coverage and features?

[ajsi]

I have horrible coverage in our new home, where we moved about a month ago. It's actually not far from where we lived previously, but we're on the 46th floor. The service is almost nonexistent. I want to either get a network extender, wait for WiFi calling, or switch to att. However, the network extender Verizon offers is 3g. That doesn't make sense, because then it won't function with VoLTE / HD calling in the apt.

When will an LTE network extender be available?

The other option is not to buy that and let wifi calling take care of it. But again, no word on when that will be enabled.

My contract is up in May. I'm not going to get locked into another contract unless this issue is addressed. No definitive answers... And I'm suffering no cevoerage and dying battery life while paying an exorbitant monthly fee. If I wanted spotty coverage I could save money with T-Mobile or sprint.

[#2]

You only have to sign a 2 year contract if you get a discounted upgrade. So after you contract ends you'd simply be month to month free to leave at any time. No rule states you have to sign a new contract when your old contract ends. I've been of contract for nearly 10 months. As bonus I enjoy a $25 discount on my line fee. When I do get a new phone I'll be paying full price so I can continue to enjoy the $25 discount and not be locked into a contract.

Verizon network extenders are 3G because they were made long before VoLTE was a thing. Last I heard Verizon said wi-fi calling was coming in mid 2015. No carrier can promise any level of indoor coverage. You sound like you live in an apartments. Your place may be facing away form the Verizon tower. Also building materials can drastically affects a cell signal. Concrete, metal especially even windows made with e-glass can severely hamper coverage. Around here getting metal roofs on your house instead of replacing the shingles is a thing. Then people complain their cell signal went down the tubes. Well no kidding they put a material that not only blocks but reflects radios signals on their roofs.

[ajsi]

I understand the concept of going without a contract, but this doesn't solve the problem.

WiFi calling would solve it because I have WiFi at home.

Network extenders being out of date seems like a lame excuse. If you have LTE service for years and VoLTE for months then you ought to have planned this complementary product correspondingly.

[#4]

ajsi wrote:

I understand the concept of going without a contract, but this doesn't solve the problem.

WiFi calling would solve it because I have WiFi at home.

Network extenders being out of date seems like a lame excuse. If you have LTE service for years and VoLTE for months then you ought to have planned this complementary product correspondingly.

You mentioned your contract ending in May. You could simply be moth to month for a couple of months until wi-fi gets enabled or you hear different about it. You'd think by May they would say something if indeed it was going to be launch mid year.

Considering that Verizon didn't get their XLTE spectrum until late 2012 I'm not sure how you can think that. By the way Verizon doesn't make the extender so maybe you should be asking the manufacturer. Kind of like blaming Verizon for the iPhone missing a feature you might want.

[ajsi]

You're implying that Samsung or any other vendor is not able to make an LTE Network Extender. While that might be the case, more than likely Verizon either didn't plan to have it sooner or does want to pay to have it available sooner. Verizon drives product roadmaps to vendors - not the other way around.

[Snn5]

IDK, but with Verizon not wanting to allow WiFi calling, at least not right now, you'd think they would push for a 4G extender, if for no other reason than to make money off the equipment, but by the same token they believe their service is broad enough not to need 4G extenders or wifi calling.

[rcschnoor]

ajsi wrote:

You're implying that Samsung or any other vendor is not able to make an LTE Network Extender. While that might be the case, more than likely Verizon either didn't plan to have it sooner or does want to pay to have it available sooner. Verizon drives product roadmaps to vendors - not the other way around.

I think it is more a case of the device needing a broaband internet connection to work and the data throughput through the existing broadband internet connection is not going to change all that much if 4G capability is built in or not. The wifi connection of the phone through the existing broadband internet connection will have approximately the same data throughput as a 4G connection through the existing broadband internet.

Simply adding 4G capabilities to the network extender is not going to speed up the existing broadband internet connection.

[Snn5]

I can see where the connection and speed is only as fast as its slowest part.