Why is my cell tower signal strength so weak now?

[Naplescustomer]

Approximately 4 weeks ago the signal strength within my residence suddenly decreased to the point that calls frequently failed in mid conversation or never connected in the first place.  This was after over seven years of absolutely perfect service!  The problem is definitely not an issue with my specific phone since it affects my wife's phone, the phone of any Verizon customer who visits our house, and the phones of neighbors with Verizon service.  I can still use my phone reliably if I stand outside my house.  I've spent hours with Verizon personnel attempting to regain the service I'm still paying for.   After contacting several support personnel, I finally found one who was helpful enough to submit trouble ticket NRB00000978473.  A few days later, on April 24, I received a text message stating "Your reported service issue has been resolved.  Please retry your service".  I did, and absolutely nothing had changed.  The reported service issue was actually not resolved at all.  I responded to the text message (theoretically) letting Verizon know that the problem persisted, but never received any indication that a live person was on the receiving end of my  response.   My most recent phone conversation with Verizon support personnel (while standing outside my house) only resulted in being put on hold for a half hour.  The closest I've come for an explanation for the loss of tower signal came from an employee at the local Verizon store who suggested Verizon may be switching out their tower equipment to move toward 5G service.  I hope that this isn't the actual reason for the sudden drop in signal strength because it would mean that issue is not caused by equipment failure, but but rather a corporate decision.  In other words, not likely to be fixed any time soon.  

[vzw_customer_support]

Naplescustomer, we apologize for the negative impacts to your Verizon Wireless service while indoors at your home. Dropping phone calls and not having them connect is the last thing we want either. We appreciate all your calls and efforts to help correct this issue. Our network can change from time to time and filing a network ticket wasn't necessary in this case as our network engineers do not investigate indoor coverage issues nor is it something we guarantee.

Many factors outside of Verizon’s control can contribute to indoor performance even in cases where you may have had service in the past. Common causes for service-related changes may include: interference, in-building issues, foliage, construction, population changes and cell site changes (tower relocation, antenna alignment, power adjustment, etc.) The text message that you received is an automated response as there are no responses we provide via text message. To clear up any misinformation, this is not a result of 5G taking over your existing coverage. 4G LTE service is here to stay and 5G isn't replacing our 4G LTE network anytime soon. 

We wish things were different and that your service experience indoors at home was more consistent. Since indoor coverage isn't something we can guarantee, I would recommend referencing the link attached on how Wi-Fi Calling can help improve your calling experience indoors. When your signal is weak, your calls will automatically default to Wi-Fi Calling using your home internet connection if you have one. This will help correct any issues with poor audio, dropped calls, etc. Does this provide clarity? http://spr.ly/6601El9sV

AlanS_VZW

[64frustrated]

My problem is slightly different. I have lived here for over 30 years and have had no other provider than Verizon.   The signal is all of a sudden bad outside as well.  We tried the wi-fi route and we still have dropped calls.  

[pjsass]

I have the same problem on two devices. I cannot reach a live person anywhere. All I get is automated responses with choices that are not appropriate to my issue. After over 25 years and several devices I’m thinking of leaving Verizon

[WKirk001]

I'm considering leaving Verizon as well. Just spent the last 2 hours trying to explain the issue only to have my signal drop in and out so issues I couldn't finish one chat session with 6 attempts. Finally called and was or in hold for so long I just hung up. Very frustrating!

[vzw_customer_support]

Getting the best service for your money is essential. We're sorry to see that you've been having issues with your service. Please keep in mind that there are several factors that can affect your service. Cell sites are shared resources, similar to a highway. This means that if the number of users increases in our network, there will be a higher possibility of reduced speeds or lower signal in the area. There can be other factors that can affect your experience, for example, cell site changes, foliage, construction, population changes, and interference. The great news is that 5G is just around the corner, which will provide you better indoor coverage and data speeds that were only limited to our imagination.

AaronS_VZW

[TamaraR]

Same problem here, but not just in the house. Years and years of stellar service, but now dropping calls like absolute crazy. Can barely get more than one bar. There’s a tower less than a mile from me.  So so frustrating. Definitely a problem that will drive me to a different provider. 

[vzw_customer_support]

@TamaraR , 

We'd always want to know if you were having trouble with a connection, and no one would want to see you go. However, when it comes to indoor coverage, no carrier can guarantee that in all areas. There's still a lot more we'd want to know about where you are when this happens, but have you considered using our free Wi-Fi Calling feature? It's made specifically for areas where you may not have the best connection, but it does require a Wi-Fi signal to work: https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/wifi-calling-faqs/

RussellM_VZW

[icecreamjulie31]

The exact same thing happened to me today.  I called customer service about the cruddy signal and the call drops.  The did call me back the first time it dropped but not the second time.  Another reason to leave!!!

[icecreamjulie31]

So, if enough people move to another carrier maybe the Verizon signal will get better.  That's a great way to do business.  Makes me want to leave more!!!