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AT&T Says They've Beefed Up NYC 3G (Again)
Insists cellular quality in NYC improved 47%
by Karl Bode Monday 28-Jun-2010 tags: business · bandwidth · wireless
AT&T has been making slow but steady progress in their congested trouble markets of San Francisco and New York City, adding backhaul, cells sites, migrating to the more capable 850Mhz GSM band -- and doing other small but noticeable things like pointing some NYC antennas down instead of up. The company also recently launched a large Times Square hotspot in the hopes of offloading customers to Wi-Fi whenever possible. Now AT&T says they've continued to improve capacity in NYC -- with improvement across the board -- at least according to their own data:

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As of the first quarter of 2010, we've seen two consecutive quarters of strong voice quality improvements in New York according to internal measurements. In Manhattan, quality improved 47 percent quarter over quarter. Additionally, as of the first quarter of 2010 our national 3G average data download speeds are up 25 percent versus a year ago based on internal data.

AT&T isn't showing their math, which was also the case with recent quarterly reports that showed supposed improvement via ambiguous, un-sourced graphs. Still, there's no doubt they're really trying to shed the bad PR image that being unprepared for iPhone traffic bestowed upon them.

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SlickEnW
Premium
join:2003-01-21
Seattle, WA

Even though

I own an iPhone 4 and haven't had a dropped call yet, I feel the urge to make a joke about not really needing service on the iPhone unless you have a bluetooth headset or something...

Anonymous_
Anonymous
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Re: Even though

said by SlickEnW:

I own an iPhone 4 and haven't had a dropped call yet, I feel the urge to make a joke about not really needing service on the iPhone unless you have a bluetooth headset or something...
ATT has the most Drop calls

why do you think they removed that as the slogan? as they got sued


pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

Sweet!

Now AT&T smartphone users in NYC will actually be able to hit those ridiculously low caps!
--
"Net Neutrality" zealots - the people you can thank for your capped Internet service.

ptrowski
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Re: Sweet!

said by pnh102:

Now AT&T smartphone users in NYC will actually be able to hit those ridiculously low caps!
I assume you will be saying the exact same thing in any AT&T thread, correct?
--
"So, Lone Starr, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb."

Have you been touched by his noodly appendage? »www.venganza.org

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

Re: Sweet!

said by ptrowski:

I assume you will be saying the exact same thing in any AT&T thread, correct?
I think I just might. But historically speaking, what I claimed would not be possible before AT&T made these improvements.
--
"Net Neutrality" zealots - the people you can thank for your capped Internet service.

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: Sweet!

Exactly what do you think is paying for those improvements.... its the new caps/overages!
--
Canada = Hollywood North

C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
Premium
join:2001-10-03
Davenport, FL
said by ptrowski:

said by pnh102:

Now AT&T smartphone users in NYC will actually be able to hit those ridiculously low caps!
I assume you will be saying the exact same thing in any AT&T thread, correct?
You can't honestly think a 2GB cap is in any way reasonable, when an hour of 720p recording (which the iPhone 4 is notably capable of doing) would consume about that much already.
--
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ptrowski
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Re: Sweet!

I never said I did, I was commenting that the same poster says practically the same thing on any AT&T thread.

For new customers, yes it stinks for some. But I thought I saw today that 75% of the phones sold were upgrades.

If that is the case that is a lot of people on the old plan.
--
"So, Lone Starr, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb."

Have you been touched by his noodly appendage? »www.venganza.org

DLG2

@verizon.net
The quantity of bullshit that you send out of your phone may in fact use up the cap. 720p recording has nothing to do with use of 3G. It is true if you are planning to use your phone to transmit large quantities of HD video that you will go over the cap and have to pay for more bandwidth. However that is the point.

Do you have some carrier that can handle all the users doing that sort of usage?

Z80A
Premium
join:2009-11-23

1 edit
Unless you are one of 14M AT&T iPhone users (and even more other smartphone plan users) not subject to caps.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

Re: Sweet!

said by Z80A:

Unless you are one of 14M AT&T iPhone users (and even more other smartphone plan users) not subject to caps.
For now.

I have no qualms about mocking AT&T's new capped data plans. They make what are otherwise great phones into useless bricks. I will gladly and cheerfully take every opportunity to trash these plans. If it makes a casual reader think twice about signing up for such a plan, then so much the better.
--
"Net Neutrality" zealots - the people you can thank for your capped Internet service.

Z80A
Premium
join:2009-11-23

Re: Sweet!

True, you have no qualms about misrepresenting the facts.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

Re: Sweet!

said by Z80A:

True, you have no qualms about misrepresenting the facts.
If you are a new customer, you can no longer get an unlimited data plan from AT&T. You are stuck with one of those useless capped data plans. Your only choice is to either grin and bear it or do without.

