AT&T in Prescott

[TonioLarabi]

We are an APPLE family, therefore we own many iPhones. Unfortunately, AT&T does not have acceptable service in and around Prescott, Arizona. Also, AT&T does not offer 3G here. AT&T offers 3G in Flagstaff and many other cities, however they have not paid attention to their customers in Prescott. Any advise?

[viewfly]

If ATT has poor service in your area (3G or 2G) why did you go with ATT? Best to switch to another carrier then.

[hme83]

Welcome to WA!

Are you within the original return period on your iPhones/service? If so, you may want to consider returning the phones and cancel your service agreement(s). The return period is intended to allow users to see how the coverage is where they need/use their phones.

Other than that - the only thing I know to do is to call customer service and complain - and keep calling. The coverage viewer at at&t's website indicates the coverage is "good" for Prescott, so it could be that there are some network adjustments that need to be made (although many users report that at&t's coverage maps are generous). You can drill down on the map to the specific areas where you are having issues and if they show good coverage there, I'd report the issues to at&t. But the fact that there is no at&t store in Prescott (nearest one is 60 + miles away in Flagstaff) makes me question how "good" the coverage there really is.

I was in Arizona recently - and I was surprised at how little coverage I had. I had service in Flagstaff, Kingman - surprisingly in Seligman (?), and in Page. But immediately outside of those cities it was "no service available".

[TonioLarabi]

Well, if you know about Apple, they have an EXCLUSIVE deal with AT&T. It is not very smart on Apple's part, as AT&T is one of the weakest carriers. I travel a lot (around the world), so my iPhone is perfect for me and I would not change it for anything. However, I just purchased a Z Boost, for the Prescott home and still terrible signal.

So, to answer your question, since I will not part from my Apple iPhone, I HAVE to stay with AT&T.

With that knowledge, can you recommend any other equipment (like Z Boost), that would strengthen the signal at my home in Prescott?

Regarding the 3G, I pay an EXTRA $30.00 per month for the data plan, yet cannot get 3G here. That is a "non-issue", as AT&T has to make it available. I am only interested in improving the cellular signal, in my home, in Prescott. (works perfectly in Phoenix, Flagstaff, New York, Philadelphia and Europe).

Thanks for the feedback.

[hme83]

Hopefully some others will be able to provide usable input re: boosting the cellular signal in your home - I've really not seen much consistently positive information re: doing so.

And perspectives re: the weakest carriers probably depend on where you live/work/need the cellular service. Where I live at&t is about the only option, although Verizon has entered the eastern part of the state. (T-Mo coverage is not adequate once you get anywhere off of the major interstates.)

I may be misinterpreting your statement re: 3G service being a "non-issue" - but AFAIK at&t is under no obligation/makes no commitment to provide 3G service everywhere. Yes, a data plan is required with the iPhone (as of Sept. 6th a $30 data plan is actually required with any smartphone/pda purchased from at&t); but the fee is for unlimited data "access/usage" - 2G or 3G. If you live in an area with 3G service, you get 3G data; if you live in an area with only 2G service, you get 2G data - all for the same monthly fee.

If you spend enough time away from your home that keeping the iPhone makes sense, you may want to consider using another carrier that provides better coverage at home when you are home? Or as I said before - I'd take a look at the specific locations within Prescott on at&t's coverage map - if you are having issues in areas they indicate good/excellent coverage - then complain about it - incessantly. But if you are having issues in areas where they indicate there is no or only marginal coverage, there isn't much you can do.