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...

[MNelly420]

Hows Lovells looking these days?

[Lewyman]

Lovells is looking good. There are 6 broadband panels installed now and I am guessing equipment is in place at the base station. The road leading up to the site has a gate so I can't get any pics up close. I haven't been up for 3 weeks but I am shooting for this weekend and will take a ride by the tower and see if they have activated it yet. With this lingering winter, that will put the crews a bit behind on running backhaul to the remaining sites.

[JREwing53]

Any news on the tower at Pickford?

[Lewyman]

Unfortunately no. It has been fairly quiet the last few months regarding upgrade info. Wierd that the tower in Cedarville has been HSPA+ for some time yet the site in Pickford is still 3G. 

American Ninja hasn't posted recently so I am assume there is nothing new from the Lathrop site. 

It is kinda shocking that AT&T has already begun it's LTE-Advanced deployment in several areas when there are still several towers on Edge.

[American Ninja]

No new update. Still on E even though the antennas are installed on the tower.

[JREwing53]

Heard a rumor that Sault Ste Marie will be getting LTE soon. Have you heard anything?

[Lewyman]

AT&T has turned up some LTE in the U.P. Rudyard, Kincheloe, Newberry, and Gould City are all live. The Soo should be very close!!

[Lewyman]

AT&T lit up LTE in Sault Ste Marie last night along with Petoskey and Tawas City. Woo Whoo!!

[American Ninja]

Meanwhile at the Lathrop tower....nothing.

[Lewyman]

American Ninja.

I know you must be aggrevated to say the least. The only reason for that site to not be up and running has got to be backhaul. I am sure just like the Lovells site, there is a major issue with the T-1's preventing them from at least turning up UMTS/3G. I have heard that AT&T uses a minimum of 4 T-1's for backhaul on 3G/4G sites and quite possibly they didn't meet that when they constructed the tower.

Now no offense to the people around Gould City and Newberry, but those sites have received LTE already....really AT&T?? Areas such as Gaylord and Alpena have had HSPA+ for quite a while now but haven't been upgraded yet. Doesn't make sense!!

The crews are working hard to catch up on network upgrades and they will get there this year. Like I said before, lack of network investment in all of northern MI is the problem they are facing today.

[American Ninja]

Yeah its frustrating to say the least.

[Lewyman]

American Ninja:

To make matters worse, it appears AT&T has turned up LTE on the site in St. Jacques which is just southeast of you. The Lathrop site may indeed be upgraded from EDGE right to UMTS/HSPA+/LTE very soon. All of the new LTE coverage with the exception of Petoskey is now on the map

[Lewyman]

AT&T's nationwide LTE coverage can now be viewed on the mobile version of the coverage map without having to zoom in. Here is the link:

http://m.att.com/shopmobile/coverageviewer/coverage-viewer-results.html

[randu22]

My LTE symbol just came on in Alpena,MI

Randy

[Lewyman]

Nice!! Is it still on? Surprised because they usually turn it on after midnight and they don't test like Verizon. Was in Gaylord a few hours ago and is still H+.