The Samsung Galaxy S24
c_brookhart's profile

Scholar

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229 Messages

Sunday, December 4th, 2022 8:03 PM

Data connection issue

I'd like to get a simplified explanation as to why it is that when I'm in a particular area and start using data, as more people come to that area, my data becomes extremely slow and then just quits working altogether.

I get that AT&T advertises that they may temporarily slow data when it's busy, but this seems to happen to me all the time (calls included). Specific examples: sporting event in a big city, downtown area of a city on a specific event, etc. 

It's like my data and calls just stops working until I leave the area and then it starts working again. Meanwhile though, the battery on my phone runs down very quick because the phone is trying to find a non existent signal.

It seems like everyone is able to use their phones without any issues. What it seems like is that I arrive at the area early and have no issues. As more people arrive, the data slows. Then it seems like I get "kicked" off the network (unless by some chance I can find WiFi).

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

1 year ago

It's called 'congestion' . 

Every network has a finite amount of bandwidth that it can provide. Usually it's noticed if one tries to use data. All networks and all towers are providing a limited amount of bandwidth. That limitation may be Hardware related, location related. That limited amount of bandwidth can only support so many devices before somebody gets put last in line.

How you are prioritized on the network also is determined by what plan you have. If there is a local emergency, people on firstnet are prioritized above all others. On under normal circumstances business Elite or premium takes priority over everyone else. Consumer Elite or premium is next in line. Then all other business plans and all other consumer plans. Last up is prepaid.

Some plans are always deprioritized which means they always are served last. The starter plan, and unlimited value plan. And prepaid unlimited plan that does not include hotspot are always deprioritized.

    Changing your plan to one that has a higher priority May improve your usage ability. Or you may need to choose a service provider that is not as congested in your area of common use. 

    5g has been a double-edged sword. Some people report that 5G works great and alleviates congestion. And other people report that since they purchased a 5G phone that areas where they used to get good service it's now impossible to connect without restarting their phone. 

I live in a  small rural town in CT. Anytime I'm in the center of town, tiny as it is, data takes a vacation. Doesn't matter which network one uses they're all congested. No service provider provides very much bandwidth in my small town because they don't think we need it. As soon as I leave the Town Center, data works again. So if I'm streaming a podcast or music, it drops out and goes to loading until I leave the Town Center again.  

Community Support

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230.7K Messages

1 year ago

Hello @c_brookhart, we understand the importance of staying connected. We're happy to provide information to resolve your connectivity concerns. 

 

Thank you, @formerlyknownas for the information provided. That is correct, we may temporarily slow data when the network is busy. 

 

In addition, having your battery drain quickly can be quite disheartening. We recommend replacing the battery if your device is draining quickly for a extended period of time and having disruptions connecting to the network.

 

In these instances, we encourage you to visit our Troubleshoot and Resolve tool to run a diagnostic on the device. Start by signing in to your myAT&T account and then click "Start" and follow the prompts. This will help pin point the root cause with the device connectivity. 

 

Meet us back here with the results and the Make and Model of the device if you still have questions, and we'll be happy to assist with additional troubleshooting options. Thank you for contacting AT&T Community Forums.

 

Alasani, AT&T Community Specialist 

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