NYC midtown Horrible Data speeds and LTE MIA most of the time
Yujin
Newbie

Hi,

I work in midtown Manhattan and commute from Sunnyside, Queens. I noticed that my iphone 5 has horrible data speedsin NYC, it was bad with 3G(fastest network my sweet cheeks). Heard great things about LTE and Verizon, but the problem in NYC is not phone related (android users also are slow and having issues).  This seems to be the general issue with everyone i talk to, my phone goes from edge to 3g and edge and I'm on 45th and 5th ave. surrounded by windows. Phone calls work great and when i had a 3g only phone data was laughable at .1 mb. Now with LTE it is slower than ATT 3G (and that is saying something.

Anybody having issues like this? It is all over NYC, and unless you go away from the city where no one lives then you get better services..I was in Atlanta and the data speeds was AMAZING, come back to NYC and i just cant get the LTE signal to show up for days..I understand there was a hurricane, but this has been going on way before that and in fact, service seems a little better than before after the hurricane

If you are having this issue on any phone, please share your experience. I heard that Verizon may even waive the ETF since apparently they cannot fix this issue and is all over the NYC area. If you were offered a ETF waiver please share too.. I still have a 2 year contract, but canceling would be a last resort and it will mean getting new phones for all the family and we are so mad we are willing to do that, but the ETF is just armed robbery.

Labels (1)
0 Likes
Reply
52 Replies
Goola
Newbie

I can confirm the above problems as well. I work in the Financial District in downtown Manhattan and I've had terrible experience with data so far.  The issues with data connection has been there for months, I've been with Verizon for a few years now and data speeds in Manhattan has been getting worse each year. I had an old DroidX (3G only) and the data reception were non-existent at times and most times slower than dial up. I had been running speed tests and not speaking from browsing experience or anything. The data problems got so bad that I suspected my old phone's antenna had given up. I  switched to a Galaxy Nexus phone with the exact same results. Little or no data connection with extremely slow connection when it is present. 4G reception is the only time I get reliable data (although at 3G speeds) but unfortunately more often than not 4G is not available.

At this point, I know that I'm going to get terrible data speeds or no data at all when I see 3G on my phone. I've been out of contract for months now. I'm trying to evaluate other carriers but I do not know how well they fare in Manhattan. I've heard complaints from AT&T users as well, especially in the midtown area.

0 Likes
Reply
Prizm
Enthusiast - Level 2

I can confirm the awful speeds in Midtown. 

I just got the iphone5 and the service for VZ is terrible in Midtown. As in non-existent on quite a few streets from 10th Ave at 42nd. All the way over to Bryant Park. Considering this is where I work, this may be a deal breaker for me.

This is like going back to the bad old days of Cell Service with ATT. 

Verizon - you disappoint, in one of your largest markets/if not THE largest market on the planet. Step it up.

0 Likes
Reply
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Did you ever think that maybe the issues you are seeing are still related to damage done from Hurricane Sandy? The landline services that support all the cellular tower were severely flooded and now it has to be rebuilt to restore full functionality.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

0 Likes
Reply
Prizm
Enthusiast - Level 2

I would attribute this terrible service to Hurricane Sandy. However, the complaints of awful service have existed prior to Sandy hitting.  Coverage in the city is very spotty.  Midtown is a nightmare.  Next to zero service.

0 Likes
Reply
Yujin
Newbie

That was what verizon said, but the service AFTER sandy is better than BEFORE sandy. And even now they said the signal is within marginal error...which is basically saying...our "marginal" error is what they can live with and not fix it...what ever that is.in any case, I'm sick of verizon and i switched from ATT and when i did their 3g was horrible, now their LTE is horrible. Good for calls, but most smartphones are meant to be more than just phones. cant wait for my contract to be over so i can move back to ATT, i have a family plan so is not as cheap as canceling one line and getting new phones...hope people read this and see what it is really about....

0 Likes
Reply
4ktvs
Contributor - Level 1

You may be able to get out of the ETF if you call and tell them you will tell the FCC that you are not getting any ware near the rated speeds for LTE in your area. Or the BBB may work as well.

Good luck, hope you get good data speed's.

0 Likes
Reply
scott21
Contributor - Level 2

LMAO you ny people kill me.

0 Likes
Reply
mivar
Newbie

I got the iPhone 5 last week and can confirm similar experiences with VZ LTE. Should have read this forum and the various comments before i got the new iPhone 5.  I am only getting 2 or 1 bars on LTE at work & home in Manhattan (5th and 23rd  - as central as it gets). if I turn the LTE off and turn off all the notifications etc. i get 4 bars...not really a solution since i procured the iPhone 5 for the LTE service. Thinking of returning the phone.  The store rep told me that I had 14 days.  I am sure there some fine print that will hold me hostage.

If you have a iPhone 4S then think twice about upgrading to a iPhone 5. It might not be worth the hassle in NYC in my opinion.

0 Likes
Reply
Yujin
Newbie

I was in the same boat, every one brags and praises verizon, but now i feel like their false advertising is not based on real world test, but testing on empty markets. If you can, return that phone, you may need to pay a restocking fee, but tell them you got not service, and even if you have to pay the restocking fee, better than give them a few thousand a year just for crappy speeds and bad service (even their reps tell me their network sucks).

I got fed up and while my contract is up next month (i will cancel it), i already switched to AT&T and their coverage and speeds is short of amazing. See my speed test below, taken on the same spot where i usually test my verizon phone (my office in midtown). I also tested them in the building's elevator (where never had a signal) and the speed dropped to 32MB down..not bad...i guess ATT really beefed up their network since the days of crappy 3G and dropped calls...

