vB Easy Archive - What's the word on Alabama going 3G(Outside of Birmingham)?

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What's the word on Alabama going 3G(Outside of Birmingham)?
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Posted by: neilson

Anyone that knows, please chime in. The closest I heard was Huntsville in the 2nd half of 2007 but I want to hear something more specific for all the major state metros. Thanks.

Posted by: BWD

I heard October 07 for Huntsville, can anyone confirm?

Posted by: timhow

I haven't heard definite word, but I'm hoping that $27M that AT&T spent to upgrade Alabama's network included some 3G love somewhere else in the state. If Huntsville went 3G, I'd be in hog heaven.

Posted by: HF_fiend

Quote:

Originally Posted by timhow

... If Huntsville went 3G, I'd be in hog heaven.

AGREED!!! My Blackjack went 3G for 15 mins after lunch yesterday and I was in shock. Then I realized it was just a joke my phone was playing on me. My top bar icons sometimes display 3G even when I'm on EDGE, strange behavior!!

Posted by: Batman665

I would think that Mobile & Montgomery would get it about the same time. Probably Mobile before Montgomery though, just because of the amount of business that happens in the port.

Posted by: mobilelawyer

Well, its not on yet down here in Mobile. Since I don't tether, I am rather ambivalent about it. When I have gone into 3g areas, the only verification that I get is the icon and the high speed shown at dslreports. I notice very little difference with surfing the internet on my Blackjack. In fact, I rather enjoy the longer battery life the Edge gives the device!

Posted by: timhow

I'm not sure if this article has been posted before.

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds...701082007-1.htm

In the fifth paragraph it states...

"AT&T has delivered dramatic change in Alabama -- a direct result of the company's continuing efforts to expand and enhance its network operations and the synergies that come from being part of the world's largest communications company. Through the introduction of a blazing-fast 3G network in Birmingham, customers now have access to DSL-type speeds for their laptops and access to the latest entertainment, news and weather programming through AT&T Video and AT&T Music via their handset. Later this year, AT&T plans to roll out its wireless broadband network in Huntsville, and that will give more consumers in the state access to these advanced services."

At least Huntsville is on the radar.

Posted by: BWD

nobody knows a date for huntsville? technicians? somebody?

Posted by: jon8105

Yeah, I too would like to know. My contract for Verizon ends on October 31, so if AT&T 3G comes to Huntsville then I will probably ditch Verizon and go with them. The main reason is that the phones for GSM seem to have more advanced features than on CDMA.

I like the new i-mate phones that are supposed to come out this October!! The features on this phone are much greater than that on the Verizon XV6800 that is also supposed to be released in October. However, if I can't get 3G then I might just stick with Verizon, because I am liking the high speeds of EVDO Rev-A.

Here's for hoping for 3G in October!!

Posted by: jon8105

I called a couple of ATT/Cingular stores (one in decatur and one in Huntsville) and they both said that most of North Alabama will have 3G by the end of September to early October. I hope that is true!!

Posted by: mobilelawyer

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon8105

I called a couple of ATT/Cingular stores (one in decatur and one in Huntsville) and they both said that most of North Alabama will have 3G by the end of September to early October. I hope that is true!!

But what about L.A.? (Lower Alabama)

Posted by: didefresh2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobilelawyer

But what about L.A.? (Lower Alabama)

I want to know that too.

Posted by: BWD

Now I've heard from 3 sales reps it is Nov 15th for Huntsville area. Actually 2 said the 15th and one said the 17th. Not as soon as I had hoped for but it will have to do. Hopefully it is true - i guess no way to tell?

Posted by: Sofly24

What about Auburn, Alabama? I am student here, and when I had Sprint even they had 3G, hopefully it will come soon here!!!

Posted by: didefresh2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sofly24

What about Auburn, Alabama? I am student here, and when I had Sprint even they had 3G, hopefully it will come soon here!!!

Montgomery will get it before Auburn.

Posted by: Sofly24

Well I thought it wouldn't really matter because Sprint gave 3g to Auburn before Montgomery.

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

I picked up 3G last week in Mobile, AL I guess they were testing it

Posted by: didefresh2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

I picked up 3G last week in Mobile, AL I guess they were testing it

where at, where at? Inquiring minds want to know.

Posted by: mobilelawyer

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

I picked up 3G last week in Mobile, AL I guess they were testing it

Good news to here, but not sign of it yet on my Blackjack. Was in Austin, Houston and Corpus Christi this week, and, of course, they all had it.

Posted by: BB Junkie

When will it come to Tuscaloosa? what about Jasper, northwest of Birmingham?

Thanks!

Posted by: didefresh2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobilelawyer

Good news to here, but not sign of it yet on my Blackjack. Was in Austin, Houston and Corpus Christi this week, and, of course, they all had it.

not a sign of it on my v3xx in Mobile yet. I just got home from Orlando and got it there and in Tallahassee--so it's there.

Posted by: dvsone79

Anyone know of any word yet on 3G in Huntsville? I've heard October from a Sales Rep on University Drive Cingular (AT&T) store, but he could be wrong, or not know what he's talking about.

Posted by: BWD

A salesperson at the airport road store in Huntsville said Nov 17th is the date. So now we're up to 2 people saying Nov 15th and 2 people saying Nov 17th. Anybody else hear anything?

