Wireless Coverage Issues and Reports - 2019 Season

[Jesse Risley]

There has been a plethora of open complaining on the individual social media accounts of chasers this spring, particularly about the coverage or access speeds of Verizon Wireless (VZW) in traditionally favorable areas of the Plains and the Corn Belt. A few complaints have also trickled in about AT&T too. I'm genuinely curious what everyone else's experiences have been thus far. Have you experienced any coverage or speed issues with your carrier, including VZW?

Without using names particularly, I was told by one person close to the issue from a technical standpoint (i.e., works on the back end of all of this) that it's likely two-fold. First, the proliferation of unlimited data to the masses is finally reaching a critical point where network infrastructure is being overloaded. While this has long been an issue when large numbers of chasers converged on limited rural cell cites, they're now sharing those towers with increasing numbers of local users who are constantly pulling large quantities of data, including people who just a few years ago were probably using flip phones and getting most of their Internet data from rural satellite services. Second, with the phasing out of 3G, they are reducing the number of towers due to the change in frequency usage and, fitly, concentrating more on the "Micro cell" model whereby coverage in more urban or suburban areas (and even small towns) focuses on the use of more numerous towers to boost coverage in those concentrated areas whilst turning down the taller, more numerous towers spaced out to cover wider areas, especially in rural locales.

What has everyone's individual experiences been this season with your carrier(s)?

 

[Joe Cameron]

There has been a plethora of open complaining on the individual social media accounts of chasers this spring, particularly about the coverage or access speeds of Verizon Wireless (VZW) in traditionally favorable areas of the Plains and the Corn Belt. A few complaints have also trickled in about AT&T too. I'm genuinely curious what everyone else's experiences have been thus far. Have you experienced any coverage or speed issues with your carrier, including VZW?

Without using names particularly, I was told by one person close to the issue from a technical standpoint (i.e., works on the back end of all of this) that it's likely two-fold. First, the proliferation of unlimited data to the masses is finally reaching a critical point where network infrastructure is being overloaded. While this has long been an issue when large numbers of chasers converged on limited rural cell cites, they're now sharing those towers with increasing numbers of local users who are constantly pulling large quantities of data, including people who just a few years ago were probably using flip phones and getting most of their Internet data from rural satellite services. Second, with the phasing out of 3G, they are reducing the number of towers due to the change in frequency usage and, fitly, concentrating more on the "Micro cell" model whereby coverage in more urban or suburban areas (and even small towns) focuses on the use of more numerous towers to boost coverage in those concentrated areas whilst turning down the taller, more numerous towers spaced out to cover wider areas, especially in rural locales.

What has everyone's individual experiences been this season with your carrier(s)?

It is not hard to believe about the infrastructure being overloaded.
This season data feed db has dropped or lost where it should not have. I blamed it on the storms, maybe it's not.
That area i was in, don't remember losing feed like that from last summer.

In SW Louisiana about a month ago, i did not have any coverage for about 30 miles. Think that was more due to the damage
from tornadoes that had come through there. Miles of power lines down, but still thinking that the towers should have backup.
Maybe there were no towers there.

I have 4 VZW and 1 AT&T feeds. AT&T seems to be the worst on degraded or lost coverage at times.
One feed of the VZW and the single AT&T have separate external roof mounted antennas.
But then that goes back to the statement above about having been in that area before and not losing it.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Hadn't had any new issues with Verizon. Worst coverage gaps for me still western Illinois (north of St. Louis west of I-55). I'm not running an amp.

 

[Jesse Risley]

Hadn't had any new issues with Verizon. Worst coverage gaps for me still western Illinois (north of St. Louis west of I-55). I'm not running an amp.

It was explained to me, as someone who lives proximal to this zone, that this has something to do with a longstanding licensing issue and antitrust legislation that prevents VZW from extending home coverage here. Thus, it's essentially left to being covered by AT&T, US Cellular and Sprint (secondary coverage). I don't work in the industry, so I can't speak to the specific reason beyond that, but yeah, it's a horribly problematic hole for those of us that end up chasing there several times a year. At least you can usually pull 4G from the towers on the MO side of the river when you're close to the border.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

I use VZW and an amp. The most consistant dead zone I've found locally is in and around Last Chance, CO. It behaves like a black hole where I'll have full bars anywhere up to two or three miles away in any direction, but when I get there, nothing at all. As soon as I get that 2/3 miles out in any direction, full service returns.

*Cue X-Files music*

 

[Warren Faidley]

Zero issues with ATT. In fact, best ever coverage. Just remember, depending on your data plan's small print, they may throttle you after you reach your limit. Remember that "unlimited" does not always mean "un-throttled." Always get an un-throttled plan.

 

[Quincy Vagell]

I use Verizon without an amp. While I did notice a few issues when there was extreme chaser convergence this year, I haven't noticed a significant change in comparison to recent years. I am also grandfathered into the old unlimited plan "without throttling." Once in a while I feel as if I'm being throttled, but it's so random and short-lived that I think it's more of an issue with the network being used more over time.

