New AT&T cell towers online in Meredith and around the lake

[Moss Creek Media]

October 1st a bunch of new towers went online for AT&T around the Lakes Region

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...-63084657.html

"As part of its continuing network investment to support growing demand for advanced mobile devices and services, AT&T* today announced the activation of seven new cell sites in Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Moultonborough, Ossipee and Wolfeboro that will enhance coverage for area residents and businesses in and around New Hampshire's Lakes Region. By the end of the year, three additional sites are planned in Meredith and Ossipee."

I also noticed today on Twitter that the AT&T PR rep (http://twitter.com/k8att) posted..

"More bars! AT&T has just turned up a new cell site in Meredith, New Hampshire"

I didn't notice when I was in town today, but next time I head over there, I'll check to see if I get 5 bars all through the area.

Wonder if they'll ever fix the dead spot on Route 104

[searay220]

Has anyone noticed if they can get service in Winter Harbor now?

[fatlazyless]

Just up the hill from the Meredith roundabout on Route 3, there's a cell phone tower that is relatively short in height. The transmitter-receiver hardware at the top of the short tower is about 3-4 stories up.

It is directly next door to the new Meredith Bay assisted living building. Not knowing much about how cell towers work, it would appear that the radio transmissions must go directly through the Meredith Bay building when communicating to the east.

The cell tower predates the large assisted living facility by a few years.

The distance between the top of the tower and the Meredith Bay building is only about 100' which sure seems close? Cell phone towers and an elderly, or an injury recovery, assisted living population don't exactly go together like hot dogs and mustard.

Any 80 or 90-something year old residents over at Meredith Bay who have a pace maker implanted into your chest.......any chance you've been able to listen in on cell phone calls via your pace maker......how's that cell tower just next door working for you?

[BrownstoneNorth]

I got all excited when I received that press release by email from ATT, shortly before we spent two weeks in and around Wolfeboro. If anything, the service was worse. We have WiFi in our Wolfeboro house, so I can get internet and email that way at home on my Bberry, but for calls I have to use my husband's Verizon cell phone.

[Lakegeezer]

From what I can tell on the AT&T coverage map, they will be supporting GPRS here, with up to 115Kb data speeds in the lakes region. No support for 3G (broadband) here like Verizon offers. November 6'th, the Verizon Droid comes out - competition for the iPhone. I'm going to get an iPhone or Droid before the year is out. AT&T's announcement has me thinking again - the iPhone has its benefits - but then Verizon will give me more speed and the Droid has some cool features (if you can believe the marketing). Any advice?

[granitebox]

Subject to coverage issues, the iPhone, IMO, is 2nd to none. The interface alone is unbelievable, accomplishing any task is very intuitive and even without 3G, most functions are still faster than Verizon's.

[hazelnut]

Originally Posted by granitebox

Subject to coverage issues, the iPhone, IMO, is 2nd to none. The interface alone is unbelievable, accomplishing any task is very intuitive and even without 3G, most functions are still faster than Verizon's.

As a now former longtime Verizon customer and 4 year former blackberry owner and current AT&T iPhone user i could not agree more with the above statement. This phone(I am posting from my iPhone now) absolutely blows away anything on the market, hands down. The speed interface operation applications it is all so unbeleivably awesome! I am so glad I dumped my blackberry!!!!!

[granitebox]

I am also a former Verizon customer and live in an area without 3G (I actually have turned off the 3G functionality to extend battery life) -

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by granitebox

Subject to coverage issues, the iPhone, IMO, is 2nd to none. The interface alone is unbelievable, accomplishing any task is very intuitive and even without 3G, most functions are still faster than Verizon's.

My experience is different. I had a blackberry on Verizon, and then downgraded that to a standard flip phone and got an iPhone. Shortly after, I kept the iPhone but also went back to a blackberry on Verizon.

I use both every day. The iPhone has it's benefits, but the AT&T network pretty much sucks nationwide. I frequently get better/faster service on my blackberry than what AT&T can deliver to my iPhone. There are pockets where the iPhone has really good network speed, but AT&T is pretty much getting trounced for having a network that is not holding up to the user demands.

The iPhone is also missing simple external notifiers like an LED for missed calls or new messages, so if you're away from your phone for a while you need to pick it up, swipe to unlock and look for new message indicators. The blackberry just flashes a red LED to show missed calls/messages.

[hazelnut]

In a perfect world it would be nice to have both that is for sure!


Iphone pluses compared to my Blackberry are mostly related to the phone itself. I do live in a city so service is not an issue with AT&T. When I come up to the lake next I am going to do some testing of the service. I'll let you know my experience. Anyway service wise I am thrilled with AT&T here in my home town. Especially in my office where I had zero bars with Verizon and now have a full 5 bars. So the two places I spend the most time work and home have full service. Could not say the same for Verizon. That's the personal side of the equation.

