Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
HCGoncalves
Enthusiast - Level 1

So folks I am not going to get into the details of this issue but here is the quick run down... I left AT&T to join Verizon when they got the Iphone back in Feb 2 yrs ago... Since DAY 1.. I had nothing but major issues with the Iphone dropping 3G and go into that horrible circle 2G (Circle = 1X (2G Network) so I have seriously opened up so many calls you can not imginage with support, l2 and network tech. We have removed and readded my phone to the network more times then you can possibly imagine.. What was strange was that when the was new it held the 3G and had full bars... Background: Please be patiend it has to do with the issue... Ok so after a year later and 4/ to 5 phones laterdue ot them thinking it might have been a bad batch with to me is not possible but ok I will humor support... The issue continues... This yr in Feb I opened a REALLY upsetting ticket.. I was paying full price for a service I was only getting half the quality. I did learn to turn on Airplane mode and Disable and 3G would come on at full strengh for a very short time. So this being said I was asked to upgrade to a LTE phone... Android was the suggestion by the L2 from Verizon. My company does not support Android phones any longer due to secruity issues. So that was not possible.. I was told then I could go with a blackberry. Well knowing this yr and the rumors of the iphone 5 release I patiently waited to see if in July/Sept the iphone would actually show its self.. I was all set.. I had the early upgrade autherised.. and by the way we are talking 2 weeks and all.. So to find I had to pay full retail to keep my unlimited data for a phone to correct an issue that Verizon has been been able to determine or correct has really tips the scales... Needless to say I been paying ofr a service for 2 yrs where when I am at work I get 1/2 the service and not I need to dish out more money.. hummm lovely... $850.00+ just to get an LTE phone which L2 suggessted would resolve my 3G issue.. So I pay the 850$ get the phone and guess what... SAME ISSUE... I am currently still in 2G.. WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY is 3G dropping to 2G when I have FULL 3G service.. Ok LTE I get maybe its weak even thou I have seen it hit 3 bars at my desk. But WHY can I not keep a 3G signal.. ( I have attached screenshots. To get the 3G for a short time I had to go to Airplane Mode and Back to normal) See the 3G FULL BARS !!! so why DO I DROP to 2G? and they sometimes drop to 4 bars and 5 over a 10 min period... so its not a fake indicator. and if I have to restore my phone one more time from factory I will lose it...

I have read all over the internet other people having the same issue all over the place... Now this has happened on the Iphone 4, Iphone 4S and now Iphone 5 ... I have a co-worker with an AT&T phone and another with Sprint and they has no issue holding LTE and 4G so its not the building.. Take a guess what I am thinking about doing? As well as every other employee with Verizon.. EMC Corp Hopkinton, MA 171 South

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE any suggestions? Help? Advise? I love Verizon and their coverage but seriously this is now costing me thousands of dollars and when I call Customer Loyality all I got was sorry..

***BTW I am at work and I dont have the time to check spelling... Already spent too much time on this... Thanks

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Re: Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
HCGoncalves
Enthusiast - Level 1

Might I mention it KILLS my battery life as you can see and yes I know I have 1,900 emails Smiley Happy

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Re: Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
PeteBoston
Contributor - Level 1

I have only had a good LTE signal once since getting my iPhone 5 eight days ago and this was when I was about 5 ft from a tower. Other than that, I pretty much have 1-2 bars of LTE or 3G and data barely works.  I also see the 2G circle like you showed on your screenshot at times. Like you, I am also in Massachusetts, and have tried my phone in about 30 different major cities in Eastern Mass.

I called VZW twice on this topic and today was told that they have a "critical trouble ticket" open on this issue. Hopefully they can get to the bottom of this soon as the Data on my iPhone 5 is unusable until this gets corrected.  I have an AT&T Galaxy S III which gets 25-35 and even 50Mb/s  in the same locations while my VZW iPhone 5 is primarily stuck in 3G and when it goes to LTE, I'm lucky if I can obtain 4-8Mb/s.

