Network performance problem near Dexter, MI

In spite of strong signals and a 3G connection (as reported by my Droid X), Verizon network performance near Dexter, MI seems consistently very poor. I work near the Baker Street exit of I-95, and I know of several co-workers who have the same complaint. A manager of a mobile software development team actually returned two Verizon phones that he had purchased for testing, replacing them with a competitor's phones, because of this.

The download speed test at testmy.net consistently gives me results on the order of 160 Kbps (20 kBs). I get these results throughout the immediate area, e.g. at my workplace, at restaurants, and at gas stations, whether indoors or out. I get nearly ten times that speed at my house half an hour's drive away.

Can anything be done about this? It's painful to interact with the Internet at these speeds.There are several hundred high-tech workers just at my campus here, so this is no doubt affecting a fair number of Verizon customers.

Accepted answers

unknown

Dan,

I definitely understand why having slow internet speeds would be painful. I checked to see if we have any reported issues in the area, and I see one that was closed on 6/8 saying the issue was fixed. If you are still having this issue can you send me a PM with your full 10 digit mobile number, how long this has been going on, and your work address?

All comments

DanM

Well, if I can't get a response here, can someone tell me how/where to submit this to other support channels? Fifteen minutes of searching around the Web site didn't enlighten me on this point -- the options for submitting support requests seem very constrained to specific, unrelated categories of problems.

lewisr13

I-95? Is that the new highway between I-94 and I-96?

DanM

Ugh. Typo, of course. Should be I-94.

willzzz99

That's close enough to Ann Arbor and I suspect they are doing network modernization in phase 2 of the LTE roll-out.

By the 16th it will be done (search for PR) where the Ann Arbor & surrounding communities will have LTE.

Most likely they are bundling/switching the cell-site backhaul from copper (TDM) to fiber optics.

Your service will get faster.

The work should take no longer than 24 hours per site.

If it is STILL HAPPENING the next day call VZW CSR and tell them to file a troble ticket and the local engineers will investigate (Southfield, MI, Metro Detroit market).

DanM

Thanks for the reply. I hope your prediction is true!

unknown

Dan,

DanM

I saw a brief spike of better performance early yesterday morning, but it seems to have been an anomaly. Most of my random spot tests throughout the work day indicate no significant change since I started this thread.

DanM

Performance has improved somewhat to the point where it's usually usable now, but it's spotty. I have done only sporadic speed measurements in the last few weeks, and results ranged from unusable (no results) to several times faster than previous results (tolerable but not stellar).