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Topic Review (Newest First)

  • 11-27-2008, 08:35 PM
    Jeffrey Kaplan
    Previously on alt.cellular.attws, Ron said:

    > I'd appreciate hearing other experiences correlating the map predicitions
    > with reality, particularly for the iPhone.


    The handheld doesn't make any difference to the quality of the coverage
    map.

    In my experience, the coverage map provided by AT&T is reasonably
    accurate. In the places I've bothered to actually compare the map
    against reality, my average signal strength has roughly corresponded to
    what's indicated on the map.

    However, Ron is partially right, but I'd reverse the thought: Don't
    fully trust an area marked a poor quality. In such an area, you could
    have anywhere between two bars and no service.

    Note that with GSM phones, two bars of service does not noticeably
    degrade the quality of the voice connection, and if you do get/receive
    a call in a poor quality area, the tower will usually increase its
    power output on your channel to boost your reception for the duration
    of the call. At least, that's been my practical experience: I could
    have only one or two bars showing, get or make a call and the signal
    strength shoots up when the call connects. This was with three
    different handhelds: Treo 650 (my first GSM unit), Treo 680 (replaced
    the 650) and iPhone (current unit).

    --
    Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
    Double ROT13 encoded for your protection

    "When our vice president had a disagreement with a Democratic senator,
    he used a really bad word. If I said that word, I would be put in a
    timeout. I think he should be put in a timeout." - Twelve-year-old
    Ilana Wexler at the DNC, Jul 27, 2004
  • 11-27-2008, 08:37 AM
    Ron
    > For a calibration
    > point, my house is just inside a light orange area less than a block from
    > where the map turns yellow and both the voice and data service work okay,
    > if not exactly perfectly, inside my house.
    >


    Thank you, that observation is useful to me. My house is in a light orange
    pocket surrounded by a dark orange area. So maybe there wouldn't be a voice
    issue (despite what the legend says)?

    I'd appreciate hearing other experiences correlating the map predicitions
    with reality, particularly for the iPhone.

    Thanks, and Happy Txgiving to fellow Yanks here,

    Ron

    Incidentally, I now realize the reason I never saw the map legend (my lead
    post) is the window (firefox) came up without a vertical scroll bar. Later,
    it did. Go figure.

  • 11-26-2008, 08:42 PM
    Dennis Ferguson
    On 2008-11-26, Ron <[email protected]> wrote:
    > On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:42:07 -0500, "Ron" <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    >
    >>When I go to
    >>http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/
    >>and put my address in, the map shows a solid dark blue for data, but for
    >>phone service, my neighborhood is a light orange patch surrounded by a
    >>darker shade of orange. I can't find a #$%^& key for the colorcode! Does
    >>anyone know?
    >>
    >>I ask, because I contemplate a switch (from Verizon Wireless) to ATT (for
    >>the iPhone), voice and data.
    >>
    >>Thanks,
    >>
    >>Ron

    >
    > Only the best coverage should be trusted on those maps.


    Why?

    The data coverage map is bogus (Verizon- or Sprint-style, all one color
    anywhere they imagine you might be able to get any level of service), but
    the voice coverage map doesn't seem to be so bad. For a calibration
    point, my house is just inside a light orange area less than a block from
    where the map turns yellow and both the voice and data service work okay,
    if not exactly perfectly, inside my house.

    Dennis Ferguson
  • 11-26-2008, 05:01 PM
    Ron
    On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:42:07 -0500, "Ron" <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    >When I go to
    >http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/
    >and put my address in, the map shows a solid dark blue for data, but for
    >phone service, my neighborhood is a light orange patch surrounded by a
    >darker shade of orange. I can't find a #$%^& key for the colorcode! Does
    >anyone know?
    >
    >I ask, because I contemplate a switch (from Verizon Wireless) to ATT (for
    >the iPhone), voice and data.
    >
    >Thanks,
    >
    >Ron



    Only the best coverage should be trusted on those maps.
  • 11-26-2008, 04:45 PM
    Ron
    Now the legend appears below the map. Maybe it hadn't completed download
    before. Sorry to post in haste. -Ron

  • 11-26-2008, 04:42 PM
    Ron
    When I go to
    http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/
    and put my address in, the map shows a solid dark blue for data, but for
    phone service, my neighborhood is a light orange patch surrounded by a
    darker shade of orange. I can't find a #$%^& key for the colorcode! Does
    anyone know?

    I ask, because I contemplate a switch (from Verizon Wireless) to ATT (for
    the iPhone), voice and data.

    Thanks,

    Ron

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