Will Northeast MI ever receive 3G?

[Mjrtom7]

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...

[American Ninja]

AT&T expands LTE empire with $1.9 billion spectrum purchase from Verizon

Verizon and AT&T often spar over network reliability, but the two biggest US carriers aren't opposed to helping one another out when the price is right. AT&T has completed a $1.9 billion purchase of unused spectrum from its primary rival, picking up 39 700MHz licenses that it says will help improve service to 42 million people across 18 states. Verizon Wireless also stands to gain from the deal; it's receiving valuable AWS spectrum in five western markets. As LTE smartphones continue to flood the smartphone market, both carriers have had to rethink their 4G deployment strategies. Verizon will likely use the AWS spectrum to complement its existing 700MHz holdings. The company has already snagged AWS resources from cable providers, a deal that by all accounts hinged on its agreement to offload spectrum to a chief competitor. The spectrum purchase was initially announced in January.

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/11/4719682/att-expands-lte-empire-with-verizon-spectrum-purchase

AT&T promises to lift the wall between regional carriers and its LTE network

Today, regional carriers are one big step closer to being able to roam freely on larger networks while building out their own LTE device catalog. AT&T has announced that it will start working towards making its 700MHz spectrum interoperable, moving forward in a long-running dispute about large carriers' responsibility to share their networks. In a statement, the company promises to invest "considerable time and resources" in an infrastructure change that will let its LTE network support phones designed for for smaller carriers, while also offering more devices that support those carriers' networks.

Regional carriers like US Cellular have been asking for interoperability options for years, saying that the current system makes it difficult to offer roaming and limits the devices they can support. While many networks use the 700MHz spectrum for LTE, it's divided into multiple bands that require different hardware. For AT&T, that's not a problem. For smaller carriers, though, technical problems have persisted even as courts have guaranteed fair roaming prices. And the problem isn't just roaming. LTE phones and tablets are made with big carriers in mind, so many of them won't work on regional LTE bands at all. AT&T has said it will help fix this problem by working with manufacturers on new devices that support both networks, though no timeline is given.

It's certainly a helpful move, but it wouldn't have happened without heavy pressure from the FCC. AT&T has long resisted interoperability rules, said that changes could cause interference in its networks. "Such mandates would be an unprecedented regulatory intrusion into a carrier's right to manage network and device deployment in a manner best suited to serve its customers," it wrote in March of 2012, after the FCC launched an official investigation of the issue. It's continued to be firmly against legal intervention, but this voluntary deal will hopefully satisfy all parties involved. The FCC has praised the decision, with acting chairwoman Mignon Clyburn commending AT&T and others for resolving the issue "after many frustrating years."

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/10/4716148/att-agrees-to-make-700mhz-lte-spectrum-interoperable

[Lewyman]

Unfortunately, the spectrum deal with Verizon won't help Michigan.

[Lewyman]

American Ninja

It shouldn't be long now for your area. Is the tower in McFarland the one that will serve your house?? If so, I will try to find out when it will be upgraded. The tower in Mio only had the omni directional antennas the weekend of Aug 17&18. Less than three weeks, it had broadband panels installed and active HSPA/UMTS service on it when I drove through Sept 8. That's pretty good.

[American Ninja]

Yep, thats the one nearest to my house. No 4G yet. I'm on wifi at my house so I turn off my phone's wifi every now and then to see if 4G has been turned on. That would be cool if you could find out when that tower will be upgraded. I found out the tower isnt in McFarland its right before it in Lathrop. Its right across the road from Lathrop 42.25 Lane Rd by M-35.

That's cool the Mio tower got upgraded. Last I checked the Lathrop tower was on August 31st, and it didn't have any panel antennas on it yet.

[Lewyman]

American Ninja....

OK, I got some info on that tower near you I will pass along. That site along with several others in the western U.P. are scheduled for upgraded service sometime in November,  at which time AT&T expects to have their 3G rollout in Michigan pretty much complete....with the exception of those sites that are going to be rebuilt or relocated. Also, several more sites went live this week with more to soon follow and at the same time AT&T is also continuing to upgrade current 3G sites to HSPA+. So it isn't going to be long now before there is pretty much statewide 3G/HSPA/UMTS coverage. Finally!!!!!

Hopefully they upgrade your tower sooner but it definately won't be long now

[American Ninja]

Wow, cool! Thanks for the info! I'll keep checking the tower for activity and will post back when they start working on it. 2 months isnt that long to wait. Can't wait! 

[FritzR]

Hey now.  Just having my lunch here in Oscoda, Michigan, at the old air base.  And what should I find on my iphone? 

My 4G icon is lit up!  Whee!  I celebrated by watching two, yes TWO videos.  

I was down in the Standish/Omer area on Friday, and the 4G icon is on down that way too, and operational.  Video streamed just fine for us.  Though it still faded out just before the M-65/US-23 intersection while heading North.

I'll have to see how far south the high speed signal goes when I drive back home at 4pm.  

So, that's great news.  Finally.  

[Lewyman]

Cool. I drove up 23 Friday night from 75 to Tawas and across 55 and the 4G was on in Omer and Tawas. Downtown Standish was still E. I heard last Wednesday the largest areas with towers still on E are the western U.P. and a triangle shaped area from Standish to Oscoda to West Branch(West Branch is live) but obviously they are closing the gaps. Probably 95% or more of the towers in NE MI are upgraded now along with most of the thumb area. Wonder how long it will be before LTE starts showing up.....on either bands 4 or 5.

[FritzR]

4G was on for me Oscoda to Tawas; with about three miles roughly halfway where it was still "4G", but the speeds dropped terribly, down to .28 mbps.  But in Oscoda, and Tawas, speeds were up around 2 - 3 mbps.  

4G hung on going South on US-23 to about Alabaster, where it dropped back into the Edge Network.  

I'm hopeful of more tower upgrades.  But this is fantasically better for around here, truly.

[Lewyman]

The new coverage map is out this morning. The areas are filling in nicely and there are towers that are live but not depicted on the newest map yet. Awesome!

[American Ninja]

cool. They must have just updated it because I checked earlier this morning and it was the same old map. Still on edge out here.

[FritzR]

Had a nice suprise last night at my house in Au Gres.  The 4G was lit up as I sat in my driveway.    And it worked pretty good too!  So kudos to them for that, definitely.  I didn't think Au Gres was going to see it for a while yet, since we are so small.  

I'm going to have to switch to complaining about data charges soon I bet, since I can't complain about the coverage much anymore.. :b  lol!

Thanks AT&T.  This makes my big monthly bill a little easier to swallow now at least.  

[American Ninja]

YES IM GETTING 4G ON MY PHONE IN ROCK! Just went live today. The Lathrop tower is upgraded!

[Lewyman]

That is excellent news and agreed....kudos to them for this fast network upgrade. When I drove down 23 from Harrisville to I-75 last Sunday, there were a few areas that dropped to E, including Standish. I heard AT&T has changed their target date on having almost 100% of their network upgraded from the end of November to October 31, with some towers that will remain on E for a while yet.

[Lewyman]

American Ninja
That tower in Lathrup has 4G already? Wow it was only a few weeks ago you checked and the broadband antennas weren't installed at that time. That was super fast! Or could the signal be coming from that other tower you mention that wasn't active?