A problem... How to handle....

[gerio]

I've had my Bionic for 11 days now. I was beginning to think that it was having data dropping issues in general. But today, I'm certain that the issues are related to my location at the time. To wit (Always wanted to say that.. ... Keep in mind, we have only 3G service here, no 4G or 3G/4G switching happening here...

At home, the data connection is 99% all the time. Seldom drops. I'm about 1/2 a mile from a Verizon tower.

At our shop, it seems to drop nearly every half-hour. Simply maddening. I'm pretty sure that the tower we are closest to is a Cellular South tower, a state-wide CDMA mobile phone company. I've left the shop 3 or 4 days now, ready to exchange or return the phone, only to ride back into town and picking up the 3G signal and keeping it all the way home (just watching the signal, nothing more.. ).

Lastly, I spent most of Friday and all of Saturday and Sunday in the Jackson, MS area. The Bionic stayed on the entire time and never dropped the call.

Okay, one more to help make the point... I hit the shop today at 6am. Dropped the data signal 3 times before noon when I headed to Jackson for a series of meetings all afternoon. During the meetings, the signal stayed solid never dropped. Seeing a pattern here?

I should interject here that my X2 would drop the 3G signal every few days at the shop. Whatever that means...

So I can't blame the phone, I don't think. Should I call Verizon about a possible tower issue not on their tower? If not, whom should I call? There was an issue with the tower by my house a good while back, I emailed them, they said they would able check it out within 48 hours, and the next day, my phone worked fine. So I believe that they are listening. And I'd love to not have to break in another Bionic. Which I need to decide before Thursday.

Thanx for any ideas...
Geri O

[B33]

A head scratcher:  Geri thats what i wondering about my D inc. its been flipping back an fourth the 3G an 1 X signal like a hot potato an i called teck to see if a tower was having a issue.  Now i thougt it might have been the fair an the extra load on the towers causing some issues in like slowness in the data an such but the fair is gone an the people that were in town are allso but the flipping is continuing so i wondering if a FR is what needs to be done to stop this flipping maddness or start dropping some of my apps. On system pannl app it's not showing any apps going crazy so i guess it's my call witch one's i need to drop to end this issue.  An Geri i no what you mean by being on the fence weather to return the Bionic or not it's a hech of a decision an one that does'nt merit much time for a return.   B33

[Wildman]

Gerio from what I have understood about how partnering companies towers works, they may allow other carriers access to their signal but since they are simply assisting the carrier to mantain a reliable signal but they still reserve signal for their primary customer and this can effect devices connected on a roaming partner..

I believe Verizon does not have any control over how the other carriers handles their signals bandwith, if you are on a partners tower this may explain your issue.

It still would not hurt to contact CS and report this issue and verify because I am not absolutly sure..

[B33]

Hey wildman here's a very interesting thing to now on 4G if you havent read this i provided the Link. 

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/09/19/possible-nationwide-4g-lte-outage-on-verizon-disconnecting-leav...

[gerio]

I will call CS today. Especially in light of something Ron just said that jogged my memory about my signal situation at the shop. I can't believe this slipped my mind, either....

It seems that all summer long, I've been watching the data signal on the old X, then the new X2, bounce back and forth from 3G to the 1x that is painfully slow. Don't know if that is pertinent to my situation, but it probably bears mentioning when I talk to CS about this...

Thanx, Ron...

Geri O

[droidsw]

I think you are on to something, Gerio.

The devices often bear the brunt of our frustrations, not the network. I watched (each of) my X's drop from 3G to 1X in the same general vicinities.

More interesting, reading all the 3G issues the cult members have with their iphones on the VZW network suggests it's the network, not the devices.

No argument that VZW has the best coverage and the task of providing that coverage with no signal weak spots is monumental.

Some won't accept that and say "we pay for good coverage". Yeah, go build a perfect network and get back to us.

And, I am in the 4th largest city and if there are weak spots here, they are no doubt everywhere.

[gerio]

That's true, of course. Also, and I agree, I've been happier with Verizon than any of the other carriers, I wonder how much tower maintenance plays into this as well. Between that and the fact that I do think we aren't on a Verizon tower, bringing Wildman's thoughts into play, perhaps I should be thankful that I can make even a simple phone call. But I remember the service being better than this at our shop.

Guess I'll be making that call to CS shortly and see what they say. I'll report back on that...

Stay tuned,
Geri O