There is nothing wrong with pointing out these facts so that people who otherwise may not be aware of them are in the know.
--
"Net Neutrality" zealots - the people you can thank for your capped Internet service.

Z80A
Premium
join:2009-11-23

Re: Sweet!

...and if you are in the vast majority, the millions and millions of existing customers, you aren't.

So yeah, you misrepresent the facts.
deadzoned
Premium
join:2005-04-13
Baton Rouge, LA

Re: Sweet!

Actually, the truth is that even though they called that plan "Unlimited" it wasn't really as it was capped at 5GB.

So, in actuality, At&t has never had unlimited data.

MovieLover76

join:2009-09-11
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Re: Sweet!

On the Iphone the plans were truly uncapped, the rest of the plans where capped at 5GB, I myself am almost always on wifi and I've dropped down to the 200mb plan without an issue, and saving $15 a month, even when i was heavily streaming video I never went over 1 gb, while I agree the $20 tethering charge is ridiculous the reality is that a 2GB plan is more than enough for the vast majority of people and will be for quite awhile, most people aren't glued to their smartphones 24/7 and calling a capped plan useless is a gross exaggeration

Z80A
Premium
join:2009-11-23

1 edit
iPhone plans weren't capped. Other plans like LaptopConnect were capped but they were not advertised as Unlimited.

And for those millions who were on unlimited plans, they still aren't capped.

benc
Premium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL

This is All Good and Well, but...

....how about an independent study, or some personal accounts?  Is the signal quality actually better?  Does it seem that way to real customers?
talz13

join:2006-03-15
Avon Lake, OH

Amazing pic

That's a pretty amazing pic in the story.

ptrowski
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Re: Amazing pic

said by talz13:

That's a pretty amazing pic in the story.
I was just thinking the exact same thing!
talz13

join:2006-03-15
Avon Lake, OH

Re: Amazing pic

However, it does make me happy to be seated at a desk on the ground floor

ptrowski
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Re: Amazing pic

said by talz13:

However, it does make me happy to be seated at a desk on the ground floor
Ha! Third floor here.
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Have you been touched by his noodly appendage? »www.venganza.org

limegrass69
Here's my Posting tag

join:2008-05-28
said by talz13:

That's a pretty amazing pic in the story.
That would be the master FM antenna atop the Empire State Building in NYC.

Gbcue
Almost P.E.
Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:8

47%?

When you can only use 1%, because AT&T will probably drop 99% of your calls, increasing quality 47% (to 1.47%) is not that big a deal.
--
My Blog 2.0

Z80A
Premium
join:2009-11-23

Re: 47%?

Exactly, 80% of statistics are made up.

said by AT&T :
Service is better cuz we sayz it is

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: 47%?

Hmm.. maybe in NYC. I haven't had dropped calls here in the L.A. area in a couple of years.
--
Canada = Hollywood North

Z80A
Premium
join:2009-11-23

Re: 47%?

Neither have I in Orange County

djrobx

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said by en102:

Hmm.. maybe in NYC. I haven't had dropped calls here in the L.A. area in a couple of years.
Same here. Vast improvement over the last couple years. That is, as long as I don't drive through Seco & Copper Hill. They need to fix that dead zone already!
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war_by_proxy

join:2004-06-15
Houston, TX

Personal opinions wanted

AHEM...but could anyone who actually lives in New York, or generally anyone, have something SERIOUS to say about this?

John McClane
yippee ki yay
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Re: Personal opinions wanted

said by war_by_proxy:

AHEM...but could anyone who actually lives in New York, or generally anyone, have something SERIOUS to say about this?
yea. you couldn't pay me enough to climb up where the guys in the picture are.
patcat88

join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1

Re: Personal opinions wanted

said by John McClane:

said by war_by_proxy:

AHEM...but could anyone who actually lives in New York, or generally anyone, have something SERIOUS to say about this?
yea. you couldn't pay me enough to climb up where the guys in the picture are.
Aslong as I'm safety harnessed, it would be a dream job. Its the closest you can be to an eagle.
Mark Rejhon

join:2004-02-02
Ottawa, ON

Re: Personal opinions wanted

said by patcat88:

Aslong as I'm safety harnessed, it would be a dream job. Its the closest you can be to an eagle.
Try wingsuit skydiving.
»www.google.ca/images?hl=en&q=wingsuit

(Granted, it's an expensive hobby.)
Madtown
Premium
join:2008-04-26
Madera, CA
said by war_by_proxy:

AHEM...but could anyone who actually lives in New York, or generally anyone, have something SERIOUS to say about this?
Before I clicked on this subject I was thinking the same thing too.