Posted by: dvsone79

UPDATE: talked to the Assistant Manager at Airport Rd. AT&T store in H'ville, and got a firm word that 3G will be out mid-November. They will be deploying it on one tower, and move on to the next, so we should be seeing sporadic coverage, and see it expand. From the way he explained it, once the tower(s) are rolled out w/ 3G, they'll stay on it, and the process will start before the official 3G "release date", meaning that many towers should have 3G w/in the next few weeks or so.

I'm pumped!

Posted by: TH3J3RK

I called a Decatur, AL. store today and they said 3 months. I'll cakk around more later this week.

Posted by: BWD

I don't think Decatur or Athens is going to be included in the Huntsville launch. Just Huntsville and Madison from what I've heard.

Posted by: enigma99a

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvsone79

UPDATE: talked to the Assistant Manager at Airport Rd. AT&T store in H'ville, and got a firm word that 3G will be out mid-November. They will be deploying it on one tower, and move on to the next, so we should be seeing sporadic coverage, and see it expand. From the way he explained it, once the tower(s) are rolled out w/ 3G, they'll stay on it, and the process will start before the official 3G "release date", meaning that many towers should have 3G w/in the next few weeks or so.

I'm pumped!

That sounds like baloney. When the RNC is turned up, it will probably be 60-75% of capacity (on air). They will not put one site on the RNC and put a 2nd, etc.

Posted by: dvsone79

Quote:

Originally Posted by enigma99a

That sounds like baloney. When the RNC is turned up, it will probably be 60-75% of capacity (on air). They will not put one site on the RNC and put a 2nd, etc.

So you're saying it isn't likely to deploy an interface on a site-by-site basis? But perhaps they have to tweak the tower(s) in some way for the interface to work on each site. I don't know much about radio frequencies and the technology used for UMTS vs. GSM, etc., but I know enough to understand the logic behind testing the new network interface on each tower before rolling it out.

Posted by: enigma99a

Yes, they will install a UMTS cabinet on a site-by-site basis, along with the radios etc, but it's not going to be on the air until enough sites are built. Maybe I misunderstood the statement?

Posted by: TH3J3RK

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWD

I don't think Decatur or Athens is going to be included in the Huntsville launch. Just Huntsville and Madison from what I've heard.

I wouldn't think Decatur would get launched but I can hope. Any clue on what kind of activity I could look for at a tower if they were working on it. At a tower about a block away there has been activity for a few weeks. Maybe just a coincidence.

Posted by: BWD

7 days till the supposed launch. I'm not seeing 3G on my phone anywhere. You would think the att sales people would be in training for 3G and know something by now? Nobody has an update to confirm the mid November launch?

I'm really curious to know what surrounding cities will be covered? Athens? Decatur?

Posted by: dvsone79

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWD

7 days till the supposed launch. I'm not seeing 3G on my phone anywhere. You would think the att sales people would be in training for 3G and know something by now? Nobody has an update to confirm the mid November launch?

I'm really curious to know what surrounding cities will be covered? Athens? Decatur?

I'm pretty anxious myself. As for surrounding cities, maybe Madison, but I highly doubt Athens or Decatur. Somehow I just don't see those as high-priority areas...

Posted by: dvsone79

When I was at the VBC in downtown H'ville Sat. night for a Havoc hockey game, my Samsung Blackjack displayed the 3G icon next to the signal bars for a moment. I wasn't really looking for it, I just happened to notice it.

Posted by: BWD

2 more days and well know for sure, either way. I haven't seen 3g on my phone anywhere in the Huntsville area although I guess that doesn't mean anything.

Posted by: gwtx2

Quote:

Originally Posted by enigma99a

Yes, they will install a UMTS cabinet on a site-by-site basis, along with the radios etc, but it's not going to be on the air until enough sites are built. Maybe I misunderstood the statement?

About a week ago, I noticed a new cabinet being delivered to the tower located on I-565 between Greenbrier and Madison Blvd exits. Not sure if it was for 3G purposes or not. I don't even know if at&t uses this tower. Just fyi.

Posted by: dvsone79

Nov. 17th has come and gone. Still no 3G, as determined by the lack of 3G signal on my Blackjack and no speed gain for data. I saw the 3G icon appear twice last week, but only momentarily both times, and not long enough to connect to a data session.

Posted by: HF_fiend

Or at least it's alive in my neighborhood!!

OK, the wait is over... At just before 8:00 PM my 3G icon lit on my Blackjack. I love in North Huntsville, just outside of Meridianville (near Bob Wade Lane/Countess Road and North Memorial Pkwy. I am right under an AT&T tower pretty much, I have consistenly full signal at my house since the tower is approx 1/4 mile away.

When the icon lit, I rebooted and 3G was still live on reboot. Did a quick DSLreports speed test and am getting 400kbit/sec with 0.424s latency on a 400k test file. On the 1Mb test, 555kbit/sec with 0.478s latency, 15sec to download the 1Mb file.

Anyone else got 3G???

Posted by: runbuh

Rockin' 3G at the mall (Park Place? I am not from around here) and off Zierdt road. Started sometime between 7:00pm and 7:30pm for me.

Posted by: HF_fiend

Quote:

Originally Posted by runbuh

Rockin' 3G at the mall (Park Place? I am not from around here) and off Zierdt road. Started sometime between 7:00pm and 7:30pm for me.

AWESOME! So it sounds like we are live in various places around town...

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

I can't believe that North AL would get it before Mobile, AL

It doesn't make sense !

Posted by: runbuh

And I am still live this morning. This is great!

