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Coverage: Marketing AT&T HSPA+, AT&T claims to have the fewest dropped calls of any wireless service but that is not what every iPhone user tells me. AT&T has taken public beating with their poor network planning with the iPhone roll-out not realizing how much capacity they would need.  As a result other users on the network have suffered as a result including many Blackberry users.  AT&T claims to have plans with no roaming or long distance charges nationwide, but there are lots of holes in their coverage map which you can review on the right. Most of the Eastern United States and the majority of the south have AT&T coverage. A good portion of the west coast is covered or soon will be, but the mountain time zone shows vast areas with no coverage at all. If you live in mountains, hilly areas or areas with lots of structure or trees you might want to look closely at the map before you choose a wireless plan with AT&T.  AT&T has had considerable problems with network congestions due to the popularity of  the iPhone data usage but is adding capacity 850 mhz in many major cities to improve it.  AT&T also seems to be taking a leadership positing and is heavily investing in its new Microcell technology or more commonly known in the industry as "femtocells".  These are small mini cell phone towers which provide route voice traffic through broadband DSL landlines to improve in-building coverage.

Plans:  AT&T Wireless offers several plans ranging from pre-paid, family plans, and individual plans but most people I know using the carrier are corporate customers. Blackberry and iPhone are the two reasons that most people I know are still using the carrier which seems to charge a 30% premium for voice and data that is unjustified as well. Plans come with a free basic phone that is subsidized by a contract, but you are allowed to upgrade for a price if you choose.  Plans available below.
Other features:
  • This carrier offers unlimited calling plans.
  • AT&T's "rollover" plans let you roll unused minutes over to the following month.
  • GSM carrier, AT&T offers extensive international roaming.
  • Starting to roll out enhanced in-building coverage with its' Microcell / femtocell product. 
  • AT&T has a history of picking up the hottest phones soon after their release date. It was the first carrier to offer the Motorola Razr and is the exclusive provider of the Apple iPhone.
  • Every carrier claims they have the best network, and AT&T promotes that independent studies (that are unnamed) have shown that it has the fewest dropped calls of any wireless carrier. 
  • We recommended you monitor your text messaging usage closely and get on an unlimited plan so you don't get charged the outrageous .25 cents per message if you go over.
  • 3G networks are limited to metropolitan areas.
  • Launching Microcells or Femtocells to help customers improve indoor coverage reception. 

15 comments

  1. stanoman // November 01, 2009  

    Since AT&T charges for the femtocell, how is this a heavy investment on their part? It's a heavy investment on their customer's part and further sticks it to us. Also, their not really taking a leadership position, since Sprint and Verizon have both had the technology available for 6 months or so.

  2. Anonymous // November 06, 2009  

    Ventura East, 05NOV09 @ 11:00-11:30pm, I lost AT&T's Wireless signal on my laptop and the email I was composing. Later, 06NOV09 @ 2:00am & again @ 4:00am, the signal was too weak to connect. This is the 2nd like episode. Two weeks ago I returned to AT&T's Ventura office for a fix. In order to re-download the program to my laptop, they took it outside, approximately 100 yards from their office on the far side of the mall's parking lot. This tells me that even AT&T's Ventura office has trouble trying to connect to a reliable, strong signal, even in daylight. I suspect they reduce their signal strength, at late night and early morning, to save on transmission costs. They will bill me $165 to escape their contract, which is blackmail, in an attempt to retain me. Further, by not providing an adequate signal, they are in violation of contract, not I. Yet, I must pay for their inadequate service? I am considering small claims court.

  3. Anonymous // November 30, 2009  

    I live in Enterprise, Al I signed a contract and now stuck with very poor service. I looked at there coverage map before I signed and it showed great service that is so far from the truth. I called and asked what was the problem and they told me that I am in a poor area and the closest tower is 10 miles away but the web site shows great service to me that is fraud and the law should do something about this but yet again the laws only apply to the little guy. I think that there should be a class action suit against them.

  4. Anonymous // January 22, 2010  

    Mt Snow Vt is a dead zone, I have AT&T my wife has Verizon, hers works my iphone has no service

    AND ATT&T does not care.
    As soon as this contact expires it is back to Verizon.

  5. Anonymous // February 19, 2010  

    AT&T for 8 years, always had coverage at home. Since January 2010 can no longer get coverage in our home. Live on flat butte, no structures, no hills, tower 1/2 mile away. At&t doesn't care, I have to pay $320 to quit. We are going to quit, need coverage at home for business. Why do we have to pay if AT&T no longer provides coverage to our home that had coverage for the past 8 years?

  6. Anonymous // February 19, 2010  

    I have had AT&T since it bought out Cingular. They advertise that you can call and receive calls from all over the world - but I can't receive service at my home in Clearfield, KY!! It is really disgusting to see the ads.

