When will the Note 4 be released in Alaska?

So, Best Buy accepted my deposit for a Note 4, only to tell me on the pickup date, that this phone had not been approved yet for the Alaska market due to possible HD Voice issues. I can't get any more info, other than "We hope it's released soon". Any ideas what the delay is for, and if/when we will actually be able to purchase and activate this phone here in Alaska? I'm eager to switch providers, and give Verizon a shot, but this phone is the deal breaker. Any information or updates would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Accepted answers

Verizon_Support

Hi Aksuperj,

We are so excited to hear that you're wanting to join in the VZW family! Currently in Alaska you you can purchase a 4G LTE data-only device or HD Voice-capable smartphone to use on the VZW network. Here is a list of current HD Voice Capable devices/Advanced Calling 1.0 below: We have no info on when the Note 4 will be an HD Voice Capable device/Advanced Calling 1.0. Keep checking our Adavanced calling page for compatible device updates http://vz.to/1wOa28d .

• LG G2

• Samsung Galaxy S5

• Droid Maxx /Droid Ultra

• Droid Mini

• iPhone 6

• iPhone 6 Plus

PamelaF_VZW

All comments

Verizon_Support

aksuperj

So is the Alaska network HD Voice only? We would like to think that if Verizon is going to become a player here, that we would receive the same products, and support that are offered elsewhere in the country. How is it that this phone is available to those subscribers of your service everywhere but here? I'm just curious as to the difference between your service here in Alaska, and what is available to the rest of the country.

Verizon_Support

I understand your desire for more services in Alaska aksuperj! Be assured that we are always expanding our services and products as much as possible and everywhere we can. We do not know when or if other specific products will be available in Alaska in the near future, and it would be unfair and irresponsible to set the wrong expectations. We'll expand services and products to Alaska just as soon as it is possible.

AntonioC_VZW Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VZWSupport

aksuperj

I Sincerely appreciate the prompt responses, but this still doesn't answer my question. How does the new network created in Alaska differ from the network in the rest of the United States?

Pfalmer

I was in a similar situation to you. I wanted to switch over to Verizon and get a Note 4, but they said that they wouldn't let me because I'm in Alaska. I've talked to a bunch of different people at Verizon online, in person, and over the phone, and none of them have a good idea of what's going on, but I was able to cobble together a pretty good idea from the little bit each one knew.

Basically, the Note 4 doesn't have the software to use Verizon's LTE network. For some unknown reason the S5 has it, but the Note 4 doesn't. They're waiting on Samsung to update the software whenever they get around to it, that's why no one at Verizon has any sort of timeframe for when it'll get done. The reason that this affects Alaska more than the lower 48 is because they just built the entire Alaska network, so every tower here is LTE. In the lower 48 the Note 4 just runs off of the 3G towers, but there are no 3G towers in Alaska. If you get a Note 4 in the lower 48 and then bring it up here you will just roam off of ACS/GCI/AT&T.

I was on their website a few weeks ago and it wouldn't let me add one to my cart because I said I was in Alaska. I clicked the button to chat with someone for help and after typing back and forth with him for a little while he helped me get around the restriction order one. All I had to do was tell the website that I was somewhere in the lower 48, then once I added the thing to my cart switch back to saying that I was in Alaska. Worked great. They sent me the phone and it showed up two days later. The only problem was that when it showed up the sim card wouldn't activate. Since the Note 4 can't do Verizon LTE, and all the Verizon towers in Alaska are LTE, the phone can't activate. From what I can tell, if I could get the phone to activate it would then be able to roam off the other networks and function fine, but to do that I would need to either take my phone to the lower 48 so it'd be near a 3G Verizon tower, or possibly put my sim card into another Verizon phone that does work on LTE (like maybe the S5) to activate the sim, then switch it back to my Note 4.

Hopefully this helps you a little. The Verizon people answering you seemed to be giving you the run around. If they're not going to tell you anything, it'd almost be better if they didn't answer at all.

Good Luck

aksuperj

Thanks Pfalmer, I appreciate the info. Much more than I was able to get out of anyone, including responses from Customer Service that you can read above. When you switched back to Alaska to complete your order online, did it allow you to activate a 907 number, or did they assign you a number for the market you claimed to initiate the order? Also, as far as activating a SIM, perhaps taking one from a local Galaxy S5 and then placing it into a Note 4 may allow it to function off of the other network as you described? The majority of my use would be on the North Slope, where Verizon is still roaming off of the ACS network. That's my hope anyways. Have a new Note 4 waiting at home for me, and will be testing out the SIM swap soon. I'll keep you posted, and if you find a work around, please, keep me informed.

unknown

Alaska doesn't use CDMA for voice or texting like the rest of Verizon's areas. So CDMA phone won't work in Alaska. Alaska is LTE only thus you need a phone that can do VoLTE the 6 phones listed are the only ones that currently offer that but that list will grow.

aksuperj

Alaska Communications is a CDMA network that has been running up here for decades. I'm currently using a CDMA Galaxy S3 with their service. Verizon phones have always roamed off of that very same network. The new exception being the LTE services that they have recently installed around most major Alaskan cities. Where I work on the North Slope Oilfields, many Verizon customers from the States, and new Alaskan Verizon customers as well, get the same coverage as myself, as they still roam off of Alaska Communications towers. My roommate has a Galaxy S5 that was activated here in Alaska on the new LTE network, and it works just fine here.

aksuperj

Suppose I should specify that all CDMA roaming is on the 3G network.

unknown

Alaska Communications in not Verizon now is it? Verizon is moving away form CDMA no sense in spending millions building a CDMA network in Alaska at this point. Verizon network in Alaska is 100% 4G LTE so you need 4G LTE devices that can handle VoLTE.

unknown

aksuperj wrote:

Suppose I should specify that all CDMA roaming is on the 3G network.

And Verizon doesn't use 3G for calls or texting it uses 1x.

Pfalmer

It gave me a 907 number because I switched back to Alaska as soon as I added the thing to my cart. I would love to put my SIM card into a Verizon Galaxy S5 to get it to activate and then put it back in my Note 4. So far as I can tell that would work perfectly. The Note 4 still wouldn't be able to use VoLTE, but it would activate and function as a normal phone. Unfortunately the only person I know that has a Verizon phone is my wife. We got her an iPhone 6 about a month ago. It uses a different size SIM card tho. My only other thought is maybe I could go into the Verizon store and borrow one of their phones for a few minutes. I don't know if they'd let me tho. If you get yours to work let me know.