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Did AT&T expand 3G coverage today?

E

elbirth

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 19, 2006
1,154
0
North Carolina, US
I live in northern North Carolina and I've never had 3G coverage at home. Up until maybe 5-6 months ago I had to drive an hour south to reach a 3G area. Then only about 30 min as of those 5-6 months ago.

Last night on my way home I was using my phone and as usual was on Edge until I arrived home and it hopped on my wifi.

This afternoon however, I unlocked my iPhone and noticed I have 3G. And 5 bars, to boot.

I can't seem to find any info online about AT&T doing any upgrades an was just curious if anyone has any info on this. Maybe some others that have lived without 3G are now in luck as well.
 
They turned on 3G in my area last month. And about time too. I've been paying for 3G for 2 years and was stuck with Edge.
 
elbirth said:
I live in northern North Carolina and I've never had 3G coverage at home. Up until maybe 5-6 months ago I had to drive an hour south to reach a 3G area. Then only about 30 min as of those 5-6 months ago.

Last night on my way home I was using my phone and as usual was on Edge until I arrived home and it hopped on my wifi.

This afternoon however, I unlocked my iPhone and noticed I have 3G. And 5 bars, to boot.

I can't seem to find any info online about AT&T doing any upgrades an was just curious if anyone has any info on this. Maybe some others that have lived without 3G are now in luck as well.
Click to expand...

FWIW, I live about 20 miles north of Charlotte and ATT sent out form letters about two years ago to announce when we'd finally gotten 3G coverage.
 
NathanMuir said:
FWIW, I live about 20 miles north of Charlotte and ATT sent out form letters about two years ago to announce when we'd finally gotten 3G coverage.
Click to expand...

Interesting, thanks. I'll keep an eye out for a letter, but so far hadn't seen one.
I live a bit east of Charlotte, directly north of Raleigh. I've had to drive down into Wake Forest at least before getting 3G, so it's great to finally have it at home when I'm around town (not many open wifi networks here)
 
I found this link in another thread a few weeks ago http://www.att.com/network/? and it led me to the map of new 3G areas AT&T is adding in the first part of this year. My area still only has edge, which blows *ss. I talked to some AT&T reps about the map and when my area is getting 3G and they were able give me an approximate date for it.
 
They expanded it here in Arkansas where I live.

My little town of four thousand people got it. It's pretty nice, doesn't take an hour to refresh Facebook now.
 
Just got 3g in my area of about 5,000 people...1 hour outside of Dallas. I'm super stoked but we need more signal strength...I get 1-2 bars at work and 2-3 at home.
 
csjo00 said:
Well.. I was exaggerating a little bit.. Minute, minute and a half is a more accurate time. Although even in today's age that's a long time.
Click to expand...

Do you think you were possibly still on the old GPRS or GPRS whatever it was? That's even slower than edge. I remember that crap and it was terrible. Even with Edge I can load facebook in 5-10 seconds.
 
eternlgladiator said:
Do you think you were possibly still on the old GPRS or GPRS whatever it was? That's even slower than edge. I remember that crap and it was terrible. Even with Edge I can load facebook in 5-10 seconds.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised if it was still Edge. I've always made sure to note that I see the "E" in the menu bar even when things take forever to load. Apps aren't bad, but usually anything on the web in Safari (even some mobile sites) would take literally 5-6 minutes around here. After I realized I had 3G yesterday I did a speed test and saw just how bad it is:

photo_1.PNG
photo_2.PNG
 
Oddly, I have less 3G coverage in the Raleigh area than I do the Havelock area. Even Vanceboro, a little podunk town b/t Greenville and Havelock has 3G coverage.
 
elbirth said:
I wouldn't be surprised if it was still Edge. I've always made sure to note that I see the "E" in the menu bar even when things take forever to load. Apps aren't bad, but usually anything on the web in Safari (even some mobile sites) would take literally 5-6 minutes around here. After I realized I had 3G yesterday I did a speed test and saw just how bad it is:
Click to expand...

LOL...here at the Greenway Plaza section of Houston, in my office, my 3G numbers are generally 0.30 down and 0.10 up with pings of 500-800ms!:eek:

Your EDGE values are essentially what I have for 3G here.
 
Bozley0621 said:
Oddly, I have less 3G coverage in the Raleigh area than I do the Havelock area. Even Vanceboro, a little podunk town b/t Greenville and Havelock has 3G coverage.
Click to expand...

