Cellphone service is getting worse in the US - but carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile say there's a good reason for dropped calls and texts
1 year, 3 months ago

Cellphone service is getting worse in the US - but carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile say there's a good reason for dropped calls and texts

Daily Mail  

Cellphone users across the U.S. are experiencing frustrating reception levels as more calls, texts and data dropped in 2023 than in previous years. Speaking about the reason for reduced cellphone reception, Tran told CBS News: 'It is absolutely possible for a number of reasons,' adding that while it is a lesser issue, smoke from wildfires can absorb or reflect cell signals, but more likely, is the issue of the number of cell towers not meeting the demand. Carriers are working to build more cell towers and are also buying larger spectrums of frequencies, which gives providers the ability to deliver coverage in multiple areas, Time Magazine reports. In some places, carriers are getting pushback from residents who don't want new cell towers taking up space in their town. Aside from waiting for or fighting against new cell towers to go up in your area, cellphone users can take several steps to ensure they are getting the best possible service.

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Phone giants are fighting to ditch traditional landlines to save millions - but the huge AT&T outage this week is a chilling indication of why it would be a DANGEROUS move, customers say
1 year, 1 month ago

Phone giants are fighting to ditch traditional landlines to save millions - but the huge AT&T outage this week is a chilling indication of why it would be a DANGEROUS move, customers say

Daily Mail  

Rural residents say landline phones are vital to keep them connected in outages AT&T is seeking relief from its obligation to provide landline service in California Phone companies like AT&T and Verizon want to ax traditional landlines to cut costs - prompting fury from the elderly and rural customers most likely to be affected. AT&T is the 'Carrier of Last …

This week’s cellphone outage makes it clear: In the United States, landlines are languishing
1 year, 1 month ago

This week’s cellphone outage makes it clear: In the United States, landlines are languishing

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — When her cellphone’s service went down this week because of an AT&T network outage, Bernice Hudson didn’t panic. “Don’t get me wrong, I like cellphones,” the 69-year-old Alexandria, Virginia, resident said Thursday, the day of the outage. Now, he said, “it’s become an afterthought,” replaced by services like broadband internet access and its multiple ways of making …

EXPLAINER: Why fear of 5G halting flights has faded
3 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINER: Why fear of 5G halting flights has faded

Associated Press  

The rollout of new 5G wireless service in the U.S. failed to have the much-dreaded result of crippling air travel, although it began in rocky fashion, with international airlines canceling some flights to the U.S. and spotty problems showing up on domestic flights. Airline industry officials say the decision by AT&T and Verizon — under pressure from the White House …

So far, cellphone networks have weathered Harvey
7 years, 6 months ago

So far, cellphone networks have weathered Harvey

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Roads, refineries and other infrastructure have taken a beating in the Texas and Louisiana regions hit by Harvey — but cellphone networks so far remain largely functional. ___ CELLPHONE SERVICES All told, the devastating storm knocked out fewer than 400 of the 7,804 cell towers in the affected counties; just 296 were down as of Thursday. ___ …

Call drops: Dealing with the menace or just shifting goal posts?
8 years, 8 months ago

Call drops: Dealing with the menace or just shifting goal posts?

India TV News  

New Delhi: It is nothing short of an irony that the world’s second largest mobile user market that boasts of being the world’s fastest growing economy is plagued by poor infrastructure and overloaded networks to an extent that many callers are cut off even before they can finish a sentence. So, on one hand we have Union Minister Ravi Shankar …

Call drop problem: Trai asks telcos to add more towers to keep call drops in check
9 years, 4 months ago

Call drop problem: Trai asks telcos to add more towers to keep call drops in check

Firstpost  

Telecom sector regulator Trai today asked telecom operators to add more towers and reinforce 2G networks, among other measures, to check call drops. In a technical paper on call drops, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said: “There is an urgent need to increase the number of towers so as to cater to the demands of a growing subscriber base.” …

Telcos to blame for call drops: TRAI chief
9 years, 6 months ago

Telcos to blame for call drops: TRAI chief

The Hindu  

Dismissing arguments over the lack of mobile towers and spectrum leading to a spate of call drops in the past few months, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman R.S. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Sharma said telecom operators have “commitments towards customers and they cannot short-change them… There are no compelling reasons. It is an issue of transparency.” While maintaining …

Centre, telcos in blame game over call drops
9 years, 7 months ago

Centre, telcos in blame game over call drops

The Hindu  

If you are a mobile phone user, especially in metros such as Delhi or Mumbai, you may already know what a call drop is. The top telcos have expressed helplessness in dealing with the problems of call drops and poor network quality, warning that the situation may deteriorate further if the government does not support expansion of mobile tower infrastructure …

Mobile call rates have come down by 83% in 9 years
11 years, 9 months ago

Mobile call rates have come down by 83% in 9 years

Firstpost  

Think that you’ve only been spending more, each time you make a call from your mobile phone? Well, the government has just revealed that the average cost of a mobile phone call has dropped by 83 percent to 47 paise in the last nine years. The Ministry of Communications and IT has said that the average tariff for every outgoing …

Coming This Summer: Fly the Wi-Fi Skies
16 years, 11 months ago

Coming This Summer: Fly the Wi-Fi Skies

Wired  

* Illustration: Peter Grundy * It's about friggin' time. The services will work in one of two ways — Southwest and Alaska are using satellite-based broadband from Row 44, a California company, while American and Virgin are opting for a cell phone tower system from Aircell in Illinois. Yep, turns out cell signals don't necessarily interfere with instrumentation — you …

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