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AT&T Service Plans and Coverage Review

AT&T is one of the largest wireless service providers in the United States, offering a variety of service plans and extensive coverage across the country. Here is a review of AT&T's service plans and coverage:

Plans: AT&T offers a range of postpaid (contract) and prepaid plans to suit different needs. These plans typically include unlimited talk and text, with varying data allowances and speeds. Customers can choose from different plan options based on their usage requirements and budget.

Coverage: AT&T provides nationwide coverage across the United States, including both urban and rural areas. Their network covers a significant portion of the country, offering reliable connectivity in many locations.  AT&T operates on a combination of 3G, 4G LTE, and 5G networks, with 5G being the latest generation of wireless technology. The coverage and speeds offered by AT&T's networks have improved over the years, but they can still vary depending on factors such as signal strength, network congestion, and the type of device you're using.  

5G Network: AT&T has been investing in the deployment of 5G technology. They offer 5G coverage in select cities and continue to expand their network. It's important to note that 5G coverage may vary depending on your location and device compatibility.  AT&T's 5G network utilizes both low-band and high-band frequencies to provide broad coverage and faster speeds. AT&T's low-band 5G, also known as 5G Evolution, operates on sub-6 GHz frequencies, offering enhanced coverage compared to higher-frequency bands. This enables better penetration through buildings and obstacles. However, the speeds of low-band 5G may not be significantly faster than 4G LTE in some cases.

AT&T's network covers about 68% of the United States. This is 2% less than Verizon and 6% more than T-Mobile. AT&T has solid coverage in major cities, but not in rural areas. AT&T has the second-most 4G LTE coverage and the second-most 5G coverage of the major carriers. AT&T has the best latency. 

AT&T also deploys high-band 5G, commonly referred to as mmWave, in select areas. mmWave technology delivers extremely high speeds and low latency but has a shorter range and is more susceptible to obstructions like buildings and trees. Consequently, its coverage is typically limited to densely populated urban areas. In urban and suburban areas, AT&T generally offers good coverage and fast data speeds. 

The 5G network rollout is an ongoing process, and coverage availability and speeds may vary depending on your location. For the most up-to-date information on AT&T's 5G network and its coverage in your area, it is recommended to visit AT&T's official website or contact their customer support.

Unlimited Plans: AT&T offers unlimited data plans that provide unlimited talk, text, and data usage. These plans may have different data deprioritization thresholds, meaning that after a certain threshold of data usage, speeds may be temporarily reduced during times of network congestion.

Shared Data Plans: AT&T provides shared data plans, where multiple lines can share a pool of data. This can be a cost-effective option for families or groups with multiple lines.

Device Selection: AT&T offers a wide selection of smartphones and other devices for purchase. Customers can choose from flagship devices, mid-range options, and budget-friendly devices. They also support Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs, allowing customers to use their own compatible devices on the network.

Customer Service: AT&T has customer service channels available, including phone support, online chat, and in-store assistance at AT&T retail locations.

How to check your signal strength: You can check your AT&T signal strength by navigating to http://att.manager or http://192.168.1.1 from a connected device. The LTE icon will be displayed in the top right corner of the AT&T manager site when connected to 4G LTE. The Signal Bars display the connection strength. 

Other Reviews:

• T-Mobile Service Plans and Coverage Review
• Verizon Wireless Service Plans and Coverage Review
  
• Sprint Wireless Service Plans and Coverage Review

Feedback is always welcome. Please submit your comments below.

@ATTCares Twitter Chatter

Tweets about @attcares

Coverage Map Audits Are Needed

Coverage map audits are indeed necessary to ensure accuracy, transparency, and accountability in the cell phone industry. 

How to Fix Your Apartment Cell Phone Dead Zone

If you're experiencing a cell phone dead zone specifically in your apartment, here are some steps you can take to try and improve the situation:

Mt. Baldy is a T-Mobile Dead Zone

I have been skiing up at Mt. Baldy for almost 10 years and think it is one of the hidden secrets of Los Angeles.  Unfortunately, the most annoying thing about the ski resort is that it has zero T-Mobile cell phone coverage as you leave Claremont, CA and drive up the mountain.   There hasn't been any coverage on the mountain for many years and is a prime candidate for a distributed antenna system that multiple carriers could piggyback on.