  7. bill // March 04, 2010  

    from county rte 95[south st] in hoosick ny 12089 promises of better service over the last year gave me 1 to 2 bars on antenna for a few weeks but now i'm back to no signal-new cell tower 1/2 mile down the street & i still get nothing? how about an honest answer for a change? billboehmhsk@gmail.com 3/4/10

  8. Anonymous // March 13, 2010  

    AT&T Dead Zones Compliant-Is A Fact
    This general area has very short time use coverage and has only limited 2G coverage I have had AT&T for 6 years i have 2 iphones ,1 Blackberry Bold, 1 laptop connect card, plus one very basic phone for my Dad, I am the only one in this area with any of my Phones however THERE is Not an AT&T support store Here in Dothan, Only ONE multi service Store came here to work 5 days ago and was totally appalled that the SERVICE here is Virtually NIL . I pay AT&T a lot of Money for the services I have and Need But AT&T is Basically Stealing my Money When you come to a Town The size of this one and they are not supporting or HAVE any Plans To Support this area They are hoarding the Service Fees And Money BUT NOT taking Care of There CUSTOMERS !! I say this because if their intentions were to do so there would not be CITIES without services Maybe some distant rural areas, but not SIZABLE TOWNS or Cities without Reasonable coverage.
    Like the TV ad Suggest There is no problem seeing through them
    Thank You For Ripping Us OFF AT&T And GOD BLESS AMERICA
    Want to See Their DEAD ZONES for YOURSELF check it Here
    http://www.deadcellzones.com/att.html

  9. Ed Davis // July 19, 2010  

    I have been a loyal customer of AT&T (formerly Cingular) for over 8 years. Over the past year I have a problem with no coverage in more areas of eastern US (I travel in NC, SC and central NY). I had fair coverage in these same areas one year ago. Friends and family who have Verizon do have coverage where I don't.

    Making numerous calls to AT&T customer service over the past several weeks doesn't improve my coverage. I am told that it must be some problem on my 'end'. The response is "Sir, are you turning your phone on and off" or "You know sir, we cannot guarantee that you will have coverage in every part of the country" even though the name of my plan is "nationwide".

    I have no choice but to pay the $205 in penalty fees to terminate my contract. Like the above commenter, it makes no sense that I am penalized for their degrading service.

  10. Wayne // August 18, 2010  

    I live in Hampton, VA and work in Mathews, VA, about 40 miles north of Hampton. My iPhone has great service in Hampton, but as soon as I go north toward Gloucester and Mathews, my service gets worse. Through Gloucester, I have one bar of AT&T 2G coverage. The second I cross into Mathews County, my phone shows "no service" and it is like that in the ENTIRE COUNTY OF MATHEWS!! It is very sad that everyone in the entire county with whom I speak says oh by the way before you move up here, change to Verizon because no one else has service up here. Sadly enough, I had switched from Verizon to AT&T about a month before I moved and took the job in Mathews. In order to have a working cell phone in the entire county where I work, I have to go and buy a Verizon prepaid phone or re-instate my Verizon contract. I told AT&T rep. the last time I was on the phone with them and the response was "yeah, I'm sorry, there really is no tower there." Well, that's funny, on your coverage map, it shows full 2G service in Mathews County. FRAUD!! Someone needs to make a map which actually reveals the TRUE coverage area of AT&T!!!

  11. Anonymous // November 06, 2010  

    I am in my sixth year of using the same plan with at&t which now has lowered the bars. I am in the same location where I had recieved good service for 5 years and for some reason same phone same area is producing no bars, I am near Puerto Vallarta, Mex. At&t says because I am in another country they cannot control it. Well how was I able to get good service before? Telcel has not moved their towers. At&t has no desire to help me with this problem. I have called atleast 4 times and have been told I need to go to an At&t store. I am in Mexico there is no store on the next corner.I am fed up!

  12. Anonymous // November 18, 2010  

    Will the AT&T HSPA+ network have fewer dropped calls?

  13. Anonymous // December 06, 2010  

    i live in the sarasota bradenton florida area and have had att for the last 10 years even before they went to cingular. i currently have a 3g phone with internet just not a smart phone, i want to upgrade to a i phone or android phone but with the amount of dropped calls and poor coverage i have i am seriously concidering changes providers. att needs to start giving back to its customers the service they deserve and pay for. oh well another unhappy customer, as long as the bill gets paid thats all att is worried about.

  14. Anonymous // January 27, 2011  

    same issue as everyone else-once good service getting worse. have been customers for 8 years and really is no other option in our area (northeastern arkansas). we live in the largest town in the area (pop in 30 mile radius ~100,000) but only received 3G this month (jan 2011). We have relatives living in very rural areas of the state that had 3G a year ago. Can no longer get service in our house and calls are dropped daily if they are even connected to begin with. Customer service is pretty good if you chat online-I would not call though unless you have 20 min to sit and wait to get though. Few issues when Cingular owned the company but very unhappy with AT&T and very frustrated with commercials showing all the coverage area.

  15. Anonymous // March 20, 2011  

    I NEED & WANT SERVICE!!!! Visiting Clark Fork Idaho,,,, Seriously? No Service??? Do we all need Sat phones instead of cell??? Please tell me how I can get AT&T Cell service in Zip code,83811.

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