Has AT&T done enough to keep you once VZW gets the iPhone?

[TEG]

I will be staying with at&t. The data speeds on at&t are great, and I have only minor coverage issues. The only times I've ever dropped a call has been when switching from 3G to EDGE or between at&t and a ROAMing tower, all things which make sense to anyone knowing how the technology works (heck, it takes almost a full minute to switch from LTE to CDMA or HSPA with existing LTE phones and infrastructure). I like being able to use my data while on a call (something you won't be able to do with a VZW iPhone, due to EV-DO's limitations) and I like getting coverage in cinderblock buildings.

I spent several years traveling between Seattle and Detroit by the various highway routes, and while doing testing for a former employer, I found that at&t had the most consistent coverage. It was the only provider to have coverage at the continental divide, on both I-90 and I-80. I was able to use my iPhone to stream a radio show from Portland, over EDGE, to my radio through some of the emptiest places in the US, and I wouldn't trade it for VZW's shotty network.

TEG

 

[mpossoff]

What about Verizon do they get as many complaints as ATT?

 

[thetexan]

This is the truth. Verizon's 3G is basically as fast as at&t's EDGE network. It's so slow I was shocked.

That right there is about as far from the truth as you can get. Verizon's 3G is much, much faster than AT&T's EDGE.

Just ran a speedtest and it and got 1104kbps (or 1.1mbps) down and 897kbps up with a 214ms ping. You'll never come near that on EDGE.

 

[brando123b]

Can I ask a question.... why so much animosity towards ATT?

How come we don't here the same from Verizon customers or is there as much?

Because it doesn't exist. If you notice, Verizon no longer promotes their network reliability. It is just known they are the superior choice. They focus solely on the phones now.

With the immiment release of the iPhone on Verizon the ATT users are feeling slighted. It has always been their baby and now they have to share; with a much better network.

It is nothing but sour grapes.

 

[QuarterSwede]

That right there is about as far from the truth as you can get. Verizon's 3G is much, much faster than AT&T's EDGE.

Just ran a speedtest and it and got 1104kbps (or 1.1mbps) down and 897kbps up with a 214ms ping. You'll never come near that on EDGE.

It's the truth where I live and I really don't care about speedtests. Real world usage is what matters and from seeing both side by side with my own eyes, Verizon's 3G network here is dog slow. It may be slightly faster than EDGE but it's no where near as fast as at&t's 3G network (and I'm not even on 7.2mbps yet).

 

[Fernandez21]

That right there is about as far from the truth as you can get. Verizon's 3G is much, much faster than AT&T's EDGE.

Just ran a speedtest and it and got 1104kbps (or 1.1mbps) down and 897kbps up with a 214ms ping. You'll never come near that on EDGE.

No, but you can get around .8mbps on edge, not much slower, and I'm constantly around 2mbps on 3G in the city and have gotten up to 5mbps in the suburbs.

 

[WilliamG]

AT&T does suck (especially in Seattle), but not being able to use the Internet and talk at the same time on Verizon is a dealbreaker.

 

[QuarterSwede]

AT&T does suck (especially in Seattle), but not being able to use the Internet and talk at the same time on Verizon is a dealbreaker.

There are rumors that Verizon has some trick that will allow the Verizon iPhone to do both at the same time. We'll see because that would definitely be a hinderance if not.

 

[einmusiker]

I'll have both, but I may not upgrade from i4 on att and I'll just wait for i5 on verizon

 

[2298754]

Plain and simple, No, I will not be going to Verizon.

Why?

-My whole family is on AT&T and we've been with them since '98, why change now?
-it will likely be CDMA only, which means pathetic EVDO speeds. I'm hitting ~3-4 mbps in Maine where I primarily am. I'm in Boston most of the time too and I consistently hit 5mbps, peaking at 6mbps. Verizon can't match that
-In the areas I need, AT&T is very good. I always have signal where I need to. There are many times in Boston when my friend's Droids don't even have a 1x connection and I'm surfing along on HSPA.
-I use data and voice at the same time
-Very unlikely the iPhone will have unlimited data on Verizon, whereas I have it on AT&T
-Once LTE does come, when there is no LTE on AT&T, i'll still fallback to a fast HSPA+ network, whereas I'm stuck on EVDO with Verizon.

However, I will consider switching once both networks have established their LTE networks. Not because AT&T sucks, just to try something new, but if AT&T and Verzion's LTE networks are on par, i'm sticking with At&t.

 

[CrAkD]

I will be staying with at&t in the time ive been with att Ive had zero delayed text messages or text message outage which was a constant occurance on tmo and vzw. Also internet speeds are MUCH faster on att (3g and I highly doubt the iphone will have lte for many more years). Plus I always have full service at work with att with verizon I had to put my phone up to the window to send a text a message sometimes.

 

[scaredpoet]

There are rumors that Verizon has some trick that will allow the Verizon iPhone to do both at the same time.

