How can I get an accurate idea of cellular network status in San Francisco?

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Spammay Blockay - 24 Mar 2008 09:54 GMT

I'm an ATT (ex-Cingular) subscriber in San Francisco. In my neighborhood (Haight Ashbury)
about a month or so ago, my service suddenly got pretty bad. Almost no connectivity at
all near my home.

I called ATT support, and after an hour talking my way up the chain, they told me that
they had recently stopped partnering with another company who had a tower in this area,
so that may have led to the sudden signal loss in the neighborhood.

This weekend, signal loss was pretty much complete within a several block radius of
my house.

I'm wondering if there is *any* way to get some kind of true, accurate picture of
signal strength and support in any given area. It takes hours to find someone who
knows what's going on, if at all, and there doesn't seem to be any kind of network
status page for ATT that shows a real-time idea of what areas have outtages, what kind
of fiddling they're doing with the network, who's towers are being used and who's
are no longer being partnered with, etc.

Why does there seem to be little accountability for wireless carriers? If they
say an area has good coverage, shouldn't they be help accountable for it if it is
actually not very well covered?

- Tim

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RBM - 24 Mar 2008 12:17 GMT

> I'm an ATT (ex-Cingular) subscriber in San Francisco. In my neighborhood
> (Haight Ashbury)
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>
> - Tim

Why bother, all that matters is that YOU don't have decent service in YOUR
neighborhood. I'd research to find who has decent coverage in your
neighborhood and get service with them

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SMS - 24 Mar 2008 15:43 GMT

> I'm an ATT (ex-Cingular) subscriber in San Francisco. In my neighborhood (Haight Ashbury)
> about a month or so ago, my service suddenly got pretty bad. Almost no connectivity at
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> of fiddling they're doing with the network, who's towers are being used and who's
> are no longer being partnered with, etc.

I find the AT&T maps to be pretty accurate, though their definition of
"moderate" coverage usually means "no coverage." Around my house their
are areas of "Best," "Good," and "Moderate," coverage, and it's all
true. Up on Skyline Boulevard there are areas of no coverage, and the
map shows them. They also have a color code for "partner coverage," so
if that's disappeared from your area you'll have a good idea of the
coverage (or lack of it).

"http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/"

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Spammay Blockay - 24 Mar 2008 18:13 GMT

[ Snipp'ed ]

>I find the AT&T maps to be pretty accurate, though their definition of
>"moderate" coverage usually means "no coverage." Around my house their
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>if that's disappeared from your area you'll have a good idea of the
>coverage (or lack of it).

Thanks much - last time I looked (admittedly quite awhile ago), the
coverage maps weren't as detailed as they are now. I just checked,
and see that my house exists right in the armpit (as it were)
of a "Moderate" coverage area. i.e. almost no coverage, as you
mention. It's an oddly shaped area that has this coverage
profile -- kind of like a shadow... possibly there's a hill in
the way somewhere. I wonder if there's any chance of a planned
tower to take up some of the slack in these "moderate" areas
someday. :-/

- Tim

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SMS - 24 Mar 2008 23:31 GMT

> Thanks much - last time I looked (admittedly quite awhile ago), the
> coverage maps weren't as detailed as they are now. I just checked,
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> tower to take up some of the slack in these "moderate" areas
> someday. :-/

You should check the T-Mobile coverage and see if they cover your area.
This would confirm what AT&T said about dropping a roaming partner. I
though that on post-paid that you could roam onto T-Mobile from AT&T.
Unfortunately, in many parts of the bay area T-Mobile coverage sucks,
but there's occasionally an area where they have better coverage than
AT&T. Of course Verizon has the best coverage in the bay area by a large
margin, at least according to all the independent surveys.

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Larry - 24 Mar 2008 18:17 GMT

> Why does there seem to be little accountability for wireless carriers?
> If they say an area has good coverage, shouldn't they be help
> accountable for it if it is actually not very well covered?

info@fcc.gov

It's their responsibility to force ATT to provide usable service to the
public in exchange for that license. Ask the FCC's Enforcement Bureau to
look into the matter.

Be sure to NOT whine or be belligerent in your email. Calm and firm
reports are taken very seriously. Give them a very detailed report of
everything you know about the situation in H-A on the ATT system and ask
them to contact the carrier to see how soon this atrocious situation in a
major city will be rectified.

ONE phone call from FCC Enforcement = 100,000,000 user phone calls whining
that go ignored. Don't be alarmed when FCC asks for more information. I
drew a fairly detailed map of my area showing the deficiencies of Verizon
Wireless back before I decided Alltel was better, which it is in SC. The
results for Verizon customers is two new shared sites to fill in the DEAD
ZONEs, one of my pet peeves for years.

Print out the local "coverage map" lie the company publishes and add holes
to it where you know the service sucks. Scan it and send it along with
your email for emphasis. The more ammo you give them, the more apt they
are to respond.

If you don't get a response in 7 working days, repeat your report so save
everything for later. Reports come pouring in and it takes FCC some time
to get to you in the pile.

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Larry - 24 Mar 2008 18:19 GMT

> Why does there seem to be little accountability for wireless carriers?
> If they say an area has good coverage, shouldn't they be help
> accountable for it if it is actually not very well covered?

One more suggestion for the FCC email.....

Ask the FCC to ask ATT to REINSTATE the partner coverage, seeing as how
they are not providing the proper coverage the partner WAS providing.

You had service that worked, but ATT has cancelled it. FCC might be a
lever to getting the roaming restored.....at least until ATT can fill in
the hole with more INFRASTRUCTURE!

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