Posted by: dvsone79

I spoke too soon in my previous post! Around 8:30pm last night, my Blackjack went 3G! I hooked it up to my laptop, ran a speed report from speedtest.net, and got over 1Mbps down, and 160Kbps up, w/ 220ms ping. I am stoked! I am in the Owens Crossroads/Hampton Cove area.

And of course H'ville would get it before Mobile. Huntsville is the most high-tech city in the state, as far as jobs and companies go. I'm surprised we didn't get it before B'ham.

Posted by: dvsone79

As far as speed goes w/ 3G, I am very happy w/ my download speed. 1Mbps is great. The upload (160Kbps) is a little slower than I'd like. I was hoping for around 384Kbps. But all in all, I really can't complain. It's definitely better than EDGE!

Posted by: droptopmini

I'm in Madison and went live with 3G last night. This morning I ran a DSL Reports speed test with 1mb and getting 822kb/sec .44s latency, downloaded 1m in 10.37 seconds. Google maps with sat image downloads like lightening now. Also another interesting thing is in my office at my desk I usually have only 2-3 bars and now I get 5 bars

Posted by: timhow

I just noticed the 3G icon on my 8525 this morning and almost wet myself. Got a full signal on Redstone Arsenal.

Posted by: gwtx2

I've seen it on the Arsenal and in the Intergraph complex (South Madison).

Posted by: neilson

Have to admit, I'm impressed with the sheer number of folks from Huntsville on here.

Posted by: gwtx2

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

I can't believe that North AL would get it before Mobile, AL

It doesn't make sense !

Why? North Alabama is more advanced than Mobile.

Posted by: gwtx2

Quote:

Originally Posted by HF_fiend

...When the icon lit, I rebooted and 3G was still live on reboot. Did a quick DSLreports speed test and am getting...

What is the DSL link for a 1M test. I use to see the 1M option but now only see 5k, 50k, and 100k options.

Posted by: HF_fiend

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwtx2

What is the DSL link for a 1M test. I use to see the 1M option but now only see 5k, 50k, and 100k options.

I used www.dslreports.com/mspeed, it gave me the 5, 50 and 100 option, when I took the 100 test it was too fast and gave me options for 200, 400 and 1MB. Still rockin' on 3G and the funny thing is, I am getting full 4 bars on my Blackjack where I use to get fluxuating 1 to 3 bars. Lovin' it so far...

Posted by: plavey

I'm in Tuscaloosa and my phone has displayed 3G a few times today.. only lasts a couple of minutes at a time.. Is this happening to anyone else?

Posted by: runbuh

Quote:

Originally Posted by HF_fiend

Still rockin' on 3G and the funny thing is, I am getting full 4 bars on my Blackjack where I use to get fluxuating 1 to 3 bars. Lovin' it so far...

Interesting - on my drive down Zierdt Road, there is (was?) a dead spot where my calls drop every time. My call did not drop last night, and I my phone only dropped to three bars while I drove through that area. Hmmmm. I wonder what will happen when I go in to the Sparkman Center (where my phone used to get no signal strength at all).

Posted by: dvsone79

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilson

Have to admit, I'm impressed with the sheer number of folks from Huntsville on here.

B'ham may be the gov't capital of the state, but H'ville is the Tech. capital.

Posted by: HF_fiend

Quote:

Originally Posted by runbuh

.... Hmmmm. I wonder what will happen when I go in to the Sparkman Center (where my phone used to get no signal strength at all).

Mine works in the SC but then again it always did but I'm on the 3rd floor. I seem to get a better "lock" on the signal than I did before especially in the center of the building!

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwtx2

Why? North Alabama is more advanced than Mobile.

LOL More advanced ? That's laughable . Mobile is 4X larger than podunk Huntsville. Does coverage go all the way to Florence ? How far west down 72 is there 3G coverage?

Posted by: neilson

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

LOL More advanced ? That's laughable . Mobile is 4X larger than podunk Huntsville. Does coverage go all the way to Florence ? How far west down 72 is there 3G coverage?

Please don't go down this road. You're not gonna win.

Huntsville's a far better city then Mobile and WAR EAGLE.

So, you're on the wrong end of both issues. Can't wait for Saturday Night and make it 6 in a row.

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

How am I wrong ? Who had things like cable tv first, DSL, Cable internet ? Why would ATT go after 5 or 10 farmers when they could service thousands in the port city Mobile, AL . We are talking 475,000 vs 100,000 people. It doesn't make any sense ! Same can be said for Baton Rouge LA and Tallahasse, FL.

Tuberville is out at AU and going to A&M it's a done deal !

Posted by: neilson

Do the words NASA, Missile Defense, and High Tech Industry mean anything to you? There are a lot of good ppl in this state that know how to make logical points but you're just letting the inner 'Bammer in you leak out with your lack of rational explanations here. It's almost happy hour, go grab a beer with the Snake.

The media and the rest of the country is seeing how much of a nutcase Saban really is. Keep that in mind.

Posted by: gwtx2

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

LOL More advanced ? That's laughable . Mobile is 4X larger than podunk Huntsville. Does coverage go all the way to Florence ? How far west down 72 is there 3G coverage?

I won't comment on Mobile, but I will say population has nothing to do with technological advancements. I'll check the 3G coverage toward the Florence area this evening since I live far west of Huntsville and visit Florence on the weekends.

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwtx2

Thanks, I will be up there this weekened and it would be nice if it reached all the way over to Florence where I have some property but I doubt it . Congrats on the 3G.