A trick exists (called Voice over Revision A, or "VoRA"), but questions remain:

1. How will this "trick" impact reliability of their network? Up to now, NO Verizon device has ever sucked down data and voice simultaneously and you can safely bet that is a huge reason for Verizon's much-vaunted perception of stability.

Now, potentially millions of these devices could be unleashed on the network in a very short time. IF it happens.

2. Will this be an iPhone-only feature? If so, Droid users are going to be ticked. And if it's open to all devices, it's going to have an even greater network impact than just iPhones.

And here's the big one: VoRA is, in a nutshell, VoIP. That's basically the trick: If you're phone's using data and you make or receive a call, the phone will use the data connection to do pretty much a Voice over IP call.

Still unknown is how this will pan out if say, you're in the middle of a regular voice call and you decide to launch an app and use data, or if a push notification or e-mail comes in. Will the data session not happen until the regular voice call ends? Will the data session launch and the call hand off seamlessly? Is there QoS to prioritize VoRA calls over regular data, and, if so, is that going to slow down regular data sessions noticeably? And if there IS QoS, does that extend to external VoIP apps like Line2 or Skype?

IF there is a Verizon iPhone launch next week or in the near future that isn't LTE based, and IF Verizon gets VoRA working in a way that the experience is equal to HSPA iPhone users, then I'll be really impressed.

But, I have a feeling that Verizon will not have VoRA working, or at least not quite as well, and they'll just respond to complaints with "but Verizon's network is more reliable than AT&T's," as they are apt to do whenever a lacked phone or feature is mentioned. And most of the sheep will find that response perfectly acceptable.

Needless to say, AT&T's been working downright excellent for me. And while I can totally understand people wanting a Verizon iPhone, I have no incentive at all to switch, myself.

 

[QuarterSwede]

A trick exists (called Voice over Revision A, or "VoRA"), but questions remain:

1. How will this "trick" impact reliability of their network? Up to now, NO Verizon device has ever sucked down data and voice simultaneously and you can safely bet that is a huge reason for Verizon's much-vaunted perception of stability.

Now, potentially millions of these devices could be unleashed on the network in a very short time. IF it happens.

2. Will this be an iPhone-only feature? If so, Droid users are going to be ticked. And if it's open to all devices, it's going to have an even greater network impact than just iPhones.

And here's the big one: VoRA is, in a nutshell, VoIP. That's basically the trick: If you're phone's using data and you make or receive a call, the phone will use the data connection to do what is effective a Voice over IP call.

Still unknown is how this will pan out if say, you're in the middle of a regular voice call and you decide to launch an app and use data, or if a push notification or e-mail comes in. Will the data session not happen until the regular voice call ends? Will the data session launch and the call hand off seamlessly? Is there QoS to prioritize VoRA calls over regular data, and, if so, is that going to slow data regular data sessions? And if there IS QoS, does that extend to external apps like Skype?

IF there is an iPhone launch next week or in the near future that isn't LTE based, and IF Verizon gets VoRA working in a way that the experience is equal to HSPA iPhone users, then I'll be really impressed.

But, I have a feeling that Verizon will not have VoRA working, or at least not quite as well, and they'll just respond to complaints with "but Verizon's network is more reliable than AT&T's." And most of the sheep will find that response acceptable.

Needless to say, AT&T's been working downright excellent for me. And while I can totally understand people wanting a Verizon iPhone, I have no incentive at all to switch, myself.

Wow, thanks for the run down! Great explanation.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

I pay $50 a month for unlimited talk/data/text with AT&T. Why would I leave that?

 

[zephxiii]

Form everything I've read over the years Verizon CDMA towers offer better coverage per tower than at&t's.

Which isn't really correct.

 

[jav6454]

A trick exists (called Voice over Revision A, or "VoRA"), but questions remain:

1. How will this "trick" impact reliability of their network? Up to now, NO Verizon device has ever sucked down data and voice simultaneously and you can safely bet that is a huge reason for Verizon's much-vaunted perception of stability.

Now, potentially millions of these devices could be unleashed on the network in a very short time. IF it happens.

2. Will this be an iPhone-only feature? If so, Droid users are going to be ticked. And if it's open to all devices, it's going to have an even greater network impact than just iPhones.

And here's the big one: VoRA is, in a nutshell, VoIP. That's basically the trick: If you're phone's using data and you make or receive a call, the phone will use the data connection to do pretty much a Voice over IP call.

Still unknown is how this will pan out if say, you're in the middle of a regular voice call and you decide to launch an app and use data, or if a push notification or e-mail comes in. Will the data session not happen until the regular voice call ends? Will the data session launch and the call hand off seamlessly? Is there QoS to prioritize VoRA calls over regular data, and, if so, is that going to slow down regular data sessions noticeably? And if there IS QoS, does that extend to external VoIP apps like Line2 or Skype?

