Full 3g Bars. No Service

[afguard17]

My Roomate and I both took the plunge and bought 3g Iphones (he had the 16gb, I have the 8gb).  He bought his the first week they were out and I just got mine last week.  I had come over from a 3g cingular 8525 that I had used for over a year without issue.  We both have solid 3g service coming in all the time.  I'm fortunate enough to have it at work, my commute, and my apartment.  However, neither of us have had much internet working at all, let alone when it does work it is DOG Slow.  We are both updated to 2.0.2 and I noticed no difference after the update.  Once in a blue moon, I get connected to 3g and it flies usually for under 2 minutes and then it goes back to unresponsive.  

My question is, when will AT&T be addressing the demand of the new Iphones on their network?  The whole idea that 2.0.2 fixes everything and we just have to wait for everyone to upgrade seems a little skeptical to me. Sounds like they want us to believe that if you've done your part, they are not responsible and the problem will just slowly go away.  Definitely sounds like a rumor designed to turn the mob's attention onto itself and not the companies involved.   Has anyone contacted AT&T and demanded a refund for the "data plan" they are paying for?  I am pretty much not able to use the 30 dollar service and I'm assuming most others aren't getting anything out of it either.   I am planning on calling tonight and will post back my results.  I was wondering if anyone else has had any luck with demanding something from AT&T.  I'm not interested in a new iphone as that doesn't sound like it is correcting the problem.

[Jameson!]

Several have reported demanding and getting a credit against their data plan, because of the issue.   Personally, I'd rather just receive a fix!   Hopefully, Version 2.1 is still on schedule for a September release and (even more hopefully) will have a fix for this mess!

[t115]

I have experienced the same thing. Full bars of 3G and not able to load a single web page. Don't be too hasty to blame AT&T. While I do not know where the problem is, I am not convinced it is wholly AT&T's issue. This last incident happened to me on Saturday and I happened to be sitting next to someone who was using an AT&T Tilt. He also had full 3G service but was able to browse web pages with no problem.

[afguard17]

I'm not entirely blaming AT&T.  I just upgraded from a 3G 8525 (tilts older brother) and it worked fine on 3g for over a year.  However, I just think getting another iphone won't solve anything.  I also think that if people are demanding credits on their account for terrible data speed (completely going against AT&T's sales pitch for a number of phones) then maybe it will be a kick in the pants to get AT&T to get with apple and get this thing solved.  I love my iphone.  I don't want to give it back.  But I shouldn't have to pay thirty dollars for a company to not provide me with the service commitment I'm in a contract to pay for.  Not only that, I've only heard through web forums and unofficial channels that the 2.0.2 MIGHT solve the issue.  The sales guy at the AT&T store certainly didn't make it known to me that the speed is nonexistant IF you can even connect.  Right on AT&T's Website it says "IPHONE 3G, on the nations fastest 3G network"  Lastly, I never bought the first edition iphone because it was only on edge and I knew what a disadvantage to the web that would be.  3G was a critical selling point for me to switch over. 

I will happily stay in my contract, but until this is addressed, I think a credit to my bill would be an excellent incentive for me not to leave AT&T all together.  I know I'm only one person but it seems like everyone should be asking for this.

[vinshipe]

Same exact problem here.  Full bars 3G in Manhattan, but cannot connect to internet or download mail.  Very frustrating.  I'm not sure who's to blame, but one thing that leads me to believe it may be ATT is that my phone was working fine for the first three weeks I had it, then on August 11, this all started.  The funny thing is that I was on another blog and another guy mentioned the exact same date that he started having problems.  Did ATT do something on that day that messed everything up?

[jamesbarnes]

Full bars here in Northern VA/DC and no data service since 6 AM.  Worked fine since I got the phone and all of the sudden, the data is dead.

Voice calls still work fine using 3G and Edge...so I have no idea what's going on.

[stryderxx]

I am having this exact same problem this morning. Full 3G bars in Manhattan (NYC) and I get no data service. What's going on??

[jreed660]

I am having the exact same issue in Manhattan and in the suburbs.  Full bars, no data service, very frustrated.  Everything was working fine before Aug 11.  I want Verizon back. 

[EsCee]

Wow, thought I was the only one.  I did a restore last night (9/2) and found this morning that I cannot get any web pages.  I'm in DC.  I cannot get any data services from either 3G or EDGE networks at all. 

I'll keep on checking.....

-S.C.-

[hbaumgarten]

Same in Philadelphia & Western suburbs

[jreed660]

Did this just start happening (again) for people last night/this morning?  I've been relatively alright for a while, but this starting acting up again when I woke up this morning..

[token]

No data services in St. Louis MO.
Just noticed around 6:30 AM.

Text messaging and phone working fine.


Token

[bostonediguy]

Boston area is out too. No word from AT&T customer service on when the network access will be back up and no offer of any kind of compensation either.

[dherdman]

Phone and texting also work in DC metro area but not internet or data services.  Hasnt worked since i got up this morning at 5:45am. 

[V.B.]

My uninformed opinion is that AT&T may be throttling the 3G side of its network - in the form of denying data access - in an effort to reduce calls from being dropped during excessive load on 3G cell towers.

I think the iPhone 3G's popularity has placed an unforeseen burden on AT&T's 3G network, and it will take several months for AT&T to build out capacity to accomodate the usage demand.

I have resorted to leaving 3G turned off on my iPhone 3G - mostly to extend battery life. When I need to access the internet, I seek out WiFi first and then will try 3G if WiFi is not available. Someday when AT&T's 3G network is mature and stable, I may leave 3G turned on by default.