Today was a beautiful 55 degree Spring skiing day in the mountains with my 3 year old son who tore it up.  However, we were skiing with another father and daughter and became separated.  There were probably a few thousand people on the mountain during the day and many of whom had T-Mobile.  The friends we were with had AT&T Wireless and left numerous voicemails and text messages that were unreceived by us until we were back in the Claremont area.  

Unfortunately, this can be a big safety hazard if one assumes that a place with as much traffic as Mt. Baldy has does not have cell coverage.  I can't image if someone would get in-trouble on the mountain and their only hope was dialing their cell phone for help and it didn't work.  Apparently, AT&T and Verizon do work on the mountain and it would be nice to see T-Mobile strike up a roaming agreement with either.  Get it together T-Mobile its about time.  There are millions of people that live near the foothills of this mountain and many millions of them are your customers.

Please retweet this and/or share this with your friends and hope with enough people speaking about it we get it fixed. 

Wilson iBooster For iPhone Review

I was cruising on the Long Island Expressway, talking to my friend on my iPhone about critical details for the final paper of our class. As her voice started to fade along with the signal on my phone, I knew what I needed: Wilson Electronics’ Weboost, a cell phone signer amplifier. I plugged my phone into the iBooster, redialed my friend’s number, and, lo and behold, the call was even better than before!

The Wilson WeBoost, designed to boost cell phone reception on both second and third-generation iPhones, improves call quality, reduces the number of dropped calls, and increases data rates. It even improves signal in “dead zones.”

In the box, there is an amplifier cradle to hold the phone, an external mini-magnet antenna that goes on the roof of the car, a cigarette lighter adapter for power, an adapter to hold the iPhone with the case, mounting clips with several mounting options, an installation guide, and a one-year limited warranty. The setup is pretty simple, and the amplifier can be moved from vehicle to vehicle. Though it is designed primarily for use in a car, the iBooster can also be used in a building.

The Wilson iBooster’s box and website boast of many things that sound great, but what does that all really mean for you? It means that with the iBooster, the quality of the call will be noticeably better, and your signal will rarely drop below four bars. You won’t have to worry about dropped calls or dead zones. You can charge your phone in the car (though there is a switch to turn off the charger so you don’t drain the battery of your car), and you can listen to music through your car’s system with an audio input. With a “plug and play” design, the WeBoost is very easy to use.

On the downside, the iBooster always needs a power source, so it can only be used in your car or near an outlet inside a building. In addition, the wire on the external antenna goes from the hood of the car and through the door. The setup for this is pretty basic, and the wire doesn’t get in your way, but the length is too short for anyone who wants to set up the antenna in a more permanent place, like the back of the car. Lastly, the WeBoost (805201) costs a few hundred dollars but is well worth the investment.

So if your iPhone is with you 24/7 and you use it everywhere—sitting in your office pouring over project details, driving to work every day, or relaxing on the couch in front of your TV watching re-runs of Friends—then the new Wilson WeBoost will take out the agony of weak cell phone signals and bad reception. One of the most frustrating things while talking on the phone is to lose signal in the middle of the call, or worse, have no signal and not be able to call anyone at all.  For iPhone users complaining of poor reception and dropped calls, this is the perfect accessory. With the iBooster, you’ll never have the need to say “Can you hear me now?”

Cell Phone Reception Through Wifi

Cell phones can use your home's wireless internet connection to make and receive calls. It's a handy technology if the cell phone coverage in and around your house is in a dead zone. Phones will automatically select Wifi if it's there but will require a compromise between economy and mobility. For example, Voice over Wifi offers potentially free service but is only available within the coverage area of a Wifi Access Point and currently will not allow you to hop between networks.

VoIP mobile applications that may be compatible with your phone's operating system.