IF there is a Verizon iPhone launch next week or in the near future that isn't LTE based, and IF Verizon gets VoRA working in a way that the experience is equal to HSPA iPhone users, then I'll be really impressed.

But, I have a feeling that Verizon will not have VoRA working, or at least not quite as well, and they'll just respond to complaints with "but Verizon's network is more reliable than AT&T's," as they are apt to do whenever a lacked phone or feature is mentioned. And most of the sheep will find that response perfectly acceptable.

Needless to say, AT&T's been working downright excellent for me. And while I can totally understand people wanting a Verizon iPhone, I have no incentive at all to switch, myself.

How wrong you are. It's called SVDO.

 

[TEG]

AT&T does suck (especially in Seattle), but not being able to use the Internet and talk at the same time on Verizon is a dealbreaker.

As someone who basically lives in Seattle, I'm going to have to disagree. at&t has the best coverage (both EDGE and HSPA) in the area. I've never had an instance in, around, or near Seattle where I didn't have signal, especially downtown.

TEG

 

[ucfgrad93]

I can't believe I am responding to another Verizon iPhone thread

I will be staying with AT&T no question
I have no desire to change at all IF Verizon actually gets the iPhone

My experience with AT&T has been great and I have no issues

Same with me, no problems with at&t.

 

[flash144]

So your argument I'm not buying it.

In what way, was anything I said "an argument"? I stated my experience and my opinion.

For an argument, you would have to say "your experience and your opinion" is wrong. And, I, would take umbrage at that. WHO the hell are you to tell me that what I have experienced isn't what I experienced?

 

[IrishTiger]

Yes I will stay with AT&T. I have no issues with them. Also, they do have the better technology, and my phone WILL work in Europe. That's the key for me. One of the reasons I left Verizon in 08 is because of the lack of customer service and every time I went to Europe my phone became useless.

Now, I just got back from two trips to London, and I KNOW my phone bill will be a fortune, but at least it works.

I get dodgy cell reception in my area (Atlanta, two blocks from Turner Field - Braves Stadium) especially when the braves play, which is understood. ATT provided me a free micro-cell which has turned out to be a delightful little gadget and has solved those issues.

So the answer is HELL NO I won't be switching.

 

[Aatos.1]

I was using smart phones on AT&T long before my first iPhone. I've also been using my work issued AT&T BlackBerry the entire time. By some stroke of magic Blackberrys make and hold loud & clear calls on AT&T while my iPhone cannot. Sure seems like Apples focus is elsewhere. Like pointing the finger & bashing the _only_carrier that was willing to take the iPhone on day one.

Apple offered the iPhone first to Verizon, and were shut down cold. Now suddenly they are the Greatest? Oh please. What crap.

 

[bowlerman625]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

I've been with ATT for a long time and am very happy. My service is great and has gotten better in the last year.

I can't wait for the unhappy whiners to leave. The service will get even better and they will howl like crazy as the Verizon network gets bogged down!

 

[scaredpoet]

How wrong you are. It's called SVDO.

Before saying someone else is wrong, please check make sure you're actually correct:

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2010/05/verizon-to-offer-simultaneous-voice-and-data-on-cdma-iphone.html

http://www.bgr.com/2010/05/19/verizon-apple-iphone-to-launch-with-simultaneous-voice-and-data/

http://www.gadgetreview.com/2010/05/verizon-iphone-rumor-backed-by-vora-testing.html

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/05/20/voice-over-revision-a-to-power-verizon-wireless-iphone/

http://gadgetsteria.com/2010/10/09/...ith-lte-on-the-horizon-does-it-really-matter/

SVDO is one way to do it, but not the one Verizon is testing right now.

 

[Maverick1337]

Can I ask a question.... why so much animosity towards ATT?

How come we don't here the same from Verizon customers or is there as much?

I guess the reports of AT&T being the worst carrier (50,000 people were surveyed) over and over again creates the animosity. If my dad's company weren't glued to AT&T then we probably we go to Verizon. Verizon in the San Luis Obispo area and the Bakersfield, CA area has dramatically decreased. Hell even my dad on a blackberry has noticed the increased amount of dropped calls. I can't wait for Verizon to get the iPhone to siphon some of the cloggage out of AT&T. Maybe they will decide to bust their ass a little and deal with the clogged network. Competition is a good thing and it's only going to lead to better options. I for one can't wait.

 

[Bonsai1214]

the anger towards AT&T come from a vocal minority. those who have something to complain about will always complain about it loudly. where i'm at, in Rochester, NY, the AT&T service is great. I get a constant 5 bars in my house, 3-4 at my cottage, and 5 at school in Buffalo. I think in all my time with an AT&T phone (7 years) i've had like 1 dropped call, and none while i've had an iphone.

plus there's no chance my family will switch its plan, so w/e.