why att 3g coverage is small

Hi I am new here but I would realy like to know the reason att 3g coverage is so small when everywhere you have a signal with sprint and verizon you have 3g coverage? Why is att so far behind in 3g coverage do they feel like they can compete with leaving vast numbers of people on edge. I own an iphone and love the phone but I cannot use the phone's capibilities on edge and frankly it is making me mad that I pay $30 for the iphone and can't use the app's I bought it for. Please someone shed light on att's thinking I have talked to att and all I get is cookie cutter answers this just makes me madder.

---

› See More: why att 3g coverage is small

If your question is "why is it so small" we really cannot give you an accurate answer; however,

AT&T has a relatively new 3G network...it was launched around the time of the original iPhone 3G and was only released in major areas. Launched services in large areas is NOT uncommon. When Verizon released their 3G coverage, it was limited to larger states and larger cities. Verizon Wireless extensively built their network and it has taken about 2 years for them to have 3G coverage nationally. AT&T has had their 3G network about a year.

They are expanding, but I'm frightened that with the upcoming launch of LTE on most major carriers (other than Sprint) AT&T may remove their focus from 3G altogether. This is also not uncommon. Since Verizon Wireless has announced they will be supporting LTE for Data and then later voice, they have also announced they have seized all CDMA coverage expansion.

I have seen AT&T's 3G coverage get larger, but it is still small and over time may or may not improve.

If you feel you're iPhone is not what you wanted, maybe you should consider other carriers (like Verizon or Sprint) in the future.

Notably, T-Mobile has the smallest 3G network in the United States.

Also notable, Verizon Wireless launched the first 3G network within the United States and they were the second provider to launch 3G worldwide (meaning they launched their 3G network in the United States after Vodafone launched theirs in the UK).

I just switched to att, from verizon (for the iphone) and i did my research in the area... used friends phone checked signal strength, and to me at least in my area there was no noticeable difference between the two, so in the end it was worth it for me.

I've been wondering the same thing. In FL I happen to live in a small ATT dead zone. The only service that works in our 300 unit community is Verizon.
we are out in the rural area of Brooksville. I've been reporting this area to ATT ever since I got my iphone. LOTS of people here would like to get ATT service, they are snowbirds and have to drive up the road to make calls..........do you think a petition with 200 names on it would be enough to get ATT to do something?
Personally I do a complicated work around by forwarding calls before entering the area to a skype number and running skype on the iphone, but this only works in the immediate vicinity of my house.
What's also unfortunate is the vast area's of the west that have no ATT coverage. This summer I'll be spending three weeks in Gillette WY, with NO coverage!
I find it amazing that verizon has coverage everywhere and ATT has simply ignored large areas of the country......

At&T let the cat out of the bag without preparing well enough for the amount of data that they are requested at one time. At&T customers , especaillu with iPhone have been having a lot of signal issues and look for alternatives and one alternative is <a cell signal booster , not the sticky film's but real amplifier systems that works with the cell phone tower to increase signal.

At&t got in to the cell phone business too late. They just don't have the towers up that others do.

A petition would do little or nothing to get AT&T to fix the issue. They probably wouldn't even accept a petition.

There are areas that they cover and areas that they don't, like all wireless carriers. It may also not be the choice of the wireless carrier to not have coverage there. For example, my city laws will only allow a maximum of 3 towers per 15 square miles. This means that if Verizon and T-Mobile get there first and all 5 spots are taken, then tough luck...there isn't anything AT&T can do to expand.

Also, wireless carriers are restricted nationally from having extensive wireless coverage. That's why Verizon was forced to sell off some of Alltel's old coverage in order to merge. The FCC will only allow certain carriers in certain places.

If AT&T was granted permission to expand in your area, it could take 2 years for them to get approval from the FCC to build a tower.

Originally Posted by DFDureiko

I've been wondering the same thing. In FL I happen to live in a small ATT dead zone. The only service that works in our 300 unit community is Verizon.
we are out in the rural area of Brooksville. I've been reporting this area to ATT ever since I got my iphone. LOTS of people here would like to get ATT service, they are snowbirds and have to drive up the road to make calls..........do you think a petition with 200 names on it would be enough to get ATT to do something?
Personally I do a complicated work around by forwarding calls before entering the area to a skype number and running skype on the iphone, but this only works in the immediate vicinity of my house.
What's also unfortunate is the vast area's of the west that have no ATT coverage. This summer I'll be spending three weeks in Gillette WY, with NO coverage!
I find it amazing that verizon has coverage everywhere and ATT has simply ignored large areas of the country......

I've always had better coverange than my friends with with ATT, i have verizon (alltell)