EDGE - Can We Bombard AT&T To Not Route Calls to Voicemail While Using EDGE?
Having missed several phone calls while surfing the web or when the iPhone is automatically downloading email, I think we should email AT&T executives to ask that they reconfigure EDGE to allow voice calls while transmitting data instead of rerouting the voice calls to voicemail.
There are some towers that are configured to cancel data transmission and let the call go through while using EDGE. However, these are a vast minority of towers.
Does anyone have any AT&T email addresses where we could suggest they reconfigure their towers to not reroute calls to voicemail while using EDGE?
There are some towers that are configured to cancel data transmission and let the call go through while using EDGE. However, these are a vast minority of towers.
Does anyone have any AT&T email addresses where we could suggest they reconfigure their towers to not reroute calls to voicemail while using EDGE?
Comments
Of course it wouldn't have mattered, but Apple decided to use Class B EDGE in the iPhone. Class A EDGE, on the other hand, allows simultaneous data and voice so your problem wouldn't be an issue. I'm still not sure why, outside of production issues perhaps.
Anyway, the best way would probably to call them up and keep trying to get bumped up the operator ladder until you get someone halfway decent.
Of course it wouldn't have mattered, but Apple decided to use Class B EDGE in the iPhone. Class A EDGE, on the other hand, allows simultaneous data and voice so your problem wouldn't be an issue. I'm still not sure why, outside of production issues perhaps.
Is this something which can be upgraded via firmware? Or is this a hardware limitation?
Unfortunately I got the follow reply just this week and the bug was closed.
Engineering has determined this issue behaves as intended based on the following information:
This is expected behavior when using EDGE. Phones calls roll to voicemail when the user is using EDGE.
This article posted on the Apple Core can walk you through the steps required to see which NOM network you are connected to: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=740
I'm not positive but I believe this is something that can be fixed by Apple as well. If there is a pause/space in the data access the call will come through. Apple could configure (maybe as a setting) all network access to 'take a breath' every 5 seconds or so to allow the system to look for a phone call. I talked for a number of hours with AT&T and Apple about this early on and it was explained that even though the calling party doesn't get a ring the system tries for about the equivalent of 4 rings to get the call through. If the data channel drops it will go through. Apple (the iphone help line) was actually very good with me testing this a demonstrating it for me, calling back while I was accessing Maps, etc. So I filed a bug report with Apple with this suggestion.
Unfortunately I got the follow reply just this week and the bug was closed.
thats very intresting. i have gotten a call or two when using edge, which i was supprised by...
they shoul really fix that. because every time i use edge, i worry that i am missing a call....
thats very intresting. i have gotten a call or two when using edge, which i was supprised by...
they shoul really fix that. because every time i use edge, i worry that i am missing a call....
We can all request it at http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html
However, I would also like to write AT&T and was wondering if anyone had any valid email addresses for the "higher-ups."
thats very intresting. i have gotten a call or two when using edge, which i was supprised by...
they shoul really fix that. because every time i use edge, i worry that i am missing a call....
Same here. I was using it today when somebody called and I answer it...
Is this something which can be upgraded via firmware? Or is this a hardware limitation?
Hardware limitation, I'm afraid.
However that NOM1 vs. NOM2 tower thing looks promising, although more something to bother AT&T about than Apple.
I'm not positive but I believe this is something that can be fixed by Apple as well. If there is a pause/space in the data access the call will come through. Apple could configure (maybe as a setting) all network access to 'take a breath' every 5 seconds or so to allow the system to look for a phone call.
Great... additional routines to slow down data transfer even further.
However, I would also like to write AT&T and was wondering if anyone had any valid email addresses for the "higher-ups."
There are some towers that are set for NOM1 instead of NOM2. If you are connected to a NOM1 tower, then a phone call can go through because AT&T will allow it to go inbetween EDGE data transmissions. Most towers are NOM2.
This article posted on the Apple Core can walk you through the steps required to see which NOM network you are connected to: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=740
Do you really want to micromanage ATnT just to make a simple phone call? The loveliness of the iPhone is you don't have to concern yourself with minutiae to use it.
The forest through the trees is that ATnT should invest in their 3G network for future iPhones rather than perfect their 2.5G network for current iPhones. Besides, if the call goes to visual voicemail, you've got another excuse to play with visual voicemail.
Great... additional routines to slow down data transfer even further.
Have you used the iPhone and EDGE? I actually have no real complaints about it, other than the phone-call issue. Is faster better - of course that's a ridiculous argument but it not answering the right question - is EDGE useful/usable and does it accomplish what current owners need. That I can answer definitively YES. For everything ( and I mean everything ) I do while on the road (read away from wifi) - maps, surfing, mail, stocks weather, I have no complaints about EDGE. I get the information quickly and easily.
If there is a tradeoff in price/battery life, etc. I would definitely have to weight the pros and cons before rejecting EDGE out of hand.
Without knowing the window Apple would have to open its impossible to say what the hit would be but I really can't imagine it would be much - and for those who can't wrap their heads around EDGE in any case it wouldn't be any