Skype - iPhone, Windows Mobile, Nokia
Line2 - iPhone, Android

Truphone - Nokia-Symbian, iPhone, Android, Blackberry

Jajah - Windows Mobile, Symbian OS

fring - Symbian 8.x and 9.x, Windows Mobile 5 and 6, iPhone, Maemo

Nimbuzz!- J2ME, S60, Windows Mobile, iPhone

Gizmo5 - Windows Mobile, Motorola, Nokia, Blackberry, Java PDA, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung

Windows Mobile 6 - Windows Mobile 6 Professional/Standard


3 Mobile VoIP Protocols The Applications Above Are Built On

Skype - closed proprietary peer to peer network and working on video mobile phones

SIP - the standard used by most VoIP services

UMA - the Unlicensed Mobile Access Generic Access Network, designed in response to Skype by a group of carriers to allow VoIP to run over the GSM cellular backbone.

See Wikipedia VoIP software platforms for more details. The challenge for the mobile operator industry is to deliver the benefits and innovations of IP without losing control of the network service. Users like the Internet to be free and high speed without extra charges for browsing the internet. VoIP services challenges the most valuable service in the telecommunications industry — voice — and threatens to change the nature of the global communications industry.  Net neutrality is an important issue with the FCC for these reasons.

Related article: UMA Phone + Wi-Fi = Home Cell Coverage

End Data Discrimination

As expected, the FCC voted to move forward with a proposal to codify its four net neutrality principles and add non-discrimination and transparency rules to the regulations that will govern both wireless and wired broadband networks.

The first of the new principles would prevent Internet access providers from discriminating against particular Internet content or applications while allowing for reasonable network management. The second would ensure that Internet access providers are transparent about the network management practices they implement. The other four are:

• To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice.
• To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement.
• To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.
• To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.

FCC votes for the net neutrality rule-making process

The commission voted 5-0 to begin the rule-making process. The next steps will likely involve months of debate now that the FCC is asked for comments on the proposal. Initial comments are due on Jan. 14. Hours later, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting the FCC from enacting rules that would regulate access to the Internet. The legislation, called 'The Internet Freedom Act of 2009,' aimed at keeping the Internet from being regulated by the government. 'Keeping businesses free from oppressive regulations is the best stimulus for the current economy,' he said. The two Republican FCC commissioners, Robert McDowell and Meredith Attwell Baker dissented in part on last week's vote, arguing that the commission should proceed with its eyes open to the unintended consequences of the new regulations. They said they were unsure that there was enough of a problem to warrant new regulations, and questioned whether the FCC had the authority to impose the new rules. The GOP commissioners' dissent essentially signals that they intend to move forward with the action, but disagree with the current language in the proposal.

As promised by Chairman Julius Genachowski, the proposed rules governing wireless networks took into account that wireless networks have different network architectures, market structures, patterns of consumer usage, and regulatory history than wired networks. The draft rules will seek comment on how in what time frames and to what extent the rules should apply to wireless. Moreover, another point of debate will likely center on what "reasonable network management" means as it pertains to an operator's ability to manage network traffic (based on tiered access?). The draft rules say that such management includes practices that reduce or mitigate network congestion, address traffic that is unlawful, unwanted by users, or deemed harmful. The commission staff also noted that nothing in the rules will prohibit service providers from delivering emergency communications. Additionally, the notice seeks comment on how to define managed services, such as subscription video services, telemedicine, or smart grids, and how the new policies should apply to them. The commission also is going to form a technical outreach group to discuss network management issues and all other issues that have technical ramifications.

Instances of data discrimination listed on Wikipedia from 2004-2007, unfortunately, cause hardship for other applications that get grouped into the same categories and get blocked. 

• In 2004, a small North Carolina telecom company, Madison River Communications, blocked their DSL customers from using the Vonage VoIP service. Service was restored after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) intervened and entered into a consent decree that had Madison River pay a fine of $15,000.^[6]
• In 2005, Canadian telephone giant Telus blocked access to voices-for-change.ca, a website supporting the company's labor union during a labor dispute, as well as over 600 other websites, for about sixteen hours after pictures were posted on the website of employees crossing the picket line.^[7]
• In April 2006, Time Warner's AOL (America On-Line) blocked all e-mails that mentioned dearaol.com, an advocacy campaign opposing the company's pay-to-send e-mail scheme. An AOL spokesman called the issue an unintentional glitch.
• In February 2006, some of Cox Cable's customers were unable to access Craig's List because of a confluence of a software bug in the Authentium personal firewall distributed by Cox Cable to improve customers' security and the way that Craigslist had their servers misconfigured. Save the Internet said this was an intentional act on the part of Cox Cable to protect classified ad services offered by its partners. The issue was resolved by the correction of the software as well as a change in the network configuration used by Craig's List. Craig's List founder Craig Newmark stated that he believed the blocking was unintentional.
• In September 2007, Verizon Wireless prevented a pro-choice organization from sending text messages to its members coordinating a public demonstration, despite the fact that the intended recipients had explicitly signed up to receive such messages.
• In October 2007, Comcast was found to be preventing or at least severely delaying uploads on BitTorrent.

