Comments on: AT&T CEO defends network issues

Speaking at D: All Things Digital, Randall Stephenson says the quality of the cell phone network has improved, but still has a ways to go.

[nrg.dude]

Due to the lack of innovation and overpriced services, I applauded the original break-up of AT&T. Look how far we've come since then. But now, AT&T has reassembled most of itself back together again and is back to it's ways of stifling innovation and working to product oil company size profits at our expense. Forget Tibet, free the iPhone!

[kenzos2000]

The ATT service is appauling! Just last week on the 101 I made 4 calls, close to SFO and all dropped in 30 seconds! I moved from Europe where dropped calls didn't exist, over here it happens at least 2-3 times day. I moved to ATT from Verizon for the international coverage, but wish I hadn't. Will be going back to verizon and buying a SIM card for european travel. Their phones have improved and ATT's service just gets worse and worse.

[sam99999999]

I echo that. Just try using ATT's service on Interstate 5 in California between route 152 and the Grapevine--a nice flat area that should have no excuses.

You're lucky if you get GPRS, much less EDGE. Forget about 3G unless you hold your phone out the window when you pass a major city. A lot of the time you get no signal at all. This is on a major interstate. And the Bay Area itself has the same dead spots it's had since it was CellularOne. ATT's engineering is really pretty non-existent.

ATT is a monopoly, same as it was in 1984, and we are suffering as a result of it. (The fact that they charge ad hoc subcribers 20 cents to send a 160 byte text message is obscene! Guess they're too busy pushing unlimited text packages for Arkansaurians to vote for Kris Allen...)

[Rafeekey28]

you guess are just biased towards verizon. verizon has more costumers and theirs bills are actualliy more expensive than at&t not to mention the texting so if at&t is a monopoly wouldn't verizon be one too you idiot. and if you have such a problem with at&t switch to t-mobile or verizon b/c if at&t loses you as a costomer it won't even make the slightest difference to them and maybe if you guys checked the service maps you would realized that at&t says it doesn't have service in those areas so why are you ******** like they lied to you?!?! pssh, you guys need to know that it no matter how good a telcomunication says they are everyone of them will have their areas where they will thrive and the areas where they will dissapoint, if you can't deal with that then don't use cellphones.

[johnwbaxter--2008]

I'm in an area where AT&T did not have EDGE service when the iPhone was first announced, or quite a while after. EDGE did arrive before the original iPhone rollout. EDGE is decently fast when no one is using it. 3G did not arrive here until a few months after last year's iPhone 3G appeared. It works well here. Once I saw the AT&T 3G expansion, I replaced my original iPhone (and bought it from the same AT&T store clerk from whom I had bought the original--in a very functional AT&T store).

Prior to moving (back) to AT&T, I was on Verizon--whose service at my house and several places I frequently am was essentially useless. I was going to switch to AT&T once off Verizon contract, regardless of iPhone or EDGE. (iPhone is nice, but all I really need is low volume phone and incoming SMS (paging)).

And my (2009) Kindle has shown me a 3G flag once--and often is fewer than 5 bars. That doesn't keep the Kindle wireless from working here--it does well.

And then there is T-Mobile--good about 600 yards either side of the local highway's center line (OK, better than that, but you get the idea). I believe they have a new tower just out of useful range/sight in a different direction from the older tower that is just out of useful range/sight.

Bottom line: the AT&T network is fine here: so it's not bad everywhere. And all the networks are bad somewhere.

[achernow]

All the carriers have issues. Some more than others. I'm on VZW, and let me tell you, the network *is not* as good as the claim it is. There's been parts of the city where friends with AT&T can get better service than I can. I'm considering moving to AT&T for iPhone 3.0, mostly because they've fixed most of the iPhone issues I had. Plus, I have a lot of friends on AT&T, and a few looking at moving there!

[natpro422]

I'm glad someone here has some common sense!! When you get ready to make the switch, either do it online at att.com or just call 877-U-ASK-ATT. Please use my referral code of NP2472
Yes, I'm an employee and we're always here to help! While we wish our coverage was awesome every where, it's just not a reality. However, new towers and improved coverage get deployed every single day!!!! Therefore, it's just getting better, not worse!!! At least AT&T gives you 30 days to use a wireless phone see for yourself!!!

[subslug]

"Stephenson said AT&T is testing a "pair bonding" technique that should offers speeds in the 40-50 megabits per second range. Mossberg presses him for a time frame.

"I think I can call you this year," Stephenson said. "

LOL, anyone else here have AT&T's U-verse?
They've been making this same promise for well over two years now and still, just like unicorns, no-one has ever really seen it.

[GHynson]

I Have the U-verse, and I'm happy with the service.
It's about $20 cheaper then time warner but twice as fast.
I max out at 1MB/DN and 180KB/UP.
I got just the I-Net package for $55 a month,
F___ing Time Warner was charging me between $89-120 for just Road Runner service, and the F&^@$ers
sent me a bill for $357 when I canceled.

[subslug]

Yeah, I know I have U-verse too. What I was asking is about this mystical "pair bonding" they've promised for quite a while now for people on the outlying reaches of U-verse. They've also made promises about how this pair bonding is going to allow them to increase bandwidth to each house to enable higher definition content.
AT&T just seems to keep using this "pair bonding" as their ace in the hole...I'd really love to actually see it on one of their services before they start trying to dazzle us on how great it is going to be.

