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AT&T claims fastest 3G and most reliable voice for Rhode Island

By | March 24, 2010, 1:49pm PDT

Summary: AT&T claims most reliable voice and fastest 3G in Rhode Island–where’s the proof?

I live in Rhode Island so I took particular interest in a text message that AT&T sent to me today claiming to have the fastest 3G and most reliable voice network in Rhode Island. As you can see in the picture, the company is claiming that it has been

“working hard to enhance your network experience and we are pleased to announce that no one has a more reliable voice network than AT&T in Rhode Island … and AT&T also has the fastest 3G network in RI”

The first thing I thought of was how most of my friends in Rhode Island constantly complain about the dropped calls and issues with connectivity on AT&T. If AT&T really has the most reliable voice network, that would mean that either its competitors drop even more often, or AT&T’s claims are unfounded. As for the fastest 3G network, again, I just want to see where these claims are coming from.

I think that AT&T should stick with the fact that you can make calls and surf the internet at the same time and not try to say that their voice coverage is better than Verizon’s, for example.

One thing that did come to mind is whether or not the iPhone itself could be at fault this time. Most of my friends on AT&T are iPhone users so it’s tough to say that it’s definitely the network at fault this time around.

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Topics

Rhode Island, Network, Voice, AT&T Corp., 3G, Networking, Wireless And Mobility, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Joel Evans

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands and technologies into the mobile and wireless space.

Disclosure

Joel Evans

Joel is a serial entrepreneur with his most recent business, CronkSoftware (cronksoftware.com), focusing on consulting and building games and applications for mobile devices. Joel has consulted for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile division and advises other companies on how to incorporate mobile into their existing brands and products. Joel purchases many of his devices and others are sent for review on a 30-day loaner basis and then returned to the supplier. If any devices are provided as “keeper” Joel will clearly disclose this in his reviews.

Biography

Joel Evans

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands, technologies and services into the mobile and wireless space. Joel is currently serving as the Managing Director of Cronk Software, Inc., a company he founded to offer full-service, end-to-end mobile strategy, design and development services.

Joel is the former founder and "Chief Geek" of Geek.com, a website praised by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and others as one of world's best sources of information for technology professionals and enthusiasts.

Joel also serves as a technology expert for a number of well-known publications and regularly advises corporations, analysts, journalists and bloggers on what the future of technology will bring. He brings decades of relationships with leading game publishers, online communities and publishers, along with both hardware and software product management and delivery expertise. Joel can be found online as "JoelGeek" and you can follow him on Twitter @JoelGeek.

Talkback Most Recent of 13 Talkback(s)

  • AT&T claims fastest 3G and most reliable voice for Rhode Island
    If you were truly a Rhode Islander (or Rhode Islanda) you would know about Lincoln Park, Rocky Point, and Quohogs.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Loverock Davidson
    24th Mar 2010
  • T Mob offers 2.7Mb/s . ATT doesn't come close
    In Houston T Mob offers me a 3g of 2.67Mb/s Proof
    available upon request (Speedtest.net).

    Unless ATT can offer something that is at least
    80% as fast... they can be in legal trouble.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Uralbas
    24th Mar 2010
  • AT&T does 3.0 Mb/s
    Testing speeds on my AT&T phone, I get 3.0 Mb/s and sometimes over.

    http://www.speedtest.net/iphone/22354095.png

    Consider yourself pwned!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Narg
    25th Mar 2010
  • Rofl.... 4Mb/s is my top speed on a G1 on 3G not Wifi like yours LOL
    Now try beating this:

    http://www.speedtest.net/result/737677213.png

    And look closely, it clearly states T-Mobile..
    not some other company. If you want to mislead,
    please be at least a little more technically
    savvy.

    And by June we T-Mobile Android 3G customers
    will be doing 7Mb/s....

    What you show on your link is NOT ATT on 3G,
    its Celular on Wifi, that is FREE Wifi in
    Witchita, KS.

    3Mb/s on ATT tell me where to go and I'll test
    it on a paper weight Iphone 3GS? And would
    post it back here.

    If you really want to show ATT DSL service the
    provider would be: AT&T Global Network like
    the following (I know! use my 3GS as paper
    weight):

    http://www.speedtest.net/result/312963198.png

    So keep on dreaming that the Iphone can surf as
    fast as a G1, I'm not even gonna share what a
    Nexus can do, you would believe it.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Uralbas
    25th Mar 2010
  • While I was at the Griffin's house
    in Quohog RI I got great service with AT&T... a great experience until Meg came on to me, Quagmire hit on my wife - again, Brian and Stewie sang a Sinatra duet, and the housekeeper told me I needed to buy her some lemon pledge...

    Sorry, could not resist the Family Guy reference there... happy You had to bring up Quohog didn't ya Loverock...

    It would be interesting to see some speed test data for all the carriers in the same location to compare... Despite my attempt at humor above I've never been to Rhode Island so I can't comment on the service - I get great service with AT&T where I live though.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Pete "athynz" Athens
    25th Mar 2010
  • Did they invite Ryan Wilson to send that message ?
    That would be awesome, and so boring !
    ZDNet Gravatar
    TxM2xTx
    24th Mar 2010
  • Luke*
    I meant Luke instead of Ryan. Not sure where I got that Ryan from. See, it's that boring. Even with Luke busy for ATT.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    TxM2xTx
    24th Mar 2010
  • AT&T IS the best.
    AT&T drops so far fewer calls for me than it does for any other carrier. All across the US. So I'd say their claim is 100% correct.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Narg
    25th Mar 2010
  • RE: AT&T claims fastest 3G and most reliable voice for Rhode Island
    They do not appear to be claiming that they are better than Verizon. The quote you sent was "....no one has a more reliable voice network than AT&T in Rhode Island...." this means that they are as good as Verizon (or, really, others) in RI.

    You would think that RI would be simple to cover, given that it's the smallest state. I have Verizon, and I know that there is one particular place that calls always drop whenever I am in Cumberland, RI.

    Disclaimer: I do not live in RI. I just visit there from time to time.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    fromthehip
    25th Mar 2010
  • Rt 5 near N Smithfield HS
    I lose my signal every time I pass through there.

    It's a DEAD ZONE!!!!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    bjterry62
    25th Mar 2010
  • Find ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon dead zones on this website
    http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phone-coverage-map
    ZDNet Gravatar
    gmeader
    25th Mar 2010
  • RE: AT&T claims fastest 3G and most reliable voice for Rhode Island
    I'm glad for the residents of RI. One would have thought that once AT&T saw the phenomenal success with the iPhone, they would also have raced to fix dropouts in NYC, Los Angeles, and other large markets.

    I had to drop AT&T -- I was never able to complete even a 2 minute call with clients in my home base of NYC. What a stupid shame and a waste of a golden opportunity. All the people I know in the City who used AT&T have also dropped them.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    techdoc@...
    25th Mar 2010
  • I have talked to several people that have had dropped calls
    with AT&T, but never have had a problem. Thinking about that, they are also the ones that were bragging about their iPhones. All 4 were the only ones that have complained about dropped calls. I just wonder if it is something related to the iPhone rather than the 3G coverage?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    mjolnar@...
    25th Mar 2010

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