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...

[Lewyman]

The Thumb area has a few new HSPA+ sites that are still on T-1's as well. In fact, the areas around Sandusky are slower than UMTS in NE MI. Lol

Can someone in the western U.P. verify if the AT&T site near Amasa (NW of Crystal Falls on 141) is HSPA+ or still on Edge? The coverage map shows a small square of HSPA+ centered at the site. Either that, or the coverage map is Wonky again!!

[Lewyman]

AT&T turned up LTE in Traverse City last night. Band 5.

[Wild Banchi]

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@Lewyman wrote:
AT&T turned up LTE in Traverse City last night. Band 5.

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GREAT! I'm sure all the tourists will appreciate that!

[Tpeltz]

AT&T is currently drive testing LTE in Presque Isle, Cheboygan, and Otsego counties. Should be live very soon. 

[Lewyman]

AT&T LTE went live in Cheboygan and Charlevoix last night.

[JREwing53]

Hopefully, it won't be long before we see LTE here in the UP.

Lot's of tech upgrades coming this year. We are supposed to have 50mg internet speeds here in six months according to CenturyLink. And hopefully LTE this year would be an added bonus.

[Lewyman]

JREwing53:

Yes. LTE will be turned up in your area by the end of the year although it won't be 50 Mbps.....at least not in the immediate future.

Have you heard any word on the new site on Drummond or 3G on the site near Goetzville?? There are still far too many towers still on EDGE in the U.P.

[Lewyman]

Lovells, MI tower update:

Back at the end of November, I posted a pic of the tower in Lovells (page 17) that had received 3 new broadband panels sectorized under the omni's. This past Saturday, I drove by there again and was surprised to see an additional set of panels which were installed sometime during the winter. This newest set has large units mounted on the back which appear to be RRU's so I am betting they are LTE/AWS panels. The tower is still E as of yesterday but is scheduled to be lit up by the end of March. When fiber E/B is in place(if not already) it will go live shortly after. Pretty much from E to 4GLTE overnight. Many towers in northern Michigan will also be getting LTE sooner, rather than later.

AT&T is also starting to launch a second physical layer of LTE in SE Michigan. In addition to Band 17 (700 MHz), they have launched LTE on Band 2 (1900/PCS) in parts of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.

Lovells tower- 3/8/14

[Lewyman]

AT&T LTE is now live in West Branch, MI. 

[Tpeltz]

LTE is live in Indian River as of last Saturday (3/15/14). No LTE in Gaylord or Grayling yet as of 3/15/14.

[jwagger]

Not sure if everyone has seen this...go to att.com/network and scroll down a little. Click on "flipping the switch" and it brings up a map for forecasted 2014 LTE coverage.

Decent expansion but of course not 100%.

[Lewyman]

Nice catch. I didn't see that on their site. I would certainly hope that isn't an accurate projection but seeing how many EDGE sites still remaining it wouldn't surprise me at this point. 

[Lewyman]

Looking closer at the coverage map shown under "flip the switch", the projected coverage in NE lower MI is depicted incorrectly compared to what it will actually be. There will most certainly be full LTE coverage along M-32 from Gaylord to Alpena and on M-68 from I-75 to Rogers City. The U.P. looks pretty stingy as well

[jwagger]

This is through the end of 2014, so I guess in theory, that doesn't mean they won't expand further in '15.  

Are those areas slated for '14?  Nobody ever really knows what ATT is doing, inlcuding themselves.    

[Lewyman]

The map just states the projected coverage is coming sometime in 2014 and for some reason doesn't allow you to zoom in to see exactly which sites they are including.

Now from what I have been told, there will be straggler sites that cannot be upgraded to LTE and will have to be relocated to new or existing towers that can support all the new equipment. Mainly those old Dobson sites are the culprits which may carry over into 2015

The areas I mentioned along M-68 and M-32 have LTE equipment flown and have, or are in the process of having fiber ethernet backhaul in place. In my own opinion, the areas shown on the"flipping the switch" map should have LTE service by summer. Considering the existing LTE coverage now across MI, AT&T should really start ramping up LTE upgrades in northern MI just as Verizon did last spring/summer

Your are 100% correct....nobody knows for sure not even AT&T