Posted by: gwtx2

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

Thanks, I will be up there this weekened and it would be nice if it reached all the way over to Florence where I have some property but I doubt it . Congrats on the 3G.

Do you farm up here?

Posted by: kevmcgrath

Oh sweet Manjula, as of this afternoon, my 8525 is showing "3G" here in Research Park. Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwtx2

Do you farm up here?

Have a couple of houses up there

Posted by: CrimsonTideJosh

How is Huntsville podunk? We are one of the biggest engineering cities in America. Also, we have Redstone Aresenal, the #3 place in the US to get hit if nuclear war starts (hate to say that). Before you go busting chops on what is podunk and what's not, let's think about what the cities have to offer.

Posted by: neilson

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrimsonTideJosh

How is Huntsville podunk? We are one of the biggest engineering cities in America. Also, we have Redstone Aresenal, the #3 place in the US to get hit if nuclear war starts (hate to say that). Before you go busting chops on what is podunk and what's not, let's think about what the cities have to offer.

Who's #1 and #2?

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Looks like this is a pretty big rollout with 3G now in Jackson MS

Posted by: gwtx2

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

Looks like this is a pretty big rollout with 3G now in Jackson MS

The furtherest I got with a 3G signal is about 2 miles west of the airport on I565. Looks like it is confined to Huntsville and Madison at this point. Athens and Florence is not upgraded, yet.

Posted by: gwtx2

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

Looks like this is a pretty big rollout with 3G now in Jackson MS

Anyone know an at&t webpage which gives updates on latest rollouts?

Posted by: dvsone79

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

How am I wrong ? Who had things like cable tv first, DSL, Cable internet ? Why would ATT go after 5 or 10 farmers when they could service thousands in the port city Mobile, AL . We are talking 475,000 vs 100,000 people. It doesn't make any sense ! Same can be said for Baton Rouge LA and Tallahasse, FL.

Tuberville is out at AU and going to A&M it's a done deal !

Are we really arguing over this?

Get your facts straight.

As for population, try 175,000. And that was in early 2006, it's probly close to 200,000 now. And we're not talking about size, anyway. Huntsville is in the top 10 cities in the entire country for highest income, per capita. We also placed in the top 10 high-tech cities in the U.S. Where does Mobile stand? I bet you don't know. So yes, it makes perfect sense that the Tech. City would get 3G before your "Port City".

Sorry, I know it sucks for you, and if I were in your place, I would want it in my city first, too. But, that just wouldn't make any sense.

Posted by: dvsone79

BTW, anyone notice a drastic increase in battery drain while using 3G? When I sync my Blackjack w/ my laptop to surf, using ICS on the device, which charges at the same time, my batter drains after a few hours. When using EDGE over the last several months, under the same amount of usage, it never even came close to being low.

I'm not using it as a modem, I'm simply using ICS in Windows to share the data connection. Modem tethering does not allow it to charge at the same time, but data sync does. 3G still seems to drain it almost completely.

Posted by: dbaser

Congrats Huntsville...

And here in Mobile I've noticed my Tilt has been dropping to 'G' a ton since yesterday. So instead of higher speeds, we get GPRS speeds and sometimes no data at all. Yippee! :/

Posted by: HF_fiend

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvsone79

BTW, anyone notice a drastic increase in battery drain while using 3G? ...

Oh yeah, I noticed it! My battery life is definitely suffering from 3G but then again I knew it would. I love the speed but it does come at a slight cost!

Posted by: timhow

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwtx2

The furtherest I got with a 3G signal is about 2 miles west of the airport on I565. Looks like it is confined to Huntsville and Madison at this point. Athens and Florence is not upgraded, yet.

It cuts out just east of Greenbrier Road on I-565.

What speed is everyone getting? I'm getting in the 720-780 range on my 8525. Was hoping for some 1.5mbps action.

Posted by: gwtx2

Quote:

Originally Posted by HF_fiend

Oh yeah, I noticed it! My battery life is definitely suffering from 3G but then again I knew it would. I love the speed but it does come at a slight cost!

battery life will suffer on 3G. Some phones like the 8525 (with cooked ROMS) allow you to turn off 3G and use EDGE only. This is useful when you are away from a charger all day long.

Posted by: dvsone79

Guess I will have to use the extended life battery that came w/ my Blackjack.

Posted by: HF_fiend

Or carry two standard batteries (like I do)! The big battery just adds too much bulk to a nice, slim phone..
The best speeds I've seen on my Blackjack via DSLreports with a 1MB download have been in the 780 range. Nothing above that "yet"! It may get better once the network gets "tweaked" a bit more.

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbaser

Congrats Huntsville...

And here in Mobile I've noticed my Tilt has been dropping to 'G' a ton since yesterday. So instead of higher speeds, we get GPRS speeds and sometimes no data at all. Yippee! :/

I noticed the same thing all day yesterday and then again today. I wasn't trying to take a shot at north AL. I was just upset that we were supposed to have 3G before ya'll and for what ever reason they turned ya'll on first. We have more tourist and cruise ships and a higher volume of traffic on our roads. Happy Holidays

Posted by: MudMover

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvsone79

I spoke too soon in my previous post! Around 8:30pm last night, my Blackjack went 3G! I hooked it up to my laptop, ran a speed report from speedtest.net, and got over 1Mbps down, and 160Kbps up, w/ 220ms ping. I am stoked! I am in the Owens Crossroads/Hampton Cove area.

