I went out last night in NYC and as soon as I entered both the restaurant and bar I went into, I lost LTE coverage and my AT&T iPhone dropped to "4G." Does anyone know if this is a result of the LTE network still being expanded or is it due to poor building penetration?
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LTE Building Penetration
- Thread starter El3ctronics
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I've experienced similar as well in certain buildings. I assume it's a signal penetration issue.
I'm on AT&T LTE. Not sure if Verizon LTE is different.
I'm on AT&T LTE. Not sure if Verizon LTE is different.
It's actually quite annoying. Does anyone know if there is a specific spectrum that AT&T's LTE network is on in NY that doesn't allow for it to penetrate buildings well?
The problem you're having is probably site-specific. It's doubtful it has anything to do with AT&T's LTE implementation in NYC because it's basically the same as Verizon's. AT&T LTE is using the 700Mhz band, the same band as Verizon (AT&T is in the lower range, Verizon is the upper range). In NYC, it's also using 20Mhz of spectrum, same as Verizon. There's no system-wide difference between AT&T and Verizon LTE in NYC. For example, I have both an AT&T and Verizon iPhone 5 and in my apartment and in the hallways of my building on the west side of Manhattan, the AT&T LTE holds its signal better than Verizon. The differences you and I are seeing is probably caused by cell tower strength and density. In my location, AT&T probably has more cell towers than Verizon, maybe in yours, vice versa (assuming Verizon iPhone 5 would hold its signal).
YMWV between AT&T and Verizon and for where you happen to be. Not just regionally who has the 700MHz band and who does not, but where you happen to be in relation to where the towers are.
To some extent, it will just happen to be your location, but building penetration probably is also involved. And not just lower spectrum vs higher spectrum, but building material, etc.
I did a quick google search on 'at&t lte new york band' but didn't wade through to find out what it's using there. You can probably find out with several minutes of research.
That reminds me: There's a brewpub in downtown Sunnyvale, CA...you know, pretty much the heart of Silicon Valley...where you lose AT&T entirely. Crazy, huh? Technology. So hard, y'know?
Fair points but as soon as I walk outside I get 5 bars of LTE coverage. That's why I'm concerned it's a building penetration issue more than a coverage issue.
I don't pretend to be an expert on this, but I've read similar stories elsewhere online. The common consensus is that it is a building penetration issue based on a combination of factors, including cell tower location and density, construction of the building, materials used, etc. and the nature of LTE. I have some of the same problems with HSPA+ (AT&T's "4G") in some of the buildings I'm in a lot.
The point was that building penetration and coverage are related - they aren't independent variables. You can get better building penetration because coverage may be denser in the area. Density of cell towers/denser coverage allows weaker signals to be picked up. You asked if there was something inherent in AT&T's LTE that made it inherently less able to penetrate than Verizon. The answer is no, the tech and their implementation is virtually the same as Verizon's LTE in NYC. And I'll reiterate my own experience - in my apartment building, Verizon's LTE drops a lot faster and has more difficulty maintaining the signal than AT&T LTE. I don't attribute that to Verizon's LTE being technically inferior but because they probably have less cell towers in my area than AT&T. There's no inherent penetration advantage to either provider's LTE in NYC. Some places, AT&T LTE will penetrate better, others places, Verizon will be better because density of cell towers differs across the city. The story may be different in other cities where AT&T has half the spectrum as Verizon or where AT&T will roll out LTE coverage over the 1900Mhz band (higher frequency generally means less penetration because the wavelength is shorter/less powerful than frequencies in the lower band).
Without you using a Verizon iPhone 5 in the bar you were in, it's impossible to say whether Verizon's LTE would also drop out.
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If you're getting five bars of LTE as soon as you step outside of a building that sets off an obvious. It's not a cell site range issue. I don't even understand how you can claim that if the OP was getting five bars right before entering the establishment.
I said it may be but if the building is just impenetrable, then it is what it is. If 700 MHZ LTE can't penetrate the building, then he is SOL. There is nothing inherent in LTE that makes it worse for in building penetration. Penetration is mostly a spectrum issue if there is a decent network in place
Yep. Oldest myth in the book...protocol has nothing to do with it. Building penetration is all about frequency. As LTE runs in the 700MHz bands it will have better penetration than 850 and especially 1900 networks.
Is normal, due to the phone automatically downgrading to 3g for voice calls (technically known as circuit switch fall back CSFB). So if your 3g operator runs at frequencies higher than 700MHz LTE, signals will significantly drop, due to higher signal penetration losses at higher frequencies.