IMG_1117.PNG

0 Likes
Reply
milan03
Newbie

You do realize that you're on much emptier LTE network yourself? AT&T doesn't have nearly as many LTE users as Verizon currently has after 2 years of commercial availability. On an empty Verizon network, or even as recent as 10 months ago I used to max out sectors at just under 72mbps. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rwsM7eHRYE

But this is to be expected, I just hope that Verizon addresses this issue soon, with possible 40Mhz of AWS spectrum they own in NYC Metro. Since the network is Rel 8, maybe with parallel LTE Band for capacity for now, and possible aggregation down the road.

0 Likes
Reply
4ktvs
Contributor - Level 1

I think Verizon is going to be stuck with 4G speed issues over the next 2-3 years. Due to mostly only having the 700mhz band. AT&T has the 700, 1700/2100 and now the 2.3Ghz bands to help. Sprint has the 1900mhz, 2.5ghz and 800 mhz bands.

I think even t-mobile will be in a better place (air space, not $ or any of that) with all the 1700/2100 band they have.

I have seen speeds as low as 200-300kbs down and 500kbs up in the RDU area over the last few days. ( It's not even nearly as big as NYC so yea.)

To the OP: Hope AT&T works better for you and man I wish I got speeds like that at home.

P.S Sorry Verizon did not work for you OP and any one else in the NYC area.

0 Likes
Reply
milan03
Newbie

Why would you ever assume that?

Verizon has 2x10Mhz of 700Mhz Upper C Nationwide.

AT&T has many markets with only 2x5Mhz of 700Mhz.

Verizon will deploy AWS in 2013 and in most markets they have enough for 2x20Mhz or at least 2x10Mhz.

AT&T is left with mostly 2x5Mhz chunks of AWS in a extremely limited amount of markets after a failed T-Mobile merger.

Verizon could also start refarming their Cellular and PCS spectrum now (if necessary), where they hold a massive amount of spectrum.

AT&T's 2.3Ghz spectrum won't be used for another 3 years (at least) as that LTE Band is globally not even created/certified and there is no equipment available. That process takes quite a while.

The point is that by May of 2013, Verizon will have their entire 3G footprint blanketed with 2x10Mhz LTE, and at that point they can start adding AWS carriers, VoLTE, and improving cell density in Urban Areas.

AT&T won't even have their 3G footprint overlaid with LTE until the end of 2014, and they still have quite a few areas with EDGE only.

I'm really excited about T-Mobile's Release 10 LTE-Advanced network though. They'll be able to push 2x10Mhz in AWS in 2013, but after their merger with MetroPCS we'll be looking at 2x20Mhz across 90% of top 100 markets and in some markets supplemental 10-20Mhz of AWS for the downlink carrier aggregation if needed. They're really not squatting on any unused spectrum, mad props.

0 Likes
Reply
4ktvs
Contributor - Level 1

I should have said in the "big" city's like NYC or now I guess Raleigh will be having speed issues. My slip up, sorry for that.

If verizon was going to do AWS in 2013, why do phones on verizon like the S3 not have it then?

I know there footprint will be better, I never said that was a issue.

As for T-moblie, I hope they can push LTE over 100% of there 2G/3G/4G area, but I don't know what the odds are of that happening.

0 Likes
Reply
milan03
Newbie

Well in most "big cities" Verizon has an extra 40Mhz of AWS Band 4 waiting to be deployed. That's LTE real world throughput peaking at 150mbps with Category 4 User Equipment that's coming out in 2013. On top of their existing 2x10Mhz of 700Mhz Band 13 that currently peaks at about 73mbps in my own tests, with favorable conditions, and all resource blocks available: http://i.imgur.com/8gHeCl.png

Not sure why Verizon's current LTE UE are not supporting Band 4, but I'm expecting that to happen with the next batch of high end devices after CES. It wouldn't make any sense not to have Band 4 support, especially since Verizon recently announced AWS deployment as soon as the footprint is covered with 700Mhz.

T-Mobile has an advantage of coming late to the LTE game, so they're deploying top of the line LTE-Advanced equipment from SNS and Ericsson which will propagate better, with radio top electronics, RRH, etc... So they're set for a while.

0 Likes
Reply
NYC_Husker
Newbie

I've faced the same problem.  Just got my iPhone 5 a week or so ago and find that the LTE service is worse than when I had my iPhone 4 on 3G service.  The problem is worse in my office (midtown Manhattan) than at home (UWS), but I still noticed while traveling around Denver and the Rockies this past weekend that the coverage wasn't much better.  What gives, Verizon?!

0 Likes
Reply
gmarch
Newbie

Same here. I worked on the lower ease side (Barclay Street). 4G was spotty at best, and 3G would drop often.

I am now on the lower west side (Old Slip). 4G is completely non-existent. As for 3G, I rarely get a data connection for more than a few seconds before it drops.

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

0 Likes
Reply
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

gmarch, no worries. I'm here to get you reconnected to our data network. Try removing the sim card briefly and placing it back into your device. Additionally, you will also need to power cycle your phone off/on. This soft reset will improve your data connection. Keep us posted.

LasinaH_VZW
VZW Support
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSUPPORT

0 Likes
Reply
milan03
Newbie

I'm sure everyone has already done that, but thanks for the response. That's not gonna do much if there is capacity issue with Verizon's LTE in New York City.

0 Likes
Reply
tmfster
Newbie

I agree with milan03.

In fact, not only did I do the above, but VZN actually sent me a new phone and SIM card. Obviously, none of this worked because it's a VZN service issue, not a phone issue.

0 Likes
Reply
bdoppelt
Newbie

This actually did work for me. Highly recommend trying. (After receiving new phone at apple store)

Sent from Mailbox for iPhone

On Fri, Mar 29, 2013 at 3:27 PM, tmfster <community@verizonwireless.com>

0 Likes
Reply