Forum Discussion
cell spot failure
Just went through Hurricane Ian. Power back after 5 days, however, Xfinity is still down. Since cell spot is dependent on cable modem, no service. Don't set yourself up for thinking you will have phone service after a horrific experience. No mobile towers set up in the area even though Ian sat on top of us for 7 hours. Used Publix grocery store to post this. Now headed back home to no service. No updates from insurance or FEMA. When you are alone and elderly it is awful to have no communication with family and friends, no way to get to internet. Other Tmobile customers have some service, if you have cell spot, nothing. It would have been the right thing to do when transferred from Sprint to tell customers the local towers will be under modification until Spring of next year rather than slapping a bandaid on the problem. This is beyond unforgivable.
Having experienced Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I can say, with all sincerity, I feel your pain. We kept our wired (POTS) phone for ten years after Katrina because for weeks afterward it was the only thing that worked reliably. I could at least get on the Internet via dial-up and GPRS (slow but it got the job done). No calls would work between cellular carriers or BellSouth. This is when everyone started using text messages, as they got through.
I'm pretty sure that T-Mobile is doing everything possible to restore service but if you needed a CellSpot before Ian, I think you'll be waiting on the cable company, which could be a while. It was months before cable was restored to our neighborhood after Katrina.
I recently switched to AT&T Fiber Internet. They assured me that (unlike Uverse) there were no powered components between my home and the central office. In theory, if my generator is running and the cable isn't cut, I'll have Internet. After about 48 hours without power, Uverse would die, at least until they hooked the portable generator to the VRAD at the end of our street. Usually about three days after the storm.
By the end of 2023 T-Mobile should be able to provide limited service to remote and storm-struck areas via StarLink's GEN2 satellites. That does no good now but it's something to keep in mind.
I hear what you are saying. Same here. No TMobile service for phone or cellular internet. I have to drive into town and visit each doctor to reschedule and make my apts because there isn't any way to get called. Its scary too, because they call to confirm and when I can't answer a couple have actually cancelled the apt!!
Banking, adjustors, FEEMA, everything is now impossible for elderly and homebound. It would be nice if TMobile were to offer status updates of when our services will come back online. We are going on week 3 now and no word whatsoever from Tmobile on the status of their towers.
Thanks. I wish there were such a thing here as wired phone service. Haven't had that since leaving MT. All they offer in this area of FL is VOIP. We had that during IRMA and it failed us. Tried everything to locate wired in both FL homes and just not available. I don't what government regulators are thinking. More and more natural disasters and less and less wired connections in this push for "connecting" everyone.
No cable here either. Only thing is using a 100 mile radius antenna for TV. It's either satellite or cellular to communicate and neither is working well right now. The infrastructure just isn't in place in seems. Was difficult before Ian and more so now. TMHI was a ray of hope for a short time.
But it's our choice to live where we are. No traffic, surrounded by nature and patiently wait for services to come online. Optimistic that what they "repair" cell towers with will transmit better than before. That will be nice!
Well it's now Nov 30 2023 and no Starlink relief for congestion. I'm getting zero to 5mbs in my "remote" location just 2.8 miles from their tower which is between 2 FL cities with large populations. Either it's not aimed right or TMobile doesn't care about the congestion. I am using the Arcadyan gateway for wifi.
I've reported no service 5 times since Sep and all they can recommend is a cell booster, which I already have installed. It doesn't help. At times even with cell booster and wifi assist my phone says "dead zone" SOS only.
Of course! How can TMobile expect wifi assist would help if their TMHI doesn't bring in an internet signal?