I have a long list of towns/areas that I have had limited or no cell reception in. I eventually want to convert that into a map form. Would this be of interest? Although I have covered a lot of ground over the past few years (since I started logged cell coverage issues), I haven't been everywhere. I think after a few more trips later this month, where I'll have more of an opportunity to track coverage issues in the Northern Plains, I'll start putting the map together.

The biggest gaps I've had with Verizon in the Plains/Midwest are around west-central Illinois (most glaring due to population), north-central Nebraska, parts of the Texas panhandle/Caprock, eastern Colorado and eastern Montana.

In general, although I've hit some issues with Verizon, their coverage seems to be fairly consistent across most of the Plains. Most of the gaps are relatively small and limited to very rural/remote areas. It is rare that I will drive more than 10-15 miles with absolutely no service, except for a few of the places mentioned above. When there are over 100+ chasers in a small area, I take coverage issues with more of a grain of salt.

 

[Jesse Risley]

I have a long list of towns/areas that I have had limited or no cell reception in. I eventually want to convert that into a map form. Would this be of interest? Although I have covered a lot of ground over the past few years (since I started logged cell coverage issues), I haven't been everywhere. I think after a few more trips later this month, where I'll have more of an opportunity to track coverage issues in the Northern Plains, I'll start putting the map together.

I think this could be an asset, and that there might be a role for something bigger to play a part in a special section of the site. This could possibly include regularly updated official coverage maps from the cell providers themselves, coupled with actual user reported coverage issues where those two sources of data might conflict. I don't see too much information as being a bad thing.

@Dan Robinson thoughts here?

 

[James Wilson]

I had a lot of issues with Verizon this year unlike previous years even with a cell phone booster. I have always thought that they dial back the signal when new phones come out. I have had Verizon for years and I always have issues when a new phone is available like the S10 5G is now.

Note I just upgraded to the S10 5G so they got me lol!

 

[TJKLECKNER]

The data pipeline to each tower likely needs to be boosted. They didn't make enough bandwidth available to each tower, or certain towers are being overwhelmed. In reality, this shouldn't happen with current day technology, creating a reliable mesh network with the fiber and microwave cell technology. Maybe they are spending too much time trying to roll out 5G, that they still have unreliable 4G the carriers should look at fixing first.

 

[Jesse Risley]

Clarification on some of the specific, major VZW data holes where there never was and likely won't ever be service there:

Typically the holes are created because VZW did not have an old A or B license from back in the days when that was all there was. So whoever had the A or B license in a place got first rights to the LTE spectrum again locking Verizon out. In some situations like SW Iowa the company makes a deal with Verizon to assign their LTE frequencies to Verizon to run the network with a promise not to use it against them... Or they give VZW the bird which is what appears to have happened in Illinois...Verizon did not grow organically they bought networks from companies who had the A/B licenses. Like Nebraska was Lincoln Telephone/Nebraska Cellular and a company called Telebeep and Cellular One.... they bought all of them

 

[Devin Pitts]

I use VZW with a signal booster and the only notable dead zone I've come across chasing in the plains(besides the obvious W IL one) while running the booster was near Saddle Mountain, OK just north of the Wichitas. I did have my booster manage to unplug itself while driving the dirt roads in SE Colorado and did notice that area is pretty rough for getting VZW data. Area was pretty manageable with a signal booster at least.

I'm probably going to invest in an AT&T mobile hotspot at some point to deal with the Western IL issue. While my signal booster does actually get me a VZW signal there, it's barely useable and it takes about 8-10 minutes to load a single frame of radar data on it lol.

 

[Brian Noble]

I have a long list of towns/areas that I have had limited or no cell reception in. I eventually want to convert that into a map form.

Why reinvent the wheel? I have found the Root Metrics app to be accurate with one minor caveat, the unshaded areas on the map are not areas of no coverage rather areas that have not been tested. As often as not I have had coverage in unshaded areas.

 

[Brian Noble]

Zero issues with ATT. In fact, best ever coverage. Just remember, depending on your data plan's small print, they may throttle you after you reach your limit. Remember that "unlimited" does not always mean "un-throttled." Always get an un-throttled plan.

Ma Bell here as well, no complaints on coverage. I chalk it up to two things: First is their partnership with Viaero which covers E WY, W NE, E CO, W KS and OK PH. Second is the roll out of their band 14 FirstNet. AT&T users with a FirstNet capable phone are suppose to be able to use band 14 on a secondary basis but during an emergency you’ll be kicked off the band unless you have a FirstNet sim. AT&T also claimed that during the FirstNet roll out band 13 will be up graded as well (bands 13 & 14 are the 700 MHz “long range” bands). With my experience during the last 2 years I believe this to be true.

 

[Brian Noble]

Ma Bell here as well, no complaints on coverage. I chalk it up to two things: First is their partnership with Viaero which covers E WY, W NE, E CO, W KS and OK PH. Second is the roll out of their band 14 FirstNet. AT&T users with a FirstNet capable phone are suppose to be able to use band 14 on a secondary basis but during an emergency you’ll be kicked off the band unless you have a FirstNet sim. AT&T also claimed that during the FirstNet roll out band 13 will be up graded as well (bands 13 & 14 are the 700 MHz “long range” bands). With my experience during the last 2 years I believe this to be true.

Band 12 not 13