amdmaddness
join:2006-10-16
Greenville, SC
| Bunk
This story is absolute bunk. I work for at&t and my job is working on cell sites. We have in no way cut our 2g 850 and made it a 1900mhz site. One there is an issue with air rights and second the cell site equipment would have to be completely changed antennas(to either dual freq or seperate antennas)/radios/combiners/multicouplers etc. its not something you can flip a switch on or change a number to make 1900mhz. While we carve out 5-10mhz+ chunk of RF for UMTS there is plenty of spectrum left over for the 2g to continue to work. This complete bogus info. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | i agree 100%. there's 3g 850 and 3g 1900 here in los Angeles and gsm 850 and gsm 1900 bogus info indeed
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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SterlingJ85
Obama 2008
join:2000-11-19
Millville, NJ
 ·PHONE POWER
| reply to amdmaddness
I do agree completely.
This story blows what is actually happening way out of proportion.
AT&T has been (public knowledge) adding 850 MHz WCDMA/HSPA 850 MHz CARRIER channels by cutting some of the GSM frequency allotment ONLY in certain areas (Los Angeles is a prime example).
In no instance have I ever heard that AT&T has actually MOVED all of GSM and EDGE (2G) services to PCS band (1900 MHz).
There are FAR too many GSM customers out there to even ATTEMPT a turndown of 2G services at this point. They can carve away 800 MHz spectrum for 3G if they can get it away with it though.
In my opinion, that is exactly what you are seeing and what needs to happen for 3G to become AT&T's dominant air interface. |
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ff1324
Everybody Goes Home
Premium
join:2002-08-24
On Four Day
| reply to amdmaddness
So then how come I get crap for a signal on my BB 8310 while my captain gets a great signal on his 3G phone while we're sitting right next to each other at our firehouse?
We are 1/2 mile from the antenna over flat terrain. I've called about it a dozen times and AT&T can only say they don't guarantee a signal within a building. Who only uses a cell phone outside? I don't even receive phone calls half the time in our firehouse. And it's masonry and wood, not steel.
I should have stayed with Sprint, but that Unity plan was too good to pass up.
--
Remember the 2008 firefighters and police LODD's in St. Louis:
PO Ballman, Sgt. Biggs, FF Hummert, Sgt. King, FF Riggins... all murdered...RIP brothers. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
| There are many reasons why.
- GSM will 'camp' on any signal that it determines is the best, and will hop between sites/channels often as it is a TDMA/FDMA technology.
- 3G is utilizing a form of CDMA which pretty much negates the ability to connect to any other site than the nearest, as it has a 1:1 spectrum reuse.
Basically: GSM does not use 100% of its spectrum on each site, but allows for significant overlapping of coverage (like a mesh), which 3G/WCDMA allows for very little overlap.
You probably notice signal 'spikes' on GSM, while you will not see it very often on 3G. The placement of the antenna will also play into this. |
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