AT&T Southeast → [Services] Is AT&T really that greedy?

When I signed up for AT&T wireless service several years ago, I was given the usual sales pitch that led me to believe that I would get the "best service" I could get. That may have been true up until February of this year. They decided to put 3G in our area. When they did, it created a dividing point across our county that runs between 3G and EDGE. So, there is a constant jump between the two services no matter where I stand. This is causing erratic behavior that is constant and ruining call quality and service. I can no longer make calls in my home. Even outside I have to walk around and find a spot. The phone can show 4 bars, yet calls break up badly and calls drop often. Before 2012 I could sit at my desk and talk with no problem. I filed with BBB earlier this year and got responses from AT&T. They even mentioned some "device" I could use. But they never offered it without some talk about me paying for it. I had some personal things going on at the time, so I stopped complaining. Especially since Cathy Bryant in the President's office led me to believe the problem was due to incomplete transition to 3G. Well, now it's September and the problem is the same. I filed with BBB again. And I am being contacted by the same woman. She is basically trying to throw up the fact that I had 30 days from the time I got my phone to send it back. That's a real slap in the face to a long time loyal customer. She is still trying to swindle me out of $200 for the 3G Microcell device. So it's either I pay to solve a problem or AT&T will cop out. The way I see it, I have been paying the same rate for service that AT&T willfully took away back in February. They owe me. I have come across numerous people in this county who have been griping as well. But they have turned the other cheek. But not anymore. Unless AT&T solves this problem soon, I will be contacting others and putting together a class action lawsuit. And it won't be a small one. I'm grown beyond tired of this company doing whatever they want while expecting us to pay no matter what.

From a DSL perspective, as this is a DSL forum, I'd say they are greedy. When SBC acquired AT&T I was paying $24.95 for 3008/512 DSL service. When AT&T (just SBC re-branded) acquired Bellsouth, legacy Bellsouth DSL customers were paying something like $37.95 a month for 3xxx/384 DSL service. While SBC must have considered $24.95 a month profitable, as AT&T they started raising my prices toward Bellsouth levels.

However, my experience is with DSL service, which is the focus of these forums. Nearly as I can tell, cell phone service is covered here:

»Cellphones, Providers, and Plans

The 3G/2G switchover symptom is a fairly common problem in many areas, but usually it is more noticeable with data. Dropping voice calls when the phone switches modes is not as common a symptom. OTOH, simultaneous data/voice calls can only work with a 3G/WCDMA connection, so if your phone switches into 2G mode in that circumstance, one or the other connection is going to drop.

When AT&T turns off their GSM/2G/EDGE service in your area to utilize those frequency bands for LTE, your problem may be solved. In the interim you may want to investigate if your phone has a setting that allows you to force either GSM (2G) or WCDMA (3G) mode.

In my Samsung phones, I can dial *#0523# (but that would be very phone specific, and won't necessarily apply to other phone models) and I then have access to a diagnostic screen that allows me to force the phone into either GSM or WCDMA mode when I find myself in an area where I see similar symptoms.

I do know what you mean about AT&T not wanting to supply their 3G MicroCell box either free or at a discount to customers who live in problem areas. I can't use my cell phones in my home/office without a repeater because of almost no signal being available. AT&T's coverage map shows my address as being in a high signal strength area, so AT&T says that I have no problem. Rather than paying AT&T $200 for their 3G MicroCell box, I bought a zBoost repeater with an external antenna (for about the same price) with the external antenna mounted on a tall enough mast to get a good signal. That solution probably would not work for you however, since you say you have a good signal, and signal strength is probably not related to your symptoms (your problem sounds more like your phone just can not properly handle switching modes in real time).