And of course H'ville would get it before Mobile. Huntsville is the most high-tech city in the state, as far as jobs and companies go. I'm surprised we didn't get it before B'ham.

I'm further down in Big Cove...closer to OCR...and my Razr won't pick it up....At the WalMart tonight in HC I noticed the 3G.

Posted by: dbaser

I'm still switching back and forth from 'G' to 'E' quite a bit. As usual, noone knows why and if they do, they aren't telling me...

Did any of you Huntsville peeps see this behavior before the 3G rollout?

Posted by: dvsone79

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbaser

I'm still switching back and forth from 'G' to 'E' quite a bit. As usual, noone knows why and if they do, they aren't telling me...

Did any of you Huntsville peeps see this behavior before the 3G rollout?

I did, actually. My Blackjack switched to a "G" several times during the week before we went 3G. It would stay for a moment, and then switch back to "E".

Posted by: ALCingularUser

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvsone79

I did, actually. My Blackjack switched to a "G" several times during the week before we went 3G. It would stay for a moment, and then switch back to "E".

I saw the exact same thing on my V3xx in Jackson, MS the week before Thanksgiving. I was roaming around the UMC complex, so I thought it might be due to possibly connecting to microcells instead of the normal cell sites. At any rate, I wasn't sure what was going on. But today, I was in downtown Jackson and had a solid 3G signal.

And, BTW, to the poster who asked about Tuscaloosa, I don't see a 3G signal here now, but I saw my phone doing the same switching between GPRS and EDGE that it was doing in Jackson, so it may be just around the corner.

Posted by: TH3J3RK

I guess my only hope for Decatur, Al. is that Hunstville pulls it to Decatur for us somehow. It would be nice for it to go thru the whole Tenn. Valley.

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

I can't wait for Huntsville to get finished cause Mobile, AL is next up for 3G

Posted by: ALCingularUser

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

I can't wait for Huntsville to get finished cause Mobile, AL is next up for 3G

You're prolly right, but I want it in T-town first.

Not to diss Mobile. I lived there for a wonderful six years while I went to SHC and South. It's a great city.

Posted by: cabby836

Can anyone confirm 3G in the Hampton Cove area?

Posted by: didefresh2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

I can't wait for Huntsville to get finished cause Mobile, AL is next up for 3G

Hope it's soon! My v3xx is just waiting for a 3g signal.

Posted by: dvsone79

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabby836

Can anyone confirm 3G in the Hampton Cove area?

Owens Crossroads, including Hampton Cove, has a very strong 3G signal. Confirmed via my Samsung Blackjack, with 4 bars.

And not only that, but since H'ville has gone 3G, my phone doesn't drop calls on Hwy 431/Governor's Dr. going over Monte Sano Mtn. I can sustain a call w/ no issues from Huntsville Hospital, all the way to my house in Owens Crossroads. I haven't tried 4 Mile Post/Cecil Ashburn over the mountain yet.

Posted by: locust43

I have a House in Hoover and I get 3G all over there. But I also have a house in Oak Grove which is West Jefferson County and it's only GSM. At the Oak Grove High School when I pick my kids up I get 1 bar 3G but mostly E

Posted by: MudMover

I live in the south end of Big Cove in OCR....near the cemetary down there....and CAN NOT get a 3G signal. My Razr goes to 3G only when I get to Sutton/Old Big Cove Road or in WalMart.
Not very strong if you ask me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvsone79

Posted by: cabby836

and it picks up 3G (3 bars) just off of Taylor Road behind the HC Wal-Mart. I'm loving the new 3G coverage.

Posted by: HF_fiend

Alot of Nokia E51 users (including myself) have been chatting it up in the Nokia E51 thread regarding this new phone. I mentioned in that thread the AT&T has turned on 3G in Huntsville in both 850Mhz and 1900Mhz band. Don't know if it has been mentioned here yet but I get perfect 3G almost everywhere with my Nokia E51 (850/2100 no 1900).

Posted by: bosshawk

Know anything about 850 3G in Birmingham? That would be my deciding factor for getting that phone.

Posted by: HF_fiend

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosshawk

Know anything about 850 3G in Birmingham? That would be my deciding factor for getting that phone.

I've only had the phone about 2 weeks so I haven't travelled with it much yet (just around N. AL from Huntsville to Florence). Maybe soon I'll get the chance to get to B'ham and Nashville just to see if it picks up anything!

Posted by: locust43

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosshawk

Know anything about 850 3G in Birmingham? That would be my deciding factor for getting that phone.

I have a house in Hoover and work at UAB in Birmingham and my 3G service works great pretty much everywhere. But they have it running only at 1900mhz because of a lack of capacity. It will go to E when you go inside certain buildings though.

Posted by: didefresh2006

I wonder if West Mobile's problems are due to AT&T working on 3g in the area. I saw a Sound Off article where people are just recently complaining from the past few weeks about service and that is highly populated.

Posted by: athenslb57

Any new news on north AL 3g? I have never experienced 3g on AT&T, I will get to when I head to ATL for new years and the chik-fil-a bowl.

Posted by: TH3J3RK

I'm hearing Mid-2008 for Decatur, Alabama going 3G.

Posted by: gwtx2

Quote:

Originally Posted by TH3J3RK

I'm hearing Mid-2008 for Decatur, Alabama going 3G.

Anybody heard when the Florence area will go 3G?

Posted by: TH3J3RK

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwtx2

Anybody heard when the Florence area will go 3G?

