Forum Discussion
how do i report a dead zone?
Recently moved to land o lakes FL, we have absolutely no service both call and internet even though some areas we get 3-4 bars and says LTE. I have to use our cable WIFI to make calls. We frequent We...
You could bring the lack of coverage in that area to the attention of Support. Expecting things to change in a few weeks, if at all is unrealistic. If it is the result of a tower that needs repair. Dispatching people when there is a shortage of workers that maintain and repair cellular towers, especially during a pandemic, is going to take longer than normal. If it is an actual dead zone. Perhaps the issue why there is no service there yet, is because you mention it is a growing area. Obtaining the site and permits to construct a new cellular tower and get it up and running all takes time.
There are some diagnostic steps you can take. One is to run a speed test in the wee hours of the morning. If you get good speeds then, the problem can be due to congestion. T-Mobile is coping with unprecedented growth while simultaneously trying to merge Sprint's network assets with their network. Sprint's assets include a large swath of 2.5 GHz spectrum (LTE band 41), which will go a long way toward alleviating the congestion experienced in many locations.
If your speeds are still slow at oh-dark-thirty, then the issue may be something blocking the signal. It's possible that the signal from the tower can refract around the corners of building, providing a good number of bars indicated on the phone, However, the weaker signal from the phone can't get back to the tower. This results in poor speeds at all hours with a decent appearing signal. In this case, look for topography or significant buildings between you and the tower.
Finally, is there a big difference between indoor and outdoor performance? If so, it can be due to the materials used in the building construction. Things like shatter-resistant windows and aluminized vapor barriers can really affect RF performance.
You need to talk to Tech Support, which can sometimes be difficult. You will need to be at a poor-service location for some time but have access to a working phone. (Catch-22) You have to first call Customer Service (e.g. 611) and ask to file a service complaint and speak with Tech Support. Tech support will be able to diagnose the problem if they can access your phones signal. However, all they can do with the problem is to put the report in Engineering's inbox.
I don't recommend holding your breath in hopes of a quick solution. What phones do you have and are they paid off? It might be possible to port out to another carrier that will provide better service in your location.