COMMENTARY: All this seems great in theory but it still seems to indicate that tiered network access is coming and carriers are still going to largely be able to control and discriminate packets across their network. Is that good for companies who want open access like Skype, Google, Slingbox who don't control the pipes? I suppose it depends upon which tier of access they end up on. Hopefully its the top tier.

Related Net Neutrality articles:
Verizon's Seidenberg blasts net neutrality as debate continues
AT&T urges employees to lobby FCC against net neutrality
Democrats, Internet firms lobby FCC on net neutrality
Net neutrality debate heats up ahead of vote
Opposing net neutrality, GOP puts pressure back on FCC

UMA Phone + Wi-Fi = Home Cell Coverage

Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) provides access to cellular mobile voice and data services over unlicensed spectrum technologies, such Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (802.11). A UMA phone will use a cellular networks (GSM, CDMA, etc.) when out and about, and automatically switch to a UMA-enabled Bluetooth or Wi-Fi local network when in range, such as at home or in the office. UMA technology is the 3GPP global standard for fixed-mobile convergence. UMA enables secure, scalable access to mobile voice, data and IMS services over broadband IP access networks. By deploying UMA technology, mobile operators can deliver a number of compelling fixed-mobile convergence services. The most well-known applications of UMA include dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi handsets and 3G femtocells access points.

Leading operators around the world have embraced UMA technology as the foundation for their fixed-mobile convergence strategy, including Orange/France Telecom, British Telecom, T-Mobile US, TeliaSonera, Netcom, Saunalahti and Cincinnati Bell. UMA enables secure, scalable access to mobile voice, data and IMS services over broadband IP access networks. By deploying UMA technology, mobile operators can deliver a number of compelling fixed-mobile convergence services. The most well-known applications of UMA include dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi handsets and 3G femtocells access points. Leading operators around the world have embraced UMA technology as the foundation for their fixed-mobile convergence strategy, including Orange/France Telecom, British Telecom, T-Mobile US, TeliaSonera, Netcom, Saunalahti and Cincinnati Bell.

Improving coverage in areas where cellular signals are weak is an important issue for many organizations. UMA extends coverage to the workplace without forcing employees to change the way they use their cell phones. The only difference is that the phone will switch to Wi-Fi when it loses cellular coverage. To improve coverage with UMA, an organization sets up Wi-Fi access points in areas with poor cellular coverage to overcome coverage gaps and call dead zones. Companies with state-of-the-art, centrally managed wireless LANs (WLAN) can make a global configuration change to enable Wi-Fi UMA access from any location.

UMA-enabled Dual-Mode Wi-Fi Handsets: By far the most well-known UMA service is dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi handsets (DMH), which enables operators to provide high-performance, low-cost mobile services to subscribers when in range of a home, office or public Wi-Fi network. With a UMA-enabled dual-mode Wi-Fi handset, subscribers can automatically roam and handover between cellular and Wi-Fi access, receiving a consistent set of services as they transition between networks.

UMA-enabled Femtocells: UMA-enabled femtocells represent a growing UMA service opportunity. The wireless industry has been searching for low-cost licensed indoor coverage solutions since the beginning of mobile networks. Unfortunately, the bulk of this opportunity (i.e. residential environments) has been beyond the addressable market for cost and operational reasons. To be successful, a residential licensed access point (i.e. femtocell) deployment must include low-cost femtocells (under €150), a reasonable approach for managing RF interference, and a standard, scalable, IP-based approach for core network integration.
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