Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
COOLASICE1999
Enthusiast - Level 2

Band 2 data speeds <1.5Mb/s download are horrendous in town and even worse upload <0.05Mb/s.  If I toggle airplane mode and my phone connects to Band 13 I get >15Mb/s download, but shortly after it switches back to Band 2.  Is there an issue with Band 2 and why does my phone always connect to band 2 instead of the faster band 13?

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

Band 2 may only be 5Mhz in that area. If you're able to see the downlink and uplink bandwidth, check to see if it is 5Mhz, 10Mhz, or 15Mhz. Band 2 is refarmed 3G spectrum, so if Verizon is still using B2 for 3G as well, LTE will be running at 5Mhz or less.

Because Verizon is probably not running QAM256 in all areas quite yet, B2 will give a maximum of about 35Mbps. That is for all phones to share.

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Indoors or outside?

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
COOLASICE1999
Enthusiast - Level 2

either, get the same result indoors or outdoors.  Signal is great, but speeds suck(band 2 only).

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
COOLASICE1999
Enthusiast - Level 2

Hello Verizon?  Zip code 04756

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

COOLASICE1999, as a new and valued Verizon customer (For your personal account) we certainly want to ensure that you're able to access our lighting fast 4G LTE data signal in the 04756 zip code area. Data speed is very important and we'll do everything we can to get this resolved for you. Are there other Verizon customers service being affected? Are you experiencing issues with data speeds outside the 04756 zip code? - RobertC_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
COOLASICE1999
Enthusiast - Level 2

It happens with both mine and my girlfriends Verizon phones.  I provided the incorrect zip code,. The proper zip is 04769.  It is only band 2 that has the horrible speeds.  Band 13 if very fast.  Speeds elsewhere are fine.  It is only band 2 that is extremely slow.

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

Band 2 may only be 5Mhz in that area. If you're able to see the downlink and uplink bandwidth, check to see if it is 5Mhz, 10Mhz, or 15Mhz. Band 2 is refarmed 3G spectrum, so if Verizon is still using B2 for 3G as well, LTE will be running at 5Mhz or less.

Because Verizon is probably not running QAM256 in all areas quite yet, B2 will give a maximum of about 35Mbps. That is for all phones to share.

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
COOLASICE1999
Enthusiast - Level 2

You are correct,. It is a 5mhz bandwidth problem.  Verizon is pushing connections from band 13 to band 2 choking available speed.  It is overloading band 2 and causing it to be almost unusable during the day.

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

Got it. Do you know if Verizon is using Carrier Aggregation in your area, and does your device support it? Ideally, in an area with both Band 2 and 4, Verizon would aggregate those two bands together. They would also do the same for both Band 13 and Band 2, using the better of the two bands for uplink (where you'll typically hit the performance issues the most. It's harder for the tower to hear your phone than it is for your phone to hear the tower).

The propagation range of Band 4 and 2 are about the same, all things considered. Band 2 goes out further in theory than Band 4 does, but that all depends on how the network is configured, and what the signal is dealing with. There are places I've seen where a Band 2 signal has been more reliable than a Band 13 signal.

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Re: Band 2 data speeds horrendous in Presque Isle, ME
COOLASICE1999
Enthusiast - Level 2

My phone supports aggregation (nexus 6p).  I don't think band 4 exists In presque isle, only 2 and 13.  I've never seen band 4 in the area.  Presque isle, me is indeed listed as a xlte city.

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