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Mjrtom7's profile

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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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391 Messages

11 years ago

@ 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??

New Member

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25.7K Messages

11 years ago

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.

Scholar

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136 Messages

11 years ago

VerizonLTE.png

 

Verizon 4G LTE in Alpena, MI. 

 

'Nuff said. 

1 Attachment

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

@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.

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

@Tpeltz

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

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25.7K Messages

11 years ago

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.

Tutor

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7 Messages

11 years ago

@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). 

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

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.

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

@ Tpeltz

 

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

 

Screenshot_2013-01-04-19-17-03.png

 

 

1 Attachment

Scholar

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136 Messages

11 years ago

@Lewyman - 

 

NICE! Welcome to Big Red 😄 enjoy the 3G and LTE! 

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