Verizon’s problems with LTE capacity in NY are almost at an end, claimed CEO Lowell McAdam during an investor conference on Monday. Describing the issues as “a short-term blip,” he said the company was “now back to where we want to be.”
Verizon identified 49 cell sites in the New York area where capacity was insufficient, and said that all but seven of them had been strengthened.
AT&T, meantime, said that it has become the first U.S. carrier to offer international LTE roaming thanks to an agreement with Rogers Communications to allow customers access to LTE data when visiting Canada. The Rogers LTE network covers approximately 70 percent of Canada.
Roaming is not, however, cheap. For occasional use, you’re charged $15.36/MB. Alternatively, you can sign up for a Data Global Add-on packages at $30/month for 120MB, $60/month for 300MB or $120/month for 800MB. The two more expensive packages also give you 1GB of wifi usage where available.
Full AT&T press release below …
AT&T Is First U.S. Carrier to Offer International LTE Roaming
Dallas, Texas, December 09, 2013
AT&T* announced today that it has launched LTE roaming in Canada with Rogers Communications. The agreement with Rogers makes AT&T the first U.S. carrier to offer international LTE roaming.
AT&T has a broad selection of LTE devices. In fact, about 42 percent of AT&T postpaid smartphone customers use an LTE device.** With today’s announcement, AT&T customers roaming in Canada can use their existing LTE device to surf the web, download apps, upload content and more on Rogers LTE, Canada’s fastest LTE network.
“Our agreement with Rogers affirms our commitment to deliver superior international coverage to our customers,” said Bill Hague, executive vice president, International, Alliances and Integrations, AT&T Mobility. “AT&T customers already have access to the nation’s fastest, most reliable 4G LTE network while in the United States and now they can enjoy LTE speeds while roaming in Canada.”***
Rogers LTE delivers Canada’s fastest download speeds, enabling AT&T customers to stay connected while traveling north of the border. The Rogers LTE network reaches 70 percent of Canadians from coast to coast and continues to expand. This year alone, Rogers will expand its LTE coverage to 95 new markets.
AT&T customers can select from one of three Data Global Add-On packages that offer discounted rates in Canada and over 150 countries – 120MB for $30/mo; 300MB for $60/mo; and 800MB for $120/mo.
To learn more about AT&T’s discount roaming packages, including tips for selecting the best data package for your international travel needs, visit att.com/worldpackages.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
**As reported in AT&T Earnings for 3rd Quarter 2013: About 42 percent of AT&T postpaid smartphone customers now use an LTE device; 70 percent use a 4G-capable device (LTE/HSPA+)
***4G LTE speed claim based on national carriers’ average 4G LTE download speeds. Reliability claim based on data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. 4G LTE availability varies.
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Verizon is fixed in NYC? Not according to my last speed test. .47 mb/s down and .40mb/s up on my 5S in Midtown.
My verizon phone is unlocked so I just buy a sim card.Why would you roam?
To keep your phone number while traveling. Business people like to be reachable in a predictable and reliable manner.
Verizon has a heck of a lot more work to do. Their LTE has to be way better that ATT because the fall back is their horribly slow 3G network. Sometimes it is just like being back on ATT, four bars and no data.
“Verizon identified 49 cell sites in the New York area where capacity was insufficient, and said that all but seven of them had been strengthened.”
Really? Dang it, don’t they have something like a centralized system or console that shows them their saturated cell sites in REAL TIME? I’d be shocked if they didn’t. And no doubt they also have computers systems that look at utilization trends and the equipment… and can reliably predict when a cell site will be headed toward trouble.
It seems to me that the Big VZ has become so giant that they don’t care so much about their customers. And now they’re making excuses once the press gets wind of it. Shame.
Wow, awesome news! What a great way for AT&T to royally screw their customers!
It’s a time for Apple to fix surf and talk on Verizon iPhone. It’s hard to believe they didn’t free one antenna with the iPhone 5s. I have a feeling that the iPhone 6 will have the same issue.
I hear #TMobile has service in #NewYork that’s just as good as #Verizon and #ATT for a heck of a lot less.