If I recall correctly, AT&T has some 350 or so 3G cell sites in their network. How fast can they upgrade the sites that need new equipment and also expand the network to add more 3G sites? Do the math. It'll be a while before 3G reception improves.

I would not be opposed to AT&T and Apple offering an apology for the network issues in the form of a rebate against the data plan for... say 6 months, but I'm not going to demand it or moan and groan until I'm blue in the face.

[jreed660]

So maybe here's a better question: Does anybody have data service right now??

[Jameson!]

Nice theory, but how does that explain similar iPhone 3G performance problems, around the world????  

---

V.B. wrote:

My uninformed opinion is that AT&T may be throttling the 3G side of its network - in the form of denying data access - in an effort to reduce calls from being dropped during excessive load on 3G cell towers.

I think the iPhone 3G's popularity has placed an unforeseen burden on AT&T's 3G network, and it will take several months for AT&T to build out capacity to accomodate the usage demand.

I have resorted to leaving 3G turned off on my iPhone 3G - mostly to extend battery life. When I need to access the internet, I seek out WiFi first and then will try 3G if WiFi is not available. Someday when AT&T's 3G network is mature and stable, I may leave 3G turned on by default.

If I recall correctly, AT&T has some 350 or so 3G cell sites in their network. How fast can they upgrade the sites that need new equipment and also expand the network to add more 3G sites? Do the math. It'll be a while before 3G reception improves.

I would not be opposed to AT&T and Apple offering an apology for the network issues in the form of a rebate against the data plan for... say 6 months, but I'm not going to demand it or moan and groan until I'm blue in the face.

---

[Cuprous]

No data service here north of Boston. 3G full bars no data, turn off 3G to EDGE no data either.

[token]

I wonder if non iphone users are affected?

I don't see any reports in the Blackberry or HTC forums.

Hmmmm . . ..

[flyinglyon]

I also have had no service since yesterday evening (Boston area).  Service interruptions should be on the front page of the web site.
Bandwidth has been dropping and dropping, AT&T seems to have no trouble with the sudden influx of CASH, but it can not handle the sudden demand on services to match.  Why are we paying more for 3G service when it is worse and slower than edge?

[benvon]

I am getting no data service in Chicago on my iPhone.

My company Blackberry is cruising along happily though.

[V.B.]

---

Jameson! wrote:
Nice theory, but how does that explain similar iPhone 3G performance problems, around the world????  

---

My post did not address the 3G chipset issues with the iPhone 3G itself.

YOU know very well that there are 2 components to this issue, the phone and the network.

I'm pretty much done with diving into the minutia and will instead look at it from the big-picture perspective (glossing over the details).

I'll leave it to you all to sling mud at whatever it will stick to.

[AceFlyer]

No iPhone 3G data service (EDGE) in Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.  Seems to have died someitme early this morning.  Last push e-mail received was 11:24 pm last night.  We haven't made the 3G upgrade here yet although we are a bedroom community to DC

However, my office in Frederick, MD reports data working on iPhone 3G on EDGE - they aren't 3G ready yet either.

[afguard17]

This "worldwide problem" doesn't excuse AT&T for charging me 30 dollars a month for no internet.  Which means no stocks, no weather, no web apps, no google maps, and no email either.  I understand that people are excusing AT&T because its a worldwide problem.  It just indicates that European and Asian 3g infrastructures are ready to handle the iphone 3g demand either.  Thats not our problem.  Our Problem is at home. 

[robgreeneyes]

So, has anyone spoken to anyone at ATT who has any explanation to offer?

[Jameson!]

While AT&T MAY be making some attempt at tweaking the network to HELP address the iPhone mess, you are clearly pointing at the network as the cause of this mess.   Sorry, but with everything I've heard to date, I'm not buying it.   If I can lay 10 different 3G phone models side by side and ONLY the single iPhone 3G has these problems, logic and common sense take over, in my view........   I have had several 3G phones before my iPhone and both voice and data service showed excellent performance, with all of them.  

Now, with the iPhone, all of this has changed, for me AND apparently others, around the world.   One look at the single common element in this issue, makes the cause pretty darn clear.........   APPLE and AT&T may agree to keep us Dazed and Confused while they work this all out, so as to not open the flood gates for returns, law suits, etc, etc..................    But logic and common sense have to prevail here, when it comes to pointing the "blame finger".

---

V.B. wrote:

---

Jameson! wrote:
Nice theory, but how does that explain similar iPhone 3G performance problems, around the world????  

---

My post did not address the 3G chipset issues with the iPhone 3G itself.

YOU know very well that there are 2 components to this issue, the phone and the network.

I'm pretty much done with diving into the minutia and will instead look at it from the big-picture perspective (glossing over the details).

I'll leave it to you all to sling mud at whatever it will stick to.

---

[zero411]

Full 3G Bars, No Internet, e-mail or iTunes App Store. I'm here in Washington D.C.

I tried to chat with one of their support but I gave up.

[thebrowncoat]

No email, internet access in Richmond, VA either. This appears to be a widespread data outage affecting the entire East Coast and possibly Midwest as well.  It also seems to affect both 3G and EDGE based on the reports I'm finding online.

[Demetri70]

My iPhone is running @1.41 mps from testmyiphone.com, Milwaukee Wisconsin, Girlfriend's Blackjack 3G is also working in IL....

[dsampley]

Edge is working normally this morning in Western Kentucky (Hopkinsville and Bowling Green).