Here is the rest.
The Iphone itself has so many uses it is mind boggling. It really is all about the apps. For example:

RedLaser
http://www.redlaser.com/
Actually scans product bar-codes and finds better prices for you.

Cardstar
http://www.mycardstar.com/
You know all those annoying cards you carry around, Shaws, CVS, etc. well punch in all the info and your phone is now your membership card

Shazam
http://www.shazam.com/music/web/pages/iphone.html
Listening to a great song and you have NO IDEA what the song is. Turn on this app and it listens to the song and then tells you the name and links you to Itunes where you can buy it directly on the phone.

Oh yeah did I also mention I use my Iphone as a kindle reader? Yeah there's an app for that.
Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.htm...cId=1000301301
I'm currently reading a Harlan Coben book on it. I have the hard cover version (Thanks to sa Meredith) but I also have the kindle version on my phone in case I am somewhere, like a waiting room, and want to read a bit of the book.

Oh and that is 4 out of 60+ apps on my phone and counting. Did I mention that I like the phone?

[Formula]

I had Verizon with a Blackberry until recently. My Wife has the AT&T service and not much service around our house at the end of Long Island. What I found out with my ne I-Phone is that I get less bars than my wife’s flip phone on the same service. The service is so tricky that if I stand on one leg in my family room I can get 2-3 bars but if i sit down in the same room I get no bars.
I plan on trying one of those in-home power repeaters. Has anyone tried one that they could recommend?
Thanks

[magicrobotmonkey]

I've already pre-ordered my droid! I agree that the iphone currently has the upper hand in apps, but as android (the operating system on the droid and quite a few other phones) gains market share, its app store will start to become as full as the iphones.

[hazelnut]

Originally Posted by magicrobotmonkey

I've already pre-ordered my droid! I agree that the iphone currently has the upper hand in apps, but as android (the operating system on the droid and quite a few other phones) gains market share, its app store will start to become as full as the iphones.

As a tech junky I can't wait to see it but... Wasn't the envy, the storm and every other phone supposed to be an iPhone killer? It seems that every launch of a new phone targeted at trying to overtake the iPhone falls so miserably short. Trust me as a Verizon customer I was always waiting, hoping, and praying for the next big thing to come to Verizon. I was always so disappointed. I have a few friends that have their BB Storms. There is no comparison in terms of OS and apps. I am so underwhelmed with those phones.

Apple just gets it, the ease of operation, the management of the phone through Itunes is so simple. My phone works so well with my work MS Outlook server, calendar, email. Way better than my blackberry ever hoped it could. I have my doubts that any phone will be able to catch up with the Applications market. 75,000 applications for the iPhone and counting. Not to mention the delivery system.

Itunes is a staple application for so many people it was a homerun for Apple to tie the phone to Itunes. You manage all your music, contact and photo settings, mail settings, applications in one simple easy to use platform on a Mac or a PC. The Blackberry Syncing system stunk out loud on a Mac and the PC version isn't much better. I wonder how the Droid will overcome this very important part of the equation.

If this website is ANY indication of the Droid I am skeptical of the impact this phone will have on the market:

http://phones.verizonwireless.com/motorola/droid/

Talk about a cluttered and confused mess. I hope the phone is nothing like that website. I will of course wait to pass judgment after the release of the phone. I want to see it in action.

Testing AT&T around the lake today I found the network to be pretty weak. I did notice that I had to go into the control panel to shut off the 3G option to maintain a consistent signal around the lake. Any other iPhone users want to confirm this for me? Is this something that you have to do when you are in the area? After I figured that out, I was getting decent service in most places. Meredith was the best. Tuftonboro was not so much.

One thing Verizon does have is unparalleled network coverage. Clear cut hands down winner. Not even a contest.

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by hazelnut

One thing Verizon does have is unparalleled network coverage. Clear cut hands down winner. Not even a contest.

I agree. I was a former AT&T and Sprint customer.

[John A. Birdsall]

So with all this useful information will my at&t cell phone work in Alton Bay?

[VtSteve]

At least T&T is trying to get better. My iPhone has better service here than any Verizon Phone I've ever had. It will probably be at leats 2 years before Verizon updates their services and gets the iPhone, maybe not even then. I'll just move to accommodate it

[Moss Creek Media]

I find I use the apps more than I make calls on my iPhone.

I love the location aware (gps) apps like searching for restaurants near where you are, or getting weather data by location.