This does not appear to be isolated to Massachusetts though, there are people in NYC and Kentucky in the Apple forum complaining about the same problems. What I don't know is if this is an iPhone SW/HW problem or a VZW Tower problem.

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Re: Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
kaebfly
Champion - Level 3

Wow...not really sure what to say to you on this issue. Maybe I have just been lucky that everywhere I travel and where I live this issue has never occurred for me or the other iPhone on my account. I've had the 4/4s and now the 5...so my only guess would be that it is an area issue. Although honestly, if I had been through what you describe and I decided that staying with VZW was what I wanted to do in spite of it...I probably would not have opted to go with the iPhone 5 after having both the 4 and 4s with the same results. This is only assuming that you are positive that the issue only exists with the iPhone on VZW and not with any other device.

Now the unlimited data thing...unfortunately, that has nothing to do with the issues you've been experiencing so there won't be any relief on that front...unless VZW decided to give you an exception to the rule as far as letting you keep the unlimited data without paying full retail (which would likely cause a lot of people to become upset if they found out you managed to pull that off lol). But as far as the rest of the issues go...you might need to consider trying a different device on the network. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my iPhone BUT I don't think I would want to keep going through the issues you are going through just to be able to have the iPhone. It does you no good to have the device that you want if the service is poor most of the time. That's really a personal decision, but if you want to find out if the issue is somehow connected to owning an iPhone in your area on the VZW network versus any other device then you may need to switch. Since the iPhone has only been officially out for 8 days you have time to do a switch under the return/exchange policy.

Also, do you know others that are also experiencing the same issues in your area? Is it only iPhone users? Just curious...

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Re: Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
HCGoncalves
Enthusiast - Level 1

Correct outside of this area I have very little to no issues I should have mentioned this is ISOLATED to my work area only... Hopkinton, MA ... I do drop into 2G but usually lasts a few minutes... At work its all day and night

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Re: Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
HCGoncalves
Enthusiast - Level 1

as for the unlimited that was a choice my concern was that getting this phone was to resolve a network issue and to maitain my current status I had to pay full retail so I understand that... That was my choice I would have liked to have had Verizon give it for upgrade costs since this was a recommendation from their engineers and not cause I wanted to go from 4S to 5 ... personally I could careless.

As for other users.. YES everyone who has Verizon has this issue.. EVERYONE... so its not just me.. I guess I am the only one who just can't take the constant re-tries to send out one text message...

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Re: Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
B33
Legend

Might be it has something to do were you Work there may not be enough Verizon Towers in that Area. What i do in my Area i Go looking for the Towers and see if there Verizon's or Not.. Now allot of then you can't just Drive up by them because of the Fencing around the Building and for some there remote Location but if you Find the Door Verizon has there Red Sign on Them and a Pair of Binoculars will get you Close with out getting Close and getting your self into Trouble.. But as i Mentioned it can depend how many is in your Area. And some Cases there might not be any..

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Re: Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
HCGoncalves
Enthusiast - Level 1

So that actually would make sense... but its currently 12 midnight and the building is down to 15 employees... so I would think during the day that would make sense at this time of the night I dont think so.. This is a small town...

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Re: Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
B33
Legend

Well something i Forgot to Mention i'm in a small size Town as well and we Just Got 4G at the End of Aug. But before that i use to Travel to Wichita at least 3 times a Month and when over there i would get to See how the Speeds of the 4G were and was really Excited But i notice something that when i would Go into a Building Like a Car Dealership the 4G Disappeared but when i came back outside it Re-Turned and i was kind of Baffled on it but the more i Read on it the More i learned that was the Way of Land with 4G and even though 4G Towers were in the City they were not all Converted but i'd say they're about 95% all on there may be a few out Lying area's that are in the need of being Switched on. But being in the Building could have a Possible impact on your Phone..  

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Re: Serious HELP needed w/ Iphone 5, 4S, 4 dropping to 2G when 3G is signal is 5 of 5.
HCGoncalves
Enthusiast - Level 1

I still dont understand it... and Verizon gives me a new answer everytime.. I think its cause they dont know either..

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