I heard that it would be a while for Florence. This person also said that Decatur was just basically getting lucky. Maybe due to Huntsville. This persons reason for Florence not getting it was based on the types of package plans and the fact that Florence users didn't use very much data in the form of text messaging and the like.

Posted by: dvsone79

Data in the form of text messaging shouldn't have any bearing on whether or not an area goes 3G. Text msgs aren't large enough to be demanding on bandwidth. If you send/recx a text in a 3G zone, it's not going to be any faster than EDGE/GPRS. Picture msg? Maybe. Video msg? Of course. Streaming, browsing, and downloading is where you'll see the biggest difference. And I doubt Florence is doing much of that...

Posted by: zalpineman

Hi all! New here... Anyway, I was in a local AT&T store today upgrading my service...I asked about 3G availability in Mobile and the guy I was talking with told me that he just got back from a training update in Atlanta...he said that 3G is supposed to be active sometime in the first quarter of 2008. So, maybe Feb...March...April...??? Keep your fingers crossed!

Posted by: mobilelawyer

Interesting to hear!

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Mobile is still on schedule to be launched end of Feb

Posted by: didefresh2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

Mobile is still on schedule to be launched end of Feb

Awesome!!!!!!!

Posted by: TH3J3RK

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvsone79

Data in the form of text messaging shouldn't have any bearing on whether or not an area goes 3G. Text msgs aren't large enough to be demanding on bandwidth. If you send/recx a text in a 3G zone, it's not going to be any faster than EDGE/GPRS. Picture msg? Maybe. Video msg? Of course. Streaming, browsing, and downloading is where you'll see the biggest difference. And I doubt Florence is doing much of that...

Your points seem valid. I was trying to say, as you did also, that Florence doesn't use it. This means less $$$ for AT&T. Thats why they aren't looking into upgrading.

Posted by: jpsmith76

I was just up to Huntsville yesterday for the Davidson Center event. The 3G was blazingly fast in the Research Park / Space Center area compared to Birmingham.

I didn't think to run any speed tests while there, but Opera Mini seemed to be much quicker than it here in Birmingham. I think the biggest difference was in the lag between sending the command to load a page, and when the data starts coming into the phone. Could be the Opera Mini server, but it just seemed fast!

and for anyone that cares, the event was Incredible!

Posted by: zalpineman

Just got back from a 4 day trip to New York...This was the first time I was able to use 3G on my phone. It actually kept switching from 3G to an H icon...(I am told the H is faster) Anyway, I must say that while both were fast, I was still a little disapointed. Maybe it's just me...I think I expected it to be somewhat like broadband at home. Don't get me wrong, it was indeed waaaay faster than the Edge available here in Mobile, but still....I guess I will have to wait until the end of Feb. to see if it is worth it for me to keep paying the extra $40 a month for the unlimited data plan. On a side note, I used Google maps and Google Live extensively throughout New York and it was great to be able to type in whatever I was looking for and it popped up on the screen in the map...tap the phone number and BAM! I was able to make reservations at several eateries very easily. Even the "my location" feature worked fairly well at giving me a general idea of my location...usually within 1000 meters. I am sure a bluetooth GPS would have worked even better. Anyway, sorry to get off topic, but I just had to put my 2 cents in there. I am back in Mobile now...using Edge..loading...waiting...

Posted by: zalpineman

The "G" icon popped up on my phone today for a few seconds....Anyone know what this is about??? Are they finally ready to launch here in Mobile???
I think I may be salivating....

Posted by: mobilelawyer

You need to be looking for the 3G icon. Is that what you saw?

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobilelawyer

You need to be looking for the 3G icon. Is that what you saw?

That could mean that they are testing stuff but Mobile 3G launch as been pushed back untill June

Posted by: locust43

Today I noticed that my phone was fluctuating between G and E and I noticed I am getting 3G very close to my house. It seem's to maybe be activated on the second closest tower to my house because at the top of my road (Rual area) I get full GSM and very very weak 1 bar 3G signal if I lock my phone to 3G. Maybe that's due to either it's running on 1900mhz or it's not the tower close to my house. When can I expect there to be 850mhz 3G or the rest of the towers in the area becoming 3G. I am in West Jefferson County, Alabama. My house in the city in Hoover had 3G. Not here, it's slow EDGE.

Also is there any way to tell what tower location I am picking up off of through my LG CU400 like you can on Nextel. Thanks

Posted by: hammy2003

I'm a student in Pensacola (Mobile market), and my K850 alternates "G" and "E," and has displayed the 3G for about 15 minutes. Supposedly, Pensacola area should be 3G before Mobile. Other than the naval base, I can't think of a reason why it should be....
... anyways. They've been diddling with 3G in my area, and as an Atlantan, I'm pumped!

Posted by: didefresh2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

That could mean that they are testing stuff but Mobile 3G launch as been pushed back untill June

June? The misery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not like my blackberry would get 3g service or a 3g blackberry will come out before September.

Posted by: mobilelawyer

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammy2003

I'm a student in Pensacola (Mobile market), and my K850 alternates "G" and "E," and has displayed the 3G for about 15 minutes. Supposedly, Pensacola area should be 3G before Mobile. Other than the naval base, I can't think of a reason why it should be....
... anyways. They've been diddling with 3G in my area, and as an Atlantan, I'm pumped!

Now, my phone occasionally fluctuates between "G" and "E" here in Mobile, but that just means I am going through a coverage hole, and losing my Edge signal. I saw "G" once today, but not "3G" like I get in Atlanta, Birmingham, or New Orleans.