[jetskier]

Originally Posted by VtSteve

At least T&T is trying to get better. My iPhone has better service here than any Verizon Phone I've ever had. It will probably be at leats 2 years before Verizon updates their services and gets the iPhone, maybe not even then. I'll just move to accommodate it

This is a rather odd data point. I have not had any Verizon coverage issue anywhere around the lake; if you have a very old analog phone, perhaps coverage would be an issue. The Verizon coverage map covers the entire lakes region.In addition, Verizon will be picking up the Android phone and that will compete directly with the iPhone.

I deal professionally with both Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless. The Verizon Wireless technical team is much better than AT&T Wireless and they continue to make significant investment in their network. They are building the first large scale LTE network. Clearly, I don't have a vested interest in either company, but Verizon Wireless has a much better network. Historically, AT&T Wireless has had better handhelds.

Jetskier

[Moss Creek Media]

I asked the AT&T PR rep on twitter when the dead spot on Route 104 and the deadspot in Sanbornton on I-93 will be fixed.

Her techs said that Route 104 should be online by the end of this year.

Sanbornton is slated for next year's budget.

[Pineedles]

I want to thank all you folks for this discussion about technology. It is very informative, and I appreciate it.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by hazelnut

As a tech junky I can't wait to see it but... Wasn't the envy, the storm and every other phone supposed to be an iPhone killer? It seems that every launch of a new phone targeted at trying to overtake the iPhone falls so miserably short. Trust me as a Verizon customer I was always waiting, hoping, and praying for the next big thing to come to Verizon. I was always so disappointed. I have a few friends that have their BB Storms. There is no comparison in terms of OS and apps. I am so underwhelmed with those phones.

Apple just gets it, the ease of operation, the management of the phone through Itunes is so simple. My phone works so well with my work MS Outlook server, calendar, email. Way better than my blackberry ever hoped it could. I have my doubts that any phone will be able to catch up with the Applications market. 75,000 applications for the iPhone and counting. Not to mention the delivery system.

Itunes is a staple application for so many people it was a homerun for Apple to tie the phone to Itunes. You manage all your music, contact and photo settings, mail settings, applications in one simple easy to use platform on a Mac or a PC. The Blackberry Syncing system stunk out loud on a Mac and the PC version isn't much better. I wonder how the Droid will overcome this very important part of the equation.

If this website is ANY indication of the Droid I am skeptical of the impact this phone will have on the market:

http://phones.verizonwireless.com/motorola/droid/

Talk about a cluttered and confused mess. I hope the phone is nothing like that website. I will of course wait to pass judgment after the release of the phone. I want to see it in action.

Testing AT&T around the lake today I found the network to be pretty weak. I did notice that I had to go into the control panel to shut off the 3G option to maintain a consistent signal around the lake. Any other iPhone users want to confirm this for me? Is this something that you have to do when you are in the area? After I figured that out, I was getting decent service in most places. Meredith was the best. Tuftonboro was not so much.

One thing Verizon does have is unparalleled network coverage. Clear cut hands down winner. Not even a contest.

While I agree that the Iphone is cool and compared to my BBerry is more of a play thing than a work thing. I still believe that Apple does not get it, when it comes to what customers want. Why would you partner a phone like this with a sub-par network like At&t. It is like going out and buying Porsche GT3 and only being able to drive in school zones. No matter how cool the item is, if you cannot take advantage of all its functions all the time, why bother. It kind of fits with Verizons TV ad, "Look paper weight Mode." My BB is on US cellular and while I have no 3G, I do have data and service in our entire market area, the owners same BB on verizon does not (in the dartmouth/sunapee side of the state). It is more important to me that the phone actually works were I need it, than what it can do. Hazelnut, it sounds like this was one big reason for your switch, when we looked into them for company phones the network would not even be worth the hassle.

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by VtSteve

At least T&T is trying to get better. My iPhone has better service here than any Verizon Phone I've ever had. It will probably be at leats 2 years before Verizon updates their services and gets the iPhone, maybe not even then. I'll just move to accommodate it

WOW! I find it the opposite. After 'mystery shopping' with an IPhone and BlackBerry, AT&T and Sprint respectively, north of Concord up to the Canadian border. The Verizon network is a clear winner. I am using a Treo on the Verizon network.

I also notice the Treo is 'dual band'. Not sure about the IPhone and BB. I can tell when Verizon jump a band by the digital/analog mode icon. Maybe that is why Verizon shows better coverage north of Concord.

I actually like the old Treo better. I just upgraded from a 700w to 700wx. And the OS from mobile 5 to mobile 6. The mobile 5 OS only allow me to do one task at a time. I can't use the phone and use the network at the same time. With Mobile 6, it is pretty slick to talk to someone while searching the internet!