Usually, my posts regarding Nextel are in the vein of "...and while Verizon
has excellent, drop free coverage in the area, my Nextel drops 16 times in a
4 mile stretch..." (see lists on
http://www.wirelessnotes.org/nextel-drops.html detailing areas of "silly"
drops on Nextel where nearly every other carrier has no problem.)
During the past couple of days, however, I've driven on two *heavily*
traveled roads which all the other carriers have no service or drops on but
Nextel has managed to cover without a single drop (although some distortion
is voice quality is evident).
[1] In Connecticut, on CT-34 from a few miles north of Derby (JCT CT-8 and
CT-34) all the way to just south of the I-84/CT 34JCT (approx 11 or so
miles), Nextel covers nearly the entire corridor along CT-34, while ALL the
other carriers have little/no coverage for the entire 11 mile stretch.
Until recently, there has been no coverage there at all. Calls would drop
just north of the Yale Boathouse and not come back in until just south of
I-84. Indeed, on what is arguably the premiere network in the Northeast in
terms of coverage and penetration into major corridors, CT/A/00119/Verizon
customers are treated to such an appalling lack of signal along the dam on
CT-34 that for a mile or so you actually pick up AT&T Wireless from either
Long Island (00025) or Litchfield (01101) !
SNET/Cingular/00088 has slightly better coverage, but only slightly, and you
have large areas of just plain dead coverage, both digital and analog.
As AT&T/TDMA, well, they gave up somewhere near CT-8 and just said "Eh,
whatever, let SNET handle it there" (as usual :) God forbid they try to
TDMA-ize with their own signal a topographically challenging area which is
not located in one of their A markets...and even in so, in the case of
Litchfield, an A market which they own, they have atrocious coverage.
Someone ought to yank their license for the pathetic job which they do
there...)
As for AT&T/GSM and Sprint, well, they can't even cover w/o drops all of I-9
5 in CT (or I-95 anywhere else, except maybe Jersey since I-95 was never
finished there and exists in two small sections near the GWB and northwest
of Trenton which, in those respective sections, is well covered), so of
course don't expect them to cover anywhere "inland" well.
But the point is that CT's two "top" carriers, BAMS/Verizon and
SNET/Cingular were never able in the 17 or so years that they operated in CT
to cover CT-34 north of Derby, and still can't.
Starting in Jan 2003, I noticed that, as compared to the pathetic showing
from the above carriers, Nextel was able to provide a more or less
continuous connection from CT-8 all the way to I-84 and not drop once!
After driving it again today, I verified that it indeed is able to maintain
(at least northbound) a solid connection along CT-34.
NONE of the other carriers are, as of today (03/24/2003) apparently able to
do so.
(As an aside, this is yet another area which may potentially be used to get
out of a service contract with a carrier, especially now that Nextel covers
it. For example, let's say you are in some annual or two-year contract with
Verizon or AT&T, and you say "I just [moved|changed jobs|need to drive for
some reason on a regular basis] along CT-34 from New Haven to Danbury, and
using YOUR service I can't get a signal let alone make a call for a good
section of that route. What is God-forbid I break down and need to call for
help? It's a small road and there are few service stations...I dumped Nextel
and got my phone with you substantially for security reasons, your map shows
coverage in the general area, and it is inexcusable that on a well-used road
like that you don't have coverage. Either get coverage set up there in [some
reasonable amount of time] or I'm going to cancel my service and NOT pay any
penalty fees since you deceptively lured me into using your service w/o any
indication that you do not cover an area which other carriers (Nextel) cover
and/or which at this point a reasonable cellular subscriber would expect a
carrier to cover based upon your maps, representations, and maturation of
the industry in this area.")
(It would be as if AT&TWS said "We aren't going to cover Newark, NJ since we
don't like it" and they put a small dot on some map near Newark and expected
people to put up with that. As it is expected that carriers cover major
cities (unless some clear and obvious distinction is made), it is also
increasingly common to expect them to cover major corridors, and just b/c
the State of CT, in its limitless roadbuilding lethargy, never built a
multi-lane freeway there does not mean it is not a heavily traveled, and
thus in demand cellular-wise, corridor.)
So, rare as it is that I'd say this, if you are in need of coverage along
CT-34, and have given up with Verizon, Cingular, AT&T, Sprint, etc's
poor/non-existent coverage there, maybe give Nextel a try (if you can put up
with their poor coverage elsewhere :). )
In all fairness to Nextel, I am very impressed that they are able to cover
the entire corridor and that they had the foresight to beat all the "bigger"
carriers to it. Once in a while, I'm actually glad I carry the Nextel with
me, I guess...:)
(An interesting aside: Although there is no CDPD coverage in the "gap" area,
Verizon's Express Network does seem to work and not drop there anymore; it
is not constant and certainly not too fast there, but it did hold until I
got to I-84 and passed some data from time to time as it managed to "sniff"
out wisp of 1XRTT signal here and there, so Express Network does seem to
offer some data coverage where the older CDPD network was useless there. )
[2] I-84, New York, heading EAST after the JCT with the Taconic Parkway
(heading uphill from the rest area), as you go over a steep hill and
transition from the Poughkeepsie area systems to the New York Metro systems.
All carriers, except Nextel, drop there (and Nextel still drops Westbound).
BAMS/Verizon: Transition from the Orange/Poughkeepsie 00404/00486 --> NY
Metro 00022 market: DROPS
AT&TWS/TDMA: Transition from the Dobson/00503/00499 --> NY
Metro 00025 market: DROPS
Sprint
: DROPS
AT&TWS/GSM: No coverage in Pough area
-->NY Metro GSM market : N/A since no coverage on Pough/West side of
I-84 hill
Nextel: Pough/Albany Corridor
--> NY Metro Market : Hands off OK (eastbound only)
So once again, surprisingly, Nextel does something with none of it's
competitors seem to be able to do (although at the apex of the hill the
signal is VERY distorted and it seems like it will drop, but it holds and
does not disconnect.)
(I say "surprisingly" since in other areas, like near the Queensboro Bridge
in Manhattan or along the GSP in Jersey Nextel has tons of drops while the
other carriers are fine.)
And once again, especially in the case of Verizon (since they own both
markets on either side of the I-84 hill), the fact that Nextel can manage a
handoff (an eastbound one at least) while Verizon, despite being told about
this problem YEARS ago can't get it to work, in conjunction with antother
carrier's (Nextel's) ability perform a handoff there while Verizon can't may
be useful as a reason to get out of a Verizon contract since they very
clearly show that as a coverage area and if you drive it every day and you
get dropped there while Nextel doesn't it can be argued that Verizon just
isn't doing it's job well, and not providing service concomitant with its
advertising/promotions and/or with that of other established carriers.
Anyhow, as shocked as I am to see myself saying this, good for Nextel in
beating everyone else to providing for coverage/handoffs along these two
heavily traveled roads!
(This post and SID list are also available at http://www.wirelessnotes.org)
Regards,
Doug
d2@interpage.ne
Interpage(TM) Network Services Inc. / http://www.interpage.net
"Just a minute -- I have another little friend who would like to eat --
err...MEET you..."