Cell Phone Reception

[Challenger]

Live near Tamarind Grove-Buttonwood . Sprint service is bad . Lots of lost calls. Any suggestions? Price is not as important as reliable service

[BnCinME]

Live near Tamarind Grove-Buttonwood . Sprint service is bad . Lots of lost calls. Any suggestions? Price is not as important as reliable service

We've been with Verizon Wireless for years. We get great reception in Tamarind Grove area and all thoughout TV. Customer service is A+ which is an added bonus.

[Graytop]

Live near Tamarind Grove-Buttonwood . Sprint service is bad . Lots of lost calls. Any suggestions? Price is not as important as reliable service

Around here,....at least right now, Verizon rules...

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Verizon seems to have the overall best reception in TV from people I've talked with. AT&T continues to make promises/projections as to when their service will improve. Latest blurb from them has been through the POA. See p.7:

http://www.poa4us.org/bulletins_files/bulletin201202.pdf

The Microcell is obviously a stop-gap measure and also doesn't do you any good if you're mobile and not at your house. But it would be an option for existing users. Many have related their experience here on TOTV about getting the Microcell for free in the past.

The POA's article does add credibility to AT&T's latest "storyline" about what they're going to do and when. It'll be great if AT&T finally DOES follow through on a commitment!

Suggestion: Don't switch to AT&T.......yet.

Bill :)

[natickdan]

We have Sprint and don't have any issues from our home here in Buttonwood. In fact, I don't recall any dropped calls in or around TV.

Data speeds, however, are not great @ 512kb ( this is not an issue if you are using wi-fi ). Having a 4G connection would be great, but I'm not counting on it anytime soon.

[Tom Grooms]

Verizon wireless for the WIN! I was a long time AT&T customer and had to switch before I moved down here as AT&T's coverage in the Villages was slim to none.

I am now LOVING Verizon and there 4G LTE service. I get 30mb+ download and 15mb+ upload speeds. :thumbup::thumbup: Its faster than my Comcast cable

Tom
St James

[784caroline]

NEXTEL service is great.....even though NEXTEL is part of sprint they have different towers and technology......practically all TV workers contractors use the NEXTELL system all throughout TV including the new areas south of 466A.

The unfortunate thing is that NEXTELL "may" be phased out in 2013 - 2014.

[Challenger]

It looks like Verizon might be worth a try. Thanks for the replies-this type of help is great when uprooting after 73 years in the same general area.

[sukismom]

Verizon!

[Serenoa]

I have been employed in the telecom field since the mid 90s and the engineering firm that I work for here in Alabama does a ton of work for Verizon all over the state of Florida. Despite what AT&T may claim in their print, radio & TV ads, their coverage in Florida doesn't even come close to Verizon's. For every 10 tower sites that we do work at for Verizon, AT&T might also have have antennas and equipment at 3, maybe 4 of them. Verizon is the best, by far.

[joanofarctv]

All I have to say about AT&T is UGH!

[Junebugs]

We had a lot of problems with our cell phone coverage with AT&T. We had a lot of dropped calls or no signal throughout the Villages. Looks like we may need to switch to Verizon.

[Sail41]

I have no problems in the Villages with t mobile. Been with them for years. Plus I can take my phone anywhere out of the country and it works as it's a gsm. Not so with verizon.

[daca55]

The latest I have heard from At & T is they have plans to install 2 towers in the Villages to improve service. One is supposed get installed this summer and the other in the fall. Don't take my word for it. give them a call,:loco:

[BobbyK]

I live in Bottonwood and just got a ATT Micro Cell and we have 5 Bars now

[Bill-n-Brillo]

The latest I have heard from At & T is they have plans to install 2 towers in the Villages to improve service. One is supposed get installed this summer and the other in the fall. Don't take my word for it. give them a call,:loco:

"Give them a call" - good one!!! :thumbup:

See the link in post #4 in this thread for the latest scoop.

Bill :)

[ProfEngineer]

Live in Tamarind Grove area and purchased AT&T Microcell first of February, one problem, AT&T does not have the home addresses in their data base and without a valid 911 address in their data base it will not work. AT&T first said would be connected by February 14 now moved to March 14. The Villages may have negotiated a deal with AT&T for cheaper price but price does not load their data base.

[PennBF]

I am sure AT&T is aware of the problems in The Villages and knows specifically where the reception is weak or non existance. They can bring up on their computers/laptops screens the coverages by color which identifies who/where there is coverages, where there are marginal coverages and where there is no coverage. The no coverages are being addressed by new towers that should be in operation by Sept. (maybe earlier).:mornincoffee:

[Challenger]

Presently have Sprint with poor reception. Others say AT&T is the same in this area. Looking to sign with V in the next few days and swithch to
iphone4s at the same time. Are there any Verizon subscribers in this area(TG and Button) that can speak on the issues of reception?. Does phone model make any difference?

[CarGuys]

Verizon! They all have good and bad attributes but I am sooooo Glad we have Verizon.

I am also in Tamarind and in the home it can be weak.

Talked to Verizon and soon another tower will be up to help us as we are on the end of the strong signals.

