Are AT&T’s MicroCells in O.C. or not?
January 25th, 2010, 5:36 pm · 24 Comments · posted by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
UPDATE: Looks like the answer is no. See below in bold for more details.
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Poor cellular coverage at home can be solved with a MicroCell, a portable cell tower built for the home. It’s a solution that could help many in Orange County who have indoor reception issues with AT&T and, most likely, their iPhone. The promise? 5 bars anywhere inside the house!
While AT&T’s MicroCell experiment began a year ago, the service is available in certain areas like San Diego County. The company has still not officially launched the service, which uses a home’s high-speed Internet to improve cellular reception indoors. Tech sites criticized AT&T since the belief was AT&T would offer the MicroCell by the end of 2009.
But spotted on a user message board, at least one poster who said he’s from Irvine, said his MicroCell was turned on in Irvine. Has anyone else had success? Share the details please!
UPDATE: One reader has left a comment below saying he is the guy who posted that he got a MicroCell in Irvine. Way too much trouble. See his comment. (Updated at 11:57 a.m. Jan. 26)
Of course, AT&T officials won’t confirm it. This is all they would tell me:
“We recently began a controlled rollout of AT&T MicroCell, but we have not yet announced a date for the wider launch. Our AT&T 3G MicroCell pilot program is currently being conducted in San Diego and in parts of North Carolina (including Charlotte and Raleigh), South Carolina (including Columbia) and Georgia (including Atlanta). We will certainly keep you updated when service becomes available in Orange County.”
While the AT&T stores in Orange County aren’t selling MicroCells, you may be able to convince a store in San Diego to let you get one. Here’s a list of San Diego stores that AT&T’s web site says will sell you one:
AT&T store with MicroCell Phone Number 1560 Leucadia Blvd. Ste D, Encinitas, CA 92024 760-635-4363 1268 Auto Parkway, Ste. B, Escondido, CA 92029 760-432-4200 2011 Camino del Este North, San Diego, CA 92108 619-293-4630 12873 El Camino Real, Ste M-1, San Diego, CA 92130 858-793-4888 50 Town Center Pkwy, Unit A, Santee, CA 92071 619-448-1798 2883 Jamacha Blvd., El Cajon, CA 92019 619-660-6075 555 Broadway, Ste. 1070, Chula Vista, CA 91910 619-427-0126
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Here's a list of TV/mobile companies helping consumers one tweet at a time. 
Who cares! After two years of being ripped off by AT&T my contract is finally finished and I’m off to another carrier! AT&T’s predatory business practices have been a very expensive lesson for me to have to learn, but I’ll never use them again for anything if there is any other choice.
Hey Sam,
What did AT&T do that makes you mad? What were their predatory business practices. 2 years ago you had roughly 30 days to get out of your contract so something must have changed after that fact.
What happened?
When it was Cingular we had good reception in 92661. Now that it is AT & T we have no coverage. I run a home business and need cell service. I would have switched years ago if my wife did not like her iPhone. I spend over $200 per month on cell service that and I miss calls every day do to NO BARS at my home. If AT & T do not offer a solution to OC soon, I will absolutely try the new Magic Jack for cell phones that was shown at CES and do on the market soon. I hate poor service and I hate paying for the privliage to get poor reception. P.S. great ads Verizon. And AT&T’s response is that they allow web surfing and talking at the same time. Who does this? I just want to talk. If I could only get some bars…
I live in New Hampshire and bought a microcell on eBay from someone who no longer needed it in North Carolina (they got a real cell tower put in nearby). Unfortunately, because of the GPS feature, they know where I am and will not let me activate it. From my conversation with AT&T reps, it sounds like they’re having a ton of problems with the microcells that are already out there.
It is true, I read and heard the same thing. AT&T is having a lot of issues with this implementation…
it does not surprise me, as it seems the continue to have issue on any implementation.
Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile have already deployed their “microcell like” technology…and I know people have used it and it works great.
READY TO SWITCH
I’m the guy in Irvine, CA referenced in the article. I was foolish enough to drive 2 hours to San Diego and back to get my Microcell. ATT finally turned it on for me after weeks of refusal from De La Vegas office on down. 01/03/10 I’ve gone from a no cell service condition to service.
I know it is stupid. I lusted after the iPhone for years. I satisfied my iPhone lust. There is no question the phone is a game changer. If one is in the ATT coverage area it’s better. With ATT 3g Microcell service it is even better.
I integrate all my phones with http://www.google.com/voice to enhance the overall experience even further bypassing ATT voicemail. (google.com/voice is by invitation only)
It is tremendously expensive compared to my simple LG Verizon Chocolate.
AMDG
Oh snap! Good to know. Thanks PB. So the answer … No, AT&T Microcell’s and service aren’t in OC yet! But if you get one, you may be able to convince AT&T to turn it on.
@pb- Who did you talk to at AT&T to get your microcell turned on?
Based on PB’s comments, he went all the way to the top, Ralph De La Vega is the President of AT&T Mobility/Consumer Markets.
-SD
Please share your experiences with getting an AT&T Microcell with us. There are literally 40 million people in the U.S. that will need one.
