purposely limiting TDMA network signal strength?
Conspiracy Theory #938...
Could ATTWS be purposely limiting the signal strength of their TDMA network to steer existing customers toward GSM accounts?
It's probably just my OCD kicking in, but I've noticed that my signal strength is for absolute crap the past few weeks. I've got a Nokia 8260, and I get zero-to-maybe-one-bar in populated, suburban areas (i.e. my home, inside or outside, and on the drive to work).
I realize that the 8260 has the internal antenna, which has a direct effect on signal strength, but it just seems odd that this perceived signal strength decrease comes at the same time that I see ATTWS' tv ads for "how many bars do you have?" touting their great GSM service.
So I did a little experiment where I compared...
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Could ATTWS be purposely limiting the signal strength of their TDMA network to steer existing customers toward GSM accounts?
It's probably just my OCD kicking in, but I've noticed that my signal strength is for absolute crap the past few weeks. I've got a Nokia 8260, and I get zero-to-maybe-one-bar in populated, suburban areas (i.e. my home, inside or outside, and on the drive to work).
I realize that the 8260 has the internal antenna, which has a direct effect on signal strength, but it just seems odd that this perceived signal strength decrease comes at the same time that I see ATTWS' tv ads for "how many bars do you have?" touting their great GSM service.
So I did a little experiment where I compared...
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i am an AT&T wireless customer care rep, and i know that as GSM coverage gets better the TDMA will slowly fade out. The only thing we have been told is that AT&T wireless isnt' doing anymore upgrades to their TDMA network. Now here is one thing to consider, if you alreday have service with us you could migrate your service over to GSM, and get a Multi-Band phone, whick will work off both the TDMA and GSM network. The only 2 phones that are able to do it is the Sony Ericsson T62U and the Siemens S46. If you migrate over to GSM you have a 30 days buyers remorse period to try out the phone, and if your not satisfied you can return the phone with no fees associated with it !!. maybe something to consider. Feel free to ask any other questions y...
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you are probably right. In the northeast when cingular did its overlay of gsm it had to turn down the power of tdma because it was interfearing with gsm. Could be the same in your area
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Try this... call customer care or stop by a store and have them update roaming on the phone. This sometimes helps.
TDMA is slowly being phased out by most companies, just as VZW is getting away from their analog component.
TDMA is slowly being phased out by most companies, just as VZW is getting away from their analog component.
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phonepimp3376 said:
Try this... call customer care or stop by a store and have them update roaming on the phone. This sometimes helps.
TDMA is slowly being phased out by most companies, just as VZW is getting away from their analog component.
"Update roaming"...could another ATTWS rep exactly tell me how to do this, or what the hell this means...or is it something we tell the customer to make them shut up...like another term for re-programming the phone or OTA...
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When a phone is activated, two things are routinely sent to the phone... proprietary software and the roaming database. This goes by a few different names... VZW calls it the PRL, Cingular the IRDB, etc. Usually resending the OTA push will do it. Cingular has the ability to re-push just the IRDB. Not sure about ATTWS.
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Followup...
Hurricane Frances came by this weekend (Jacksonville, FL), and I noticed some weird behavior from my 8260.
Monday night and this morning, my phone was in EXTENDED AREA mode...with full bars...at my house and the surrounding area. Tried to make a call to a local number, and it worked GREAT. Tried to call 611 to see what was going on, and the message said that Cingular could not route the call. Apparently, I had shifted over to roaming on the Cingular network sometime during the day. 🙂 Turned the phone off and back on, and I was back in crappy ATT Digital land, with one bar. Tried to make a call to the same local number...no joy.
Are Cingular and ATT THAT different near my home that my signal when roaming on their ne...
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Hurricane Frances came by this weekend (Jacksonville, FL), and I noticed some weird behavior from my 8260.
Monday night and this morning, my phone was in EXTENDED AREA mode...with full bars...at my house and the surrounding area. Tried to make a call to a local number, and it worked GREAT. Tried to call 611 to see what was going on, and the message said that Cingular could not route the call. Apparently, I had shifted over to roaming on the Cingular network sometime during the day. 🙂 Turned the phone off and back on, and I was back in crappy ATT Digital land, with one bar. Tried to make a call to the same local number...no joy.
Are Cingular and ATT THAT different near my home that my signal when roaming on their ne...
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