Check for service outages
Mjrtom7's profile

Explorer

 • 

25 Messages

Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 6:57 PM

Closed

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...

Tutor

 • 

11 Messages

11 years ago

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.. 😛  lol!

 

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

Scholar

 • 

151 Messages

11 years ago

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

Scholar

 • 

391 Messages

11 years ago

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.

Scholar

 • 

391 Messages

11 years ago

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?

Scholar

 • 

151 Messages

11 years ago

Yeah that was super fast! I think its the Lathrop tower. Looks like they may be doing some tests because I usally get 4 bars when I set my phone by my window and I'm only getting 2-3 at the moment. Plus the weather here is cloudy and foggy at the moment so that could be why as well. Ill go check out the tower this weekend though.

 

EDIT:

 

Yeah, they must still be working on it. Its switching back to No Service, E and 4G.

Scholar

 • 

391 Messages

11 years ago

That is awesome. The signal did the same thing in Lewiston for a while but it won't be long before its fully up to speed. During peak times a tower may switch the phone over to Edge for load balancing but that is normal. I was told AT&T is using 5 MHz carriers rather than 10 MHz because 5 has a better range. Not sure if they are using 850 or 1900 for their HSPA/UMTS upgrades in northern MI.

Scholar

 • 

151 Messages

11 years ago

Looks like the 4G isnt at full power yet. When I get a 4G signal I only get 1-2 bars but, when it connects to E I get 4-5 bars.

Scholar

 • 

391 Messages

11 years ago

There is a strong possibility that your phone is picking up 4G from another tower besides the one in Lathrop. When I discovered Lewiston had 4G, I was actually picking up the signal from the tower that's 5 miles north of town rather than the site right in town. AT&T turned on that tower about a week later. If you go check out that site you should be able to tell for sure. Another thing to check is your dBm on both E and 4G.....they should be the same. The person I have had contact with assured me that when they activate a site, they don't run it at a lower power but if they have tower crews up on the site, they will power the whole thing down due to RF hazards.

Scholar

 • 

151 Messages

11 years ago

Hmm..I dont know of any other AT&T tower around here besides the one in Lathrop. I'll be checking the tower out this weekend. I put my phone in field test mode and the signal I'm getting on E is -81 and on 4G its -104. And I never had a 4G signal here until the other day. I'm too far away from the tower in Gladstore so I know its not that one.

 

Something interesting, I put my sister's fiancé's iphone 4S in field test mode and he doesnt get the 4G signal but I do on my iphone 5. He is getting a -86 on E. also my firend who has a S3 cant get the 4G signal either.

Scholar

 • 

391 Messages

11 years ago

Wow that is wierd!!!  I really don't know because if the tower in Lathrop is live all of those other phones should be lit up with "4G" as well.  If there are no broadband antennas on the Lathrop/McFarland tower then that will be very interesting, because your iPhone 5 has by far the best antenna out of those other phones.  Maybe.....just maybe....AT&T has activated a new cell site somewhere in the vicinity:)

Not finding what you're looking for?
New to AT&T Community?
New to the AT&T Community? Start by visiting the Community How-To.
New to the AT&T Community?
Visit the Community How-To.