AT&T gave me HALF OFF my cell service when the first iPhone came out. i called to complain about the appallingly bad coverage and used this site to state my case:
http://www.cellreception.com/
AT&T acknowledged the awful coverage and frustration with buying such an expensive, useless phone by cutting my bill in half while they “built more towers right away.” um, “superdave,” that’s where MY 30 day return period went–i trusted them. they kept giving me release dates for new towers that would come and go–no new towers. eventually, they just offered to let me out of my contract–something they did with many iPhone users i know. i loved the iPhone for texting and emailing and the apps, etc., so i just tried to live with the cussing awful phone service waiting for these mystery towers. i am long since out of my contract and still have the original iPhone, waiting in vain for Apple to open the service plan up to other providers. most of my friends have newer iPhones and we’re constantly comparing my coverage to that of the 3G network: it officially sucks for all of us. so basically, “new towers,” my eye. the success of the the iPhone has been a gold mine for AT&T–yet from the day of it’s release, the service hasn’t changed at all. at two AT&T stores, i have no reception. for the record, they swapped phones giving me new ones twice and i’ve been given more sim cards than i can remember. i also have the latest software, updating faithfully. in short, the service bites. and they know it.
Here’s what I don’t get. The only reason you would want one of these things is if you had decided you don’t want a land line anymore. Otherwise, your data is going through a slower network with more latency than if you just passed through your local WiFi network. So why should I care?
We’re next to the 605 and 405 in Rossmoor; during drive time, our reception can get very bad. For that, I suppose, you might want it. But it sounds potentially like a lot of money for me as an AT&T customer to invest just to fix their underprovisioned service.
Now that Apple’s iPhone exclusivity is set to run out in Q2 of this year, it appears we can migrate to Verizon, at the cost of breaking our contract (my wife and I bought 3GS iPhones shortly after release). Trouble is, their network, while more reliable, is also much slower (I’ve read ~1.7 Mbps vs ~7 Mbps for AT&T’s 3G). Plus, I have to imagine there will be a lot of people who want to move to Verizon should the iPhone become available on that network. So the kinds of congestion problems AT&T has in San Francisco and New York could easily become a reality for Verizon, too.
AT&T Cell service sucks !!!
They charge too much money for the Iphone monthly plans and don’t provide the quality of service for the amount of money they are charging.
The I-phone is great but the cell service is a joke. If i was providing such lousy service I would be out of business..
Once verizon starts to support Iphone I am done with AT&T and will never use them again. They had 2 years to get this fixed and they still haven’t and they lie on their commercials.
Has anyone considered that maybe it’s the iPhone with a terrible antenna? My Blackberry 9000 on AT&T can talk & browse pretty much everywhere I go. People keep saying how bad AT&T’s network is – I just don’t see it. I’ve been on AT&T for well over a decade (originally with AT&T, then thru Cingular, then back to AT&T). I’m 3G & browse quickly. I have a few apps that are data intensive & they run great. Just a thought…
i agree with you, i think it is the i phone. my friend has an i phone and i also have a blackberry. hers did not have reception, but mine did. the i phone is also bad for making calls. the other person has issue hearing you.
Until recently, I worked in the cellular industry pretty much since the beginning. I would love to have an iPhone, however I dislike AT&T. The reason the AT&T service is so terrible in LA and Orange County is because when Cingular Wireless became the new AT&T, they sold their newer more robust system to T-Mobile and dumped millions into trying to upgrade the old LA Cellular system built by Craig McCaw back in the early 90s. Personally, I have Verizon, the commercials don’t lie, Verizon is ranked number one by Consumer Reports. If you are having coverage issues, you can purchase aftermarket cell phone repeaters and range extenders on the internet from $250 on up, some are dual band, cell/PCS and work with all wireless providers.
The real question you should ask yourself is why are you paying for a microcell when reception “should” be standard for a cell phone? I have Verizon because a cell phone isn’t a phone without reception. Ads for AT&T just show how stupid they really are. Fastest 3G network! It is, IF you have a good signal. My girlfriend’s iphone doesn’t get reception in her home which is only a tunnel away from NYC. I call her 5 times which all go straight to voicemail. Why pay for a service that isn’t always there? On top of that $30 for a data plan? If you have good reception that’s good for you, really but that’s hardly ever the case. So far, I have yet to see AT&T with have good reception in metro areas. Reason is GSM cannot penetrate walls well. 2010 will be the deciding factor on which company will survive. Can’t wait for LTE!
You are really mistaken on your comment. GSM can not penetrate walls well???? Um, that’s not even remotely true. GSM can penetrate walls just as well as CDMA, iDEN, etc. It’s the frequency and how densely packed the sites are along with backhaul. You need to do some research there e. RF is RF….service levels and engineering are a different story.
-SD
New tower coming that will take me out of the black hole of Woodbridge. Two months according to City Hall.