However even then it works well. Now is Apple will only come out with a new iPhone 4g!

Herv

[Dennis Ga]

I have always had AT&T but was at our house in Sabal Chase this week getting people set up to do things for us before we move in. The only place I could make a call from was in the Kitchen leaning on the door to the garage. We will be moving in on a Saturday and 1st thing Monday we are going to get Verizon phones as we are not going to have a land line so want to make sure we can call out if we need to.

[JohnN]

I'm a retired AT&T guy and sorry to say, Verizon wins.

My AT&T wireless has been spotty, non-existent inside the home with the hurricane roofing. I got a microcell for $50 (not free) and it's a stopgap,
it does work in the house, but service is still spotty elsewhere.

When I'm there fulltime, likely I'll go to Verizon.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

We're still holding out hope that AT&T will finally stand behind their repeated commitments and get some new towers online by this fall in TV. As snowflakes, the aggravation with our poor reception there is infrequent so it's somewhat tolerable.

We're not contractually locked in to AT&T right now........but we've got the reverse problem in OH. We had Verizon for years and were very happy with them and the service/signal quality.....until we moved down the road back in '08, only to find that the Verizon signal at the new place was not acceptable! So we had to switch to AT&T - it was the only provider with a decent signal in our area. :sigh:

But I guess if that's the biggest dilemma we have in our lives, we're in pretty good shape overall!! :thumbup:

Bill :)

[Joaniesmom]

We're moving to Village of Briar Meadow some time this summer. We currently use Consumer Cellular. Works great here in Ohio. Excellent customer service and reception. However, they use AT&T system. Noticed that reception in TV was "Good" vs "Excellent." Anybody living in Forsyth Villas have a recommendation for us? We would like to avoid having a landlline installed. Your help would be appreciated!

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Joaniesmom, congrats on your upcoming move!!!

Regarding your cell reception at your new home: Personally, I'd wait til you get to TV to see what your reception with your phones will be like. If you've followed the various threads over time on TOTV regarding cell service, everyone seems to have different results with AT&T's service. Seems to depend on where you're trying to use your phone.

If you do find that you're not happy with the signal strength/quality, there is an option: a 3G Microcell. See the article on p.7 in the following link for a recent development along this line:

http://www.poa4us.org/bulletins_files/bulletin201202.pdf

You'll note in other TOTV threads that a number of people have been able to get the microcell from AT&T for free in the past.

Caveat: The microcell requires a broadband internet connection as it piggybacks onto that connection.

Hope all of that helps!

Bill :)

[sukismom]

Thats great if you never plan to leave your house. Declined that option from AT&T. Went with Verizon. Now I can use my cell phone in or out of the house with no issues.

[looneycat]

We're still holding out hope that AT&T will finally stand behind their repeated commitments and get some new towers online by this fall in TV. As snowflakes, the aggravation with our poor reception there is infrequent so it's somewhat tolerable.

We're not contractually locked in to AT&T right now........but we've got the reverse problem in OH. We had Verizon for years and were very happy with them and the service/signal quality.....until we moved down the road back in '08, only to find that the Verizon signal at the new place was not acceptable! So we had to switch to AT&T - it was the only provider with a decent signal in our area. :sigh:

But I guess if that's the biggest dilemma we have in our lives, we're in pretty good shape overall!! :thumbup:

Bill :)

got the microcell for free still dumped them. ATT has been making the new cell tower promise for the 'third quarter' for each of the last three years. :(

[Bill-n-Brillo]

got the microcell for free still dumped them. ATT has been making the new cell tower promise for the 'third quarter' for each of the last three years. :(

I'd venture to guess that there's a better chance of it becoming a reality this time around given the POA got involved.

Fortunately for us that we're only snowflakes at present so we just deal with the reception issues. Up in OH (and pretty much everywhere else), we have minimal issues with AT&T's service. So we're sticking by them for the present. But I can understand a frog's viewpoint in switching to a different service in TV!

Bill :)

[looneycat]

I'd venture to guess that there's a better chance of it becoming a reality this time around given the POA got involved.

Fortunately for us that we're only snowflakes at present so we just deal with the reception issues. Up in OH (and pretty much everywhere else), we have minimal issues with AT&T's service. So we're sticking by them for the present. But I can understand a frog's viewpoint in switching to a different service in TV!

Bill :)

yep loved them up north, they don't have the coverage down here...believed their promises the first year, believed them when they repeated them the second year ...not! and now its <sigh> the third year they are saying it. :(

[mfp509]

I've had AT&T for about 8 years and just started having the problem of no reception, dropped calls etc last November. I don't believe it is my phone because I have reception elsewhere away from my home. Each time I have called I've been told that people near Rte 42 are having problems. Well, I've waited long enough for their so called new or additional towers. I'm ready to drop them and go with Verizon.

[CarGuys]

Verizon rules in most areas but to be honest in our home in Tamarind Grove it's sometimes very weak or spotty.

Verizon told me a new tower will be coming soon to cover the increased homes being built in that area.

Now if we could only get FIOS! for all! Anyone out there from Verizon listening!

Can you Hear me Now?