Posted by: zalpineman

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobilelawyer

Hmmmm....maybe that is what I keep seeing. I think I am just going to cancel my data plan for now until 3G is in place here. "Edge" is so ridiculously slow...and half the time the page freezes up and you can try and try to reload it, but it is just a waste of time. Mobile is always behind and everything here seems so "second rate"... Maybe I am just grumpy this morning...where's my coffee???

Posted by: mobilelawyer

Quote:

Originally Posted by zalpineman

For the most part, the biggest impact of 3G on my Blackjack has been battery drain at twice the rate of Edge. So when I am in a city that has it, I have to re-charge the Blackjack all that more often, and it is an inconvenience. I think you will see that criticism from all 3G device users.

Now, I am not doing a lot of data intensive stuff on my device, or trying to use it as a modem where I would get the most benefit from the higher speed.

As far as internet surfing, quite frankly, I can't see much of a differnce in speed between the two technologies, even though there is obviously a huge difference in download speed if you check your speed using DSL Reports.

Posted by: zalpineman

I noticed that my battery did need to be charged more often when I was in New York. I was using 3G alot though. I don't use my phone as a modem, although I have heard that you can. Perhaps it is just my phone, but it seems that in cities with 3G, the pages load almost instantly. For instance, in New York, Google maps would load so quickly that I could move the stylus around the map and it was seamless...like one big map. But here in Mobile, the page takes a VERY VERY long time to load...if it ever finishes loading. The map freezes and it says "loading" I usually have to wind up resetting the phone.....Also, I visit the WKRG website often, but I would say 7 out of 10 tries, it freezes up or the links on the page are inactive. Some sites, like Google, seem to work fine almost every time. Ebay also does well, for the most part, but it too freezes sometimes. As for just sending and recieving e-mail, sure, it works fine for text...or until you send or recieve an e-mail with a large attatchment. (i.e. photographs) Again, either the attatchment will not load, or it will not display. Maybe I just expect too much from the technology available.

Posted by: zalpineman

Canceled my data plan today. Just didn't see the value.

Posted by: didefresh2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by zalpineman

I noticed that my battery did need to be charged more often when I was in New York. I was using 3G alot though. I don't use my phone as a modem, although I have heard that you can. Perhaps it is just my phone, but it seems that in cities with 3G, the pages load almost instantly. For instance, in New York, Google maps would load so quickly that I could move the stylus around the map and it was seamless...like one big map. But here in Mobile, the page takes a VERY VERY long time to load...if it ever finishes loading. The map freezes and it says "loading" I usually have to wind up resetting the phone.....Also, I visit the WKRG website often, but I would say 7 out of 10 tries, it freezes up or the links on the page are inactive. Some sites, like Google, seem to work fine almost every time. Ebay also does well, for the most part, but it too freezes sometimes. As for just sending and recieving e-mail, sure, it works fine for text...or until you send or recieve an e-mail with a large attatchment. (i.e. photographs) Again, either the attatchment will not load, or it will not display. Maybe I just expect too much from the technology available.

You weren't kidding. But imagine WKRG's website on EDGE. It's slow.

It just makes me wanting a 3g Blackberry Curve that much sooner, yet I hope to see 3g in Mobile soon. My v3xx is dying for a 3g signal along Airport Blvd. Lately, i'm having to charge my Blackberry battery every 3 days. I am still wondering if all of Mobile County will get 3g or just Mobile proper.

Posted by: didefresh2006

oh, i'm an idiot. Mobile is still on EDGE.

Posted by: zalpineman

Yes...Mobile is completely on EDGE! (LOL) As usual, this city is lagging behind for a city of it's size and (supposed) potential. Anyway, I don't miss the data plan since it never really worked that well anyway...especially for $40 a month! At first it was "3G in Mobile in Jan. of 2008"...then it was pushed back to Feb. of 2008...then it was pushed back to "first quarter of 2008"...now it's pushed back until June. What a joke! Who does business that way? If I did that to my clients, I would be out of business! EDGE is practically useless in my opinion. 3G works great! (Atlanta, New York, Birmingham) But I doubt Mobile will see it anytime soon.

Posted by: TH3J3RK

Any new rumors on Alabama launches outside of Birmingham, Hunstville, or Mobile?

Posted by: buckeye

For what it's worth, I've had 2 different store reps say Montgomery is supposed to be April 15th. This was supposed to be in an email they received.

Posted by: weatherwoodchuc

Any word on Tuscaloosa?
Also, check this out.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080313/aqth505.html?.v=2

Posted by: jmbneaf

Quote:

Originally Posted by buckeye

For what it's worth, I've had 2 different store reps say Montgomery is supposed to be April 15th. This was supposed to be in an email they received.

Give your reps a prize!! Seems that (at least the East Side of Montgomery) is 3G now!!

Just checked my Tilt (8925) and I'm now getting 3G and HSDPA data - awesome speeds on data in East Montgomery now.

I work on the west side (near the Airport) - will post later to see how the coverage is over there.

-J

Posted by: locust43

They are starting to expand it outside of Birmingham towards Oak Grove if anyone is familiar. It's in West Jefferson County.

Posted by: jmbneaf

Follow up - west side of Montgomery has 3G as well.

Thanks, -J

Posted by: locust43

Can a request be made for 3G to be added to a specific tower. The tower by my house is the next tower out without 3G. The next closest tower has it but it doesnt reach my house.

