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Yep ... 4G LTE is a myth

I get it. Extended, "fringe area," no guarantees, colors on the map, etc.

BUT I can take my phone anywhere within 50 miles of non-extended, supposed 4G LTE coverage and I STILL get only 3G on my HTC Thunderbolt (and we have TWO of them.

I am TIRED of the excuses, explanations, cross-blaming, and downright attitude of "you bought it, it's your problem now."

Sure there's a disclaimer ... but an average person (non-technical) doesn't realize that until you actually have the 4G in your hands, and you're reading Verizon's emails, time after time, that the bottom line is 4G LTE was a marketing technique that worked for Verizon. The customer? Not so much.

I was better off (and my phone bill would have been cheaper) if I just didn't listen to Verizon.

By the way, we've been Verizon customers for 10 years in CA, 8 years in PA, and almost 3 years in NC. Does that matter? No.

Now that I've sunk more money into Verizon, I will just have to wait until the contract for these phones runs out ... and severe our long-term relationship with Verizon for good.

Comments

mcpopp

It irks me to the Nth degree that Verizon Tech and Customer Service reps read these posts and just laugh at us because we listened to the hype and now they're racking in the dough.

Is there a class action suit anywhere about the supposed 4G LTE (the lack thereof) as promised by Verizon?

Anyone?

John_Getzke

Dont stress yourself over a response from Verizon. These are user forums and VZW has no obligation to read or respond to anything we post here.

On the subject of Class Action I have found this link to be useful in the past:

http://community.vzw.com/t5/4G-Discussion/Class-Action-Lawsuit-against-Verizon/td-p/731149

mcpopp

John ...

I did read all those posts.

Here's my comment to them:

I would think (IMHO) that even though Verizon says you can only take them to small claims court, the each State's Attorney General Offices would be able to do SOMETHING about the false advertising, failure to provide service that you are diligently paying for every month, etc.

It would seem to me that NO company is protected from bait and switch or false advertising and making obvious libelous statements like "Congratulations! You are covered!"

A Class Action Suit can be brought by anyone ... not just the customer. The States' AG is not bound by Verizon's rules ... especially if it is determined to be illegal to tell someone they have 4G LTE coverage in order to get a customer to buy into the hype, then afterwards ... and 6 months down the road ... the customer finds out that Verizon out and out lied about what "extended" or "fringe area" coverage really means.

It means you don't have it. Period.

Again, this is not a customer by customer issue. It's an issue that needs to be addressed on a Federal or State level.

davegr

*facepalm*

dmc271

mcpopp: I can sympathize with your frustration. Even if you were in a full 4G coverage zone, tech support will generally blame your signal. After I called a number of times to report 4G outages, the VZW coverage map was updated such that I'm now in an Extended 4G zone. Yes, a tiny square right over my 10 acre property is now Extended 4G, while all surrounding zones are still full 4G. It's quite ridiculous. VZW does not guarantee anything signal-related. It's easiest for them to just change their coverage maps.

Here's what might help your situation: Download an app called LTE On/Off. Then, using that app, switch your Preferred Network Type to "LTE mode." This will force the phone to ignore the 3G signal and instead look for 4G. If it can't find 4G, then it will (unfortunately) switch to 1X. But, many users have to do this to force the phone to attempt a 4G connection under weaker signal conditions. If, after you switch it into LTE only mode, you still see a 3G icon, then relaunch the LTE On/Off app, and make sure the setting actually took. (Sometimes, you have to choose "LTE mode" twice.) If it still doesn't work, reboot the phone and try again.

Now, if you find that you still can't get a 4G signal in LTE mode (meaning it reverts to 1X), take your phone outside (highest elevation possible), and try again. Perhaps near a window on the second floor (if one exists) will help.

If that still doesn't work, you might try the setup shown here:

http://www.jealousbrother.com/blog/detailed-wilson-electronics-4g-lte-801865-amplifier-compatible-antennae-304411-301111/

Best of luck, and let us know how things turn out.

mcpopp

@dmc271

As soon as I have some coffee I will try what you suggest. It's probably the best piece of usable information I've seen in months.

I will take it one step further and get in my car and drive to the areas on the map that are supposed to be a solid 4G connection as well. (As I've never gotten a 4G connection anywhere.)

I'll keep you posted. I still have hope. I am not a pessimist.

dmc271 <community@verizonwireless.com> wrote:

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dmc271 created the discussion

"Re: Yep ... 4G LTE is a myth"

To view the discussion, visit: https://community.verizonwireless.com/message/779123#779123

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