Wow, really? Do you happen to just be around the edges of Raleigh or suburbs? I don't think I've ever experienced less than 3 bars of 3G in northern Raleigh and the downtown area.


mpossoff said:
They are expanding

Expected to be complete March 31st 2011.
Click to expand...

That map is for the 4G coverage. I haven't been able to find a current map that specifies 3G coverage. The only one I see now just has orange everywhere, which I assume to be 3G coverage and not encompassing Edge. Used to, the orange was for Edge and the blue for 3G. But blue now seems to be for 4G?
 
mstrze said:
LOL...here at the Greenway Plaza section of Houston, in my office, my 3G numbers are generally 0.30 down and 0.10 up with pings of 500-800ms!:eek:

Your EDGE values are essentially what I have for 3G here.
Click to expand...

WOW, that's terrible. Maybe I was wrong about my Edge connection being so bad after all ;)
 
elbirth said:
That map is for the 4G coverage. I haven't been able to find a current map that specifies 3G coverage. The only one I see now just has orange everywhere, which I assume to be 3G coverage and not encompassing Edge. Used to, the orange was for Edge and the blue for 3G. But blue now seems to be for 4G?
Click to expand...

Did you actually click the link? That's the 3G map with the dark areas showing current 3G coverage and light areas showing the areas they are hoping to finish by the end of March. Though I spoke to a rep who told me my area will be more like the end of April.
 
elbirth said:
Wow, really? Do you happen to just be around the edges of Raleigh or suburbs? I don't think I've ever experienced less than 3 bars of 3G in northern Raleigh and the downtown area. QUOTE]

Off of Louisber(burg) Rd, downtown, and in Cary are around 1-2 bars (where my mom, dad, and sister live). I used to live in North Raleigh, but don't remember the AT&T coverage. I commute back and forth from Eastern NC to Maryland, where I work. Coverage isn't so hot in the D.C. suburbs either. It could be my phone, too. Who knows.
Click to expand...
 
eternlgladiator said:
Did you actually click the link? That's the 3G map with the dark areas showing current 3G coverage and light areas showing the areas they are hoping to finish by the end of March. Though I spoke to a rep who told me my area will be more like the end of April.
Click to expand...

Ah my bad. They're talking about 4G over on the left and then show a map, and the key doesn't even specify, just says "mobile broadband". I see now in the fine print at the bottom it does say that's 3G though.

That map is just misleading overall. When you use it from their site, it shows popups like this:
Screen_shot_2011-02-15_at_3.23.58_PM.png

Looks like it's showing 4G until you read deeper
 
elbirth said:
Wow, really? Do you happen to just be around the edges of Raleigh or suburbs? I don't think I've ever experienced less than 3 bars of 3G in northern Raleigh and the downtown area.




That map is for the 4G coverage. I haven't been able to find a current map that specifies 3G coverage. The only one I see now just has orange everywhere, which I assume to be 3G coverage and not encompassing Edge. Used to, the orange was for Edge and the blue for 3G. But blue now seems to be for 4G?
Click to expand...

The map is NOT for 4g coverage. Read what it says on the bottom right corner: Current 4g not depicted. Dark blue represents current 3G and light blue represents future 3G. Dark blue+light blue= total 3G coverage.
 
I can't tell from that map but would really like to see expanded voice coverage and 3g coverage in Cookeville, TN. Not an insignificant town and yet left out in the breeze by the deathstar.
 
mpossoff said:
Go to the link I posted. It's not misleading. You are using a different map from a different link.

Here is the link again
Click to expand...

Let's try this: (click to go big)
20110215-m8wbd9ymd8hhqd72dyi7mtkppi.jpg


The map you keep linking on the left. The map I'm referencing on the right. They're the exact same map. They both have "4G" in big letters on the left. Then "4G coverage not depicted" very tiny in the bottom.

That is misleading. If we can't agree on that, then I'm not sure why even bother any more.
 
elbirth said:
Let's try this: (click to go big)
20110215-m8wbd9ymd8hhqd72dyi7mtkppi.jpg


The map you keep linking on the left. The map I'm referencing on the right. They're the exact same map. They both have "4G" in big letters on the left. Then "4G coverage not depicted" very tiny in the bottom.

That is misleading. If we can't agree on that, then I'm not sure why even bother any more.
Click to expand...

If you go by the map I posted then it's not misleading.

I agree the map you posted can be misleading.
 
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