Posted by: locust43

And when can we expect 3G on 850mhz here in Birmingham areas like Hoover and such?

Posted by: didefresh2006

I think that since the 3g iphone is coming out, more areas in Alabama should get 3g.

Posted by: speckledpig

*Bump* any news about Mobile?

Posted by: hammy2003

Nothing new that I know of. When I was still in Pensacola (Mobile, AL market) a few weeks ago, the last date they were giving me was June 30. I really don't know how much I believe that. The AT&T reps were really interested in what I thought of 3G being an Atlantan. It was funny... they were like, "Oh-h, must be nice." LOL!

Yeah, so... end of June for Mobile market.

Posted by: locust43

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammy2003

Nothing new that I know of. When I was still in Pensacola (Mobile, AL market) a few weeks ago, the last date they were giving me was June 30. I really don't know how much I believe that. The AT&T reps were really interested in what I thought of 3G being an Atlantan. It was funny... they were like, "Oh-h, must be nice." LOL!

Yeah, so... end of June for Mobile market.

I was down there last week and there was no 3G. I am shocked that my market up here in Birmingham/Hoover/Cullman had 3G before LA did. We have had it since around 06". But I would have thought that PC Beach and Mobile and those area's would have had 3G a long time ago. They are moving down that way because driving through Montgomery I had 3G.

Posted by: speckledpig

I just want my hurricane maps to load more quickly...

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Quote:

Originally Posted by speckledpig

I just want my hurricane maps to load more quickly...

People still use those things ? Global Tracks 7 is what I use

Posted by: deafdirtrag

3G will be in Pensacola, FL on 7/15.

3G will be in Mobile on 7/31.

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Quote:

Originally Posted by deafdirtrag

3G will be in Pensacola, FL on 7/15.

3G will be in Mobile on 7/31.

The source for that info ?

Posted by: dvsone79

3G is working great in H'ville so far:

FYI: for those considering a device to share it's internet connection to your laptop PC, the original Blackjack has a file called "Internet Sharing" that, when it is synced to your PC, will bridge the connection over. It works great. And the phone charges from the USB port at the same time. However, when I checked for the file on a Blackjack 2, I did not see it. The directory had all the other files I recognized from the 1st Blackjack, but Internet Sharing wasn't there. This was on a demo model in a company-owned AT&T store. Sometimes demos have different apps on them than retail phones, but usually they aren't MISSING anything. So chances are, the 2nd Blackjack does not have a way to do Internet Sharing (Windows O/S sees this as 2 PCs sharing an internet connection, rather than using your phone as a modem). So, you'll probably still be able to use the Blackjack 2 as a modem, but that method does not charge the battery at the same time (3G drains power QUICKLY), and didn't seem to be as fast as ICS from my experience.

Posted by: dvsone79

Also, I've been testing my connection using speedtest.net, and their closest server is in Atlanta. The results of that are in my post right above this one.

In order to get a more accurate expectation of what my every day surfing would be like, since most servers we access are not w/in a 200 mile radius, I tested my connection to a server in Cali. Although I fully expected this to be significantly worse, I was really surprised by the results. The dwnld speed went down, as expected, but not by much (still nearly 1Mbps). However, my upload was actually faster (by 50Kbps). And the most impressive thing is that my ping was MUCH faster (100ms difference). Perhaps AT&T has a bigger pipe going West from here, rather than East. Or maybe it goes North to Nashville, and the pipe from there to the ATL is slower than the one going to Cali.

Whatever the case, I'm impressed!

Posted by: iphone3g

any word yet for college towns like Auburn or Tuscaloosa, AL?

Posted by: 334cingular

Quote:

Originally Posted by iphone3g

any word yet for college towns like Auburn or Tuscaloosa, AL?

I would have to think that Tuscaloosa and Auburn would be next on the list for Alabama.

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Quote:

Originally Posted by 334cingular

I would have to think that Tuscaloosa and Auburn would be next on the list for Alabama.

I would like to think that Mobile AL market#91 500,000 people would be next not market # 140

Posted by: iphone3g

Well yeah, hopefully after the Mobile area.

Posted by: 334cingular

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLTIDE

I would like to think that Mobile AL market#91 500,000 people would be next not market # 140

Hey Bammer, it is well known that Mobile is going to be getting 3g anyday now so I am not counting that when discussing upcoming markets for the state. And by the way, they do not base their decisions to launch 3g in a market solely on population. There are numerous other factors considered. In smaller metropolitan areas (such as Auburn), where standards of living are particuarly high, where there is a large amount of 18-30 year old people, being home of the state's largest institution of higher learning, being along a major interstate, and other various factors is why I would think they would be a prime candidate for 3g.

Posted by: iphone3g

Quote:

Originally Posted by 334cingular

I like your thinking! War Eagle!

Posted by: 334cingular

Quote:

Originally Posted by iphone3g

I like your thinking! War Eagle!

Thanks! WDE!

Posted by: ROLLTIDE

Funny how defensive you AU fans are and you are always first to call people names. You need to at least get some your facts straight .

The University of Alabama is at a record high of 25,580 for fall 2007

The main campus had an enrollment during fall of 2007 of 24,137. Auburn University

AU is always playing copy cat like when Alabama raised tuition by 12% AU one month later raised there rates 12% so they could be just like Alabama . Last time I was on the campus of AU I saw 2 tractors so I am not sure how you can say the standards of living are higher there. ROLL TIDE