Alpine
Premium
join:2000-01-11
Atlanta, GA
Have you actually ever read this site?
dabigman

join:2002-07-16
Brooklyn, NY

Whipped cream on shit

Still misery here in midtown.
axiomatic

join:2006-08-23
Tomball, TX

You said "Beefed"...



Mmmmmmmmmmmmm BEEF!
raffy616

join:2001-01-02
Jersey City, NJ
kudos:1

A little better in NYC

I've noticed service being better now in Manhattan than before. I used to get dropped calls (driving from NJ to Queens) about 6-8 times, now I'm not getting dropped more than twice (which is still bad).

Noticed the signals pass through thick walls better now than before. Where I go in Queens, we are in an old building with about 12-18 inches of brick and few windows, I used to only get 1 or 2 bars, now I see full bars all the time, but... the 3G internet connection is still slow though.

hayabusa3303
Over 200 mph
Premium
join:2005-06-29
kudos:1

How about more 3g all over att.

There is so much EDGE all over the place.
Turbocpe
Premium
join:2001-12-22
IA

Re: How about more 3g all over att.

Agreed. I'm in a large town in central Iowa that didn't have 3G coverage by AT&T for the longest time. Meanwhile, Verizon had us covered with their 3G.

Even though AT&T finally came up with 3G in my area, there's still a lot of pockets of Edge in the area and other surrounding towns that are large and well populated and do have 3G via Verizon.

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
Premium
join:2000-11-08
Brooklyn NYC
Reviews:
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iPhone/AT&T Never again

My contract is up in August.

It will be a Nexus one on Tmobile!
lqrisquicker

join:2010-01-21
Glens Falls, NY

Re: iPhone/AT&T Never again

good luck with the nexus one, everyone is complaining as google hasn't worked out the bugs, and things don't work right. Also if i recall i read that google pulled the plug on the nexus one which means no more support, it was a major over hyped flop.

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
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Brooklyn NYC
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Re: iPhone/AT&T Never again

said by lqrisquicker:

....Also if i recall i read that google pulled the plug on the nexus one which means no more support, it was a major over hyped flop.
»www.google.com/phone
--
Would you ever go over to Czechoslovakia, and marry me daughter for me?"
d0ofy

join:2000-04-29
Fresh Meadows, NY
said by lqrisquicker:

good luck with the nexus one, everyone is complaining as google hasn't worked out the bugs, and things don't work right. Also if i recall i read that google pulled the plug on the nexus one which means no more support, it was a major over hyped flop.
Try again. Just today, Google released Froyo for the Nexus One which has features the iPhone will never have.

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
Premium
join:2000-11-08
Brooklyn NYC
Reviews:
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said by lqrisquicker:

good luck with the nexus one, everyone is complaining as google hasn't worked out the bugs, and things don't work right.
Nexus One will get Froyo from today. This update fixes the "bugs".
--
Would you ever go over to Czechoslovakia, and marry me daughter for me?"

Alcohol
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Climax, MI
kudos:3
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said by lqrisquicker:

good luck with the nexus one, everyone is complaining as google hasn't worked out the bugs, and things don't work right. Also if i recall i read that google pulled the plug on the nexus one which means no more support, it was a major over hyped flop.
Source?
--
I found the key to success but somebody changed the lock.

NYR 56
Premium
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY

Antenna Direction

quote:
and doing other small but noticeable things like pointing some NYC antennas down instead of up.
The linked article actually says they did just the opposite and pointed them up instead of down for the high-rise offices.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:4

Does this mean?

A 47% rate hike on subs bills?

P Ness
You'Ve Forgotten 9-11 Already
Premium
join:2001-08-29
way way out

beefed up capacity by forcing people to use it less

2gb cap.

LOL

nice.
--
ZoetMB3

join:2010-06-27
Forest Hills, NY

AT&T Performance in NYC

I have to admit: I don't really get dropped calls anymore in NYC from AT&T on my iPhone 3G.

However, there are still plenty of places where regardless of the number of bars, either I can't make a call (like Battery Park City) or data functions either don't work or barely work (most of midtown).

Up until a month ago, I thought that at least some of these issues were the fault of the phone itself. But then I took a trip to London and the phone worked brilliantly! Even worked on most stations and trains in the Underground. And I didn't have that absurd delay sending out email. 3G service was as fast as most public WiFi networks are in New York. It was like having an entirely new phone.

So I do think AT&T has actually improved, but that the total level of service is unacceptable and it seems to me that it's only going to get worse as iPad users and new iPhone users join the network and compete with each other for bandwidth.

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