It's sort of like you catch AT&T in a corner in one of these interviews and their way out is to look up quickly and point out a non-existing balloon and then when you look up they run like hell.

[natpro422]

subslug, nice name, seems to suit you! AT&T has NEVER promised that you will have those speeds in the past. Those speeds are only gonna be available if pair bonding is successful, so get your facts straight!

[twitter_1963]

I was on Verizon for 7+ years. 3G there when it came was fantastic and few dropped calls. Been with AT&T for 1 year, live in GA and AT&T is so bad, I think more bars in more places is something they should be sued for. I do get 5 bars but sometimes even then, no internet service. My Iphone switches between 3G and Edge frequently and it sucks. Last Iphone update made it show MORE bars but no better service - LOL - sounds like a CON to me..

In addition, my AT&T Iphone rarely works well in New York - WHY??? AT&T Iphone also did not work in Las Vegas during CES. It's like I'm back in the 80's this CEO is being Naive at best

[twitter_1963]

Forgot to mention. A main road here in Atlanta has a big AT&T bill board with the MORE BARS IN MORE PLACES ad staring at you as you drive. The funny part is, no-one can get AT&T service when you drive past it.... Joke or what?

[mike_3172]

AT&T is just slow to upgrade capacity. Rogers Wireless in Canada has no problem with data capacity but because of AT&T's ban on SlingBox over 3G, we get shafted too.

[MadLyb]

AT&T service is a joke and coverage in my area, while better than any other provider, is still pretty weak. Add in that I have to pay for 3G, when all the data coverage in my area is still EDGE and you begin to see a trend.

Even when I am in an area that provides 3G services the quality and reliability of that service is so spotty, I would never make it my primary data solution.

I couldn't care less about the iPhone, but AT&T is the only decent choice for my area and the issues with their service sare painful enough that if competition improves, I will join the churn stats.

[homercles82]

You pay for 3G coverage because there is a 100% chance you will be traveling somewhere that will have the 3G coverage.

[TimGray--2008]

Churn has dropped because they kidnap the customer. 2year contract forces you to stick with them. THAT reduced churn. Plus in my area AT&T is the only GSM carrier, My other choice is Verizon and they will never get another dime from me due to their Legendary horrible customer service. There are no other cellphone companies that actually can deliver service here. I wish T-mobile would actually install towers so they would be an option.

Anyways, who expects a CEO to do anything but lie and spin to make himself look good?

[dave91741]

AT&T has always had 2 Year contracts, and starting a year ago this April they began prorating the early termination fees which has made it easier to leave than it was before. So now how do you explain the fact that fewer people have been leaving? I know, maybe it's because they have been improving their network just like they said. Maybe they haven't made it to your area yet, but where I live I have seen a dramatic improvement in voice coverage as well as data speeds, and I don't just mean in the few blocks around my house and where I work. Up until this January I had a job that had me traveling almost 400 miles in a day, from about 10 miles North of San Diego to about 10 miles East of Ventura to San Dimas where Raging Waters is Located and about everything in between. Over the last two years I can honestly say that I can see a major improvement in the network as a whole.

[natpro422]

Did you ever ask for a one year contract?? Probably not! Yes, you can sign a one year contract with ANY carrier, you just pay a little more for the phone!
I can't believe how many people on here talk **** and don't know jack about the wireless industry!
Do you even know WHY you have to sign a two year contract??? It's NOT so AT&T can hold you hostage! That's how ALL carriers recover costs associated with the phone they give you!!! Do some research before you run your mouth!

[Dango517]

If your cell phone service is anything like my DSL service............... switch providers. Nothing hurts companies and CEO's like lost profits. Frankly, I think the "Feds" need to do a little arm twisting to bring these guy's in line. If they get their way we'll be paying twice, three times our current costs for service twice, three times as bad. They have no excuses or justifications at all for the crappy service they provide. None!

[1094WD]

I have at&t and its pretty bad. Its not only overpriced, but I have a dropped call and message problem. Almost every call I make is dropped in an area that shows full coverage on at&t coverage maps. I have to re-send about every fifth text. Picture messages can take up to a day or more to send and receive. When at&t was UNICEL Wireless in my area, the coverage was excellent, unfortunately thats not the case anymore. I guess I will go back to Sprint as Verizon is much, much worse. Verizon advertises full coverage on their map in my area and their ads say they have the best coverage. None of its true. Plus Verizon costs way more money for less than even at&t.

[JerryRiggg]

AT&T always has been a joke. I left them years ago for Sprint after coming back from a trip to the east coast my calls dropped four times between LAX and the 405 freeway. My now ex-girlfriend refused to switch but when we rode together in the same car she would always turn to me and say "can I use your phone." And the clincher is this. When I put my home town's zipcode in at their website I get this message: "We are expanding our coverage every day but unfortunately this is one of the few areas we haven?t reached yet. Please check back soon." That's the same statement I've been getting since the 90s. So much for more bars in more places. That along with lousy DSL has caused me to make a promise to myself never to do business with AT&T again, iphone or no iphone.

[ismatta]

AT&T has been a bad experience for me. Their poor network coverage, and not allowing the Slingplayer software on their network (only for the iPhone), has convinced me to terminate my contract early. I am looking at the Palm Pre.