Congrats…hope it happens soon.
i have tried them all. with my mobile service i know exactly where each of these guys won’t have a signal. i found version the best until i started noticing missed calls at home in costa mesa. long story short i ate the 115 early termination fee and went with straight talk from wal mart.. the absolute best coverage of them all in the o.c. ya right you say.. well i’ve got 4 bars on the 73 crossing from n.b. to aliso viejo.. i know you don’t. at home i now have 3-4 bars. they are no contract.. i have unlimited minutes for 45 a month and that is the total fee. verison was 98 for 1k minutes and since my lg phone from them was dying it was going to run 200 for that.. 39 for a better lg from wal mart.. the reign of top dollar, locked in a contract for absolutely horrible service is over.. verison/att/t mobile et al can bite me. i lost thousands in business from dropped/didnt get the call from those guys. i truly hope they all go out of business.
and Straight Talk is a MVNO on the (drum roll)……..Verizon network Sam.
-SD
I used to work for Cingular that the bought out AT&T And The New AT&T. Yes Sbc and bell south owned Cingular and bought AT&T. hint- THE NEW AT&T. When I did work for them for 5 year in was in the Chicago Market. much more money in to development and free open to develop. And not a lot compation and rules to get thing’s done. You see thats CA problem with Telecomunacation networks. 1) there to many options. that means not enough revenu to put money back in. 2) other small companies are in the way. do to CA open market rules. 3) Ca regulates so much nothing really get done fast enough. building wise vs. cost 4) There where to many small cell phone CDMA users way before there was AT&T, T-moble, Cingular, or even Verison. That mean these companies are forced to buy old stuff and update vs just build new. it’s also faster then if step 3 above. But never works as well as building new. Time VS Money vs customer happy now vs the next new thing. Fact is with out Cingular’s money funding T-moble in the begaining there would be no T-moble, which sucks A** anywhere elnce then CA. And the Verison Suck A** beyond the West Cost. AT&T is the best option out here beleave it or not. The problem is there’s to many people on AT&T then it can handle. Due to you all liking them so much. AT&T would love to spend more money on CA And O.C. But when the County boards and State make it easier AT&T will grow faster. Until then AT&T will Buy old crap in area’s it souldn’t and convert it. Spending more money then they like to make you all happy for 8months rather then waitting and lossing your trust. RECORD HAS IT THE I-PHONE IS THE BIGGER PROBLEM. NOT THE NETWORK!!!! i BUILD AND FIX THEM FOR FUN AND BELIEVE ME WHEN A NETWORK COMPANY ASKED YOU TO PUT CERTEN TECH. IN YOUR PRODUCT TO WORK BETTER… iT’S A GOOD IDEA TO LESION TO THE NETWORK (OF at&t) APPLE…. YES APPLE IS TO BLAME FOR PUTTING BAD PEACES IN A GREAT IDEAL PHONE. BUT APPLE IS TO CHEAP TO DO THIS SO THEY STILL ASK FOR LOTS OF MONEY PAY AT&T ALMOST NON OF IT AND SET BACK AND SAY WE JUST MAKE A PHONE IT NOT ARE PROBLEM. BUT THEY THE ONES THAT MADE THE PROBLEM. THE I-PHONE IS FLASHY AND HAS A GREAT SCREEN AND TOUCH SCREEN. THE REST OF IT IS OK AT BEST AND MORE CLOSE TO JUNK. AND PROVING THAT PEOPLE BUY LOOKS not QUALITY!!! DID YOU EVER REALIZE THE PEOPLE THAT COMPLAIN THE MOST ARE APPLE USERS. THINK ABOUT. YOU REALLY SHOULD BE TELLING APPLE TO MAKE A BETTER PRODUCT THAT WORKS WITH THE NETWORK YOU PICKED (NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND) AND TO MAKE IT WITH BETTER PARTS OR DROP THE PRICE TO A FAR VALUE OF $50 WITH 2YEAR FOR 32G. That’s hole nother storie about how apple sell’s the I-phone to AT&T for full retail and tells them to eat the discount well ALL other brands sell it to them at wholesale and make buying and marketing deals too. ALL And ALL Apple needs to lesion to AT&T and help rather then be a pansy. but as of cell phone’s go do to forced open market rules The OC in CA will remind a FU** issue. What New In CA
Let me correct you there Andy….Cingular’s money was not supporting T-Mobile back in the day. T-Mobile evolved from the days of Voicestream and the buy out of a few other wireless companies by T-Mobile’s parent company to form a nationwide player. It was T-Mobile that saved Cingular’s rear end here in California. They pumped in their (T-Mobile) money to the poor Cingular network to build it out and improve performance. It was so bad here that the CA Attorney General went after Cingular due to over selling the network. That’s the story….you need to do some homework and stop drinking the AT&T Kool-Aid. Not every carrier is perfect, some are very poor while others are better in certain areas. It’s really a matter of money for network build out and expansion and who decides which markets to go after. By the way, the legacy AT&T network was horrible here. The only reason that AT&T sold off the “Orange” network to T-Mobile is because the Feds made it mandatory in order to approve the merger (buy out) and they wanted to get the 850MHz licenses. It’s all out there if you want to look at it with a neutral point of view.
-SD