️

If the phone is paid off, and you are on an unlimited data plan, this would be a good time to upgrade with bill credits toward a new phone.  (Please read the sales page , "see offer details" to understand how these promotions work. If you are not on an unlimited data plan, you could do the math to see whether it's worth changing to an unlimited data plan in order to get bill credits of $1,000 {27.78 a month for 36 months} on a new phone. Read carefully)

If the phone is defective it may not be eligible as a trade in.

If replacing the SIM doesn't work, and upgrading is not an option, contact Apple about repairing your existing phone. 

Hello @designerfemme,

Thank you for reaching out to us about this interference in your data network connection. We know it is important to maintain a strong connection to the network.

We can see that you have done some great basic troubleshooting so far. Thank you for informing us of the steps you have already tried, this will help us save time in our efforts to come to a resolution.

We have a few questions to begin with:

1. Are you noticing this interference only when you are at home, or when you are other places? This will let us pinpoint the area you are experiencing this interference with the network connection.
2. Have you tried to make sure your device's software version is up to date? If not, click the link above for instructions on how to check the software version and update your device. We have already selected your device for you!

Please respond back with the answers to these questions, so we can figure out the best way to move forward and get you back to a secure connection to the network.

Jessica D, AT&T Community Specialist

@ATTHelp 

1. I've noticed it away from home, too...within 2 miles. Since it's still an issue this morning, I'll test it again when I head further out today.

2. My software is up to date.

@formerlyknownas 

thanks for your response...I'll look into SIM / possible phone defect.

Hey @designerfemme, We hear you and, we apologize for any trouble this has caused you. We’ll do my best to make sure that we find a solution to your problem:

• Even though AT&T is licensed to cover a particular area, there may be spots within that area that have little or no coverage.
• There are several reasons why coverage may not exist in a given area:
  • Zoning laws restricting towers.
  • Issues where the surrounding terrain does not make a tower feasible.
  • Not enough traffic in that area to support the cost of a tower.
• When deciding where to place a tower, it is imperative the maximum number of possible customers are affected to keep our cost of service low.
• Network issues, including dropped calls, failed call attempts, and poor call quality can occur for a number of reasons, including but not limited to:
  • Gaps in network coverage
  • A geographic obstruction, such as a mountain
  • A type of building construction
• To minimize connectivity issues, we constantly monitor and optimize our network to deliver the best possible wireless service.

Use the AT&T Network Coverage Map

It's easy to check our network coverage in your location:

1. Go to the AT&T Network Coverage Map.
2. Enter an address, state, or ZIP Code, and select the search icon. We'll show you what type of coverage is available.

In an area with limited or no coverage? Try these options:

• Move closer to a window
• Go outside
• Use Wi-Fi Calling

 Learn how to check coverage at your location, get device help, or report network issues Get help with dropped calls or network issues

Let us know if this helps! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach back out.

Thank you for contacting AT&T Community & Forums,
Andrew P, AT&T Community Specialist

@ATTHelp 

I checked the network coverage map. Where I live is 5G. Where I was away from home yesterday and today is 5G+. Sometimes bars, sometimes not. Mostly not.

Wifi calling is enabled, but that doesn't work either. Calls immediately fail. 

I'm going to explore whether or not something is broken in my phone. 

Hi @designerfemme, after reviewing your concern and trying to resolve through the Community Forums, it looks like you may need more account specific support.  To assist you best, we encourage you to review our Contact Us page (https://www.att.com/support/contact-us/) to identify what method you’d prefer to reach out for this account level help.  You can call, chat, or reach out via social media, and we can review your specific issue and provide you support.  We’re sorry we weren’t able to resolve your concern directly in the forums, but let us know if we can assist with anything else.

Thank you for contacting AT&T Community Forums.

Hella, AT&T Community Specialist.