I live in NJ, work in NY, travel from within metro area to IL, UT, MO, HI, MD...how is that regardless where I travel, the area is considered marginal 3G even though the phone reads 3 G (and so does that "red map")? My Droid X cannot get consistent 3G signal and cannot complete data tasks, similar but worse than Droid.
Tech/Data support has nothing to say about this matter; I have this escalated to regional network managers.
What's the deal...I pay 30/mo and services are not being provided...
Any advice?
I have been indoors with people with other carriers "Sprint & ATT", and I have consistently been able to get a signal while other carriers can't. I am experiencing the same problem, but so is everyone else, including people on different carriers. Although 3G service is available, terrain and strength of signal varies from spot to spot. It is a limitation of technology. As far as the map, its a marketing ploy, not unlike Sprint's claim of 4G speeds, and ATT's claim on the iPhone. Don't let the commercials get to you.
It's not about commercials, it is about the reality that I cannot get 3G service regardless where I am. And when checking with Verizon they call all these areas as marginal...even when the phone reads 3G without flipping into 1x. Where are the true 3G areas...I will go there and see if the phone actually works.
I wouldn't think that no matter where you traveled that you never get a 3G signal. If that is the case then maybe the issue isn't with the service but is with the phone.
I live in Indianapolis, Indiana on the NE side and my phone always says "3G" at the top.
JRLSNB wrote:I live in Indianapolis, Indiana on the NE side and my phone always says "3G" at the top.
I get 3G service from Indianapolis to Springfield, IL to Chicago, to the middle of the woods Grayling, Mi.
I get 3G coverage from Rockford IL all the way to Madison WI.........
I have not gone too far South with the Droid X as of yet...... dont travel south very often.
Marginal 3G = blanket areas of coverage which have some 3g dead zones. I don't believe the original poster had knowledge of what this is. Almost any area is going to have some obstructed signal areas simply due to the natural geography of the land and buildings around them.
When a CSR tells you that you are in a marginal 3G area it simply means there are some non-3G spots within that coverage area that have been identified. If your phone shows 3G, you have access to a 3G signal. Now if your connecting to a tower further away from you, yes you will have decreased speeds.
On the other hand, I have had no problems at all with 3G coverage. I have had my DroidX for 3 weeks, and I live in Central New Mexico. I have been to a sparsely populated area in Northern NM (not up close to mountains), and I was surprised to see that I could get 3G there. I also went on a trip the following week and had no problems along I-10 and I-25 from Albuquerque to Tucson and back. I suspect that the 3G coverage or lack of is a complex issue that is more than the map or your phone and needs to be sorted out by Verizon. Everyone having these problems should call Verzon Tech Support and complain.
I'm currently on AT&T and everyone has similar complaints. Get over it, it's just a fact of mobile life.
Not sure if this will help you out mate, but you can try it:
Network Speed vs. Battery Life
Having 3G connectivity is extremely convenient, especially when accessing large amounts of Internet data, like when streaming music or videos, but there are still some areas where 3G just isn't available yet. When you live in an area where a 3G signal is poor or nonexistent, it can have adverse effects on your phone's battery life. When a 3G phone is on a 2G network, it significantly boosts its transmitting power in hopes of finding that faster 3G tower, which drains your battery even faster. Fortunately, Android lets you disable your 3G antenna if you are on the edge or outside of a 3G coverage area. You can do this by going into your phone's settings under Mobile Networks in the Wireless & Networks category. You will see an option called Network Mode or Use Only 2G Networks, depending on your device. You will want to select the GSM Only option or check the box for 2G Networks. This same concept can also be applied to 4G phones like the EVO 4G.
Taken from: http://gizmodo.com/5595010/how-to-be-an-android-power-user
Yes it talks about battery life, but it also talks about changing from 3G to 2G if your coverage is insufficient. See if it works for you until Verizon can help you out.
I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.
pipercrab your dead on right. when i`m at home i have excellent 3g signal strenght and my battery will last all day long but once i travel to work about 35 mins away the signal struggles to keep me in 3g service and thats when my phone will barely make it 5 hours before needing a recharge and i use it alot less at work. thank you for your post. it should help my battery last longer at work.
i've read on many blogs that you need to make sure that your wifi is shut off. for some reason it interferes with the signal. give it a try! let me know how you make out, since i just ordered my "X" today.
I have a problem understanding all the "3G dropping out " issue. I am in a small town in central NH, 10 miles and behind a hill from the nearest cell tower and 20 mi. from the next one. I get excellent phone service from my house and interrmittent 3G coverage but if I go around the hill the 3G is solid and for most areas here it the great north woods. I was in Portsmouth, NH yesterday for most of the day, using my phone regularly, sending email and pics, browsing the net, etc. and when I finally shut down and plugged in at 11:00 PM my battery (original) was at 80%. I use wifi at home for the market and browsing while plugged in but turn it off when not online. Verizon has the best signal it the country IMHO and I travel to different areas regularly. I frequently see people complaining about no cell service and ask what network they are on. Usually "one of the others" and I let them use mine occasionally. They are impressed. Of course Verizon has dead spots or areas of reduced coverage, they are dependent on cell towers and it does not make sense to build a cell tower where no one live. More towers are coming online all the time. I do a *228 at least once a month and many towers here are less than 3 years old.
I overall have great coverage. I listen to pandora radio through my car and everything everyday and have been on a couple of trips already with no hiccups.
I do have a problem though. My phone will show full 3G bars, but as soon as I hit the call button all the bars drop. It happens a lot and gets pretty annoying.
Could it be that the phone function does not use the 3G function but just the digital network? I think I read that somewhere on another forum/post.
I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.
We have strong signal at our house. 3 bars or better. 3G drops to 1X often with the DroidX.. Was not an issue with previous phones. Steady 3G. I can trick the DX to revert to 3G by toggling wifi or GPS. Hoping for stability with froyo.
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