Apple says it takes 3 years to get a new cell tower in San Francisco

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Lingering reception issues in San Francisco, Calif., are exceptionally difficult to rectify because the local approval process for a new cellular tower takes an average of 3 years, Apple revealed Friday.



Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, at Friday's iPhone 4 press conference, discussed some of the difficulties cellular companies like AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.S., experience when trying to improve their coverage. San Francisco is one city where coverage is notoriously bad.



"It's one of the toughest spots to get approvals," Jobs said. "Sometimes I think they should enlist the support of all the iPhone users in the community."



He said that Apple is constantly asking about reception in San Francisco and the surrounding bay area, but that AT&T is caught up in the "long process" of trying to get new towers approved.



When AT&T wants to add a new cell tower in Texas, Jobs said, it takes about 3 weeks. But adding a new cell tower in San Francisco has an average turnaround time of 3 years.



"Not all of us want cell towers in our backyard, but we all want good reception," Jobs said. "(AT&T has) tried to make them look like banana trees, but still, it's a problem."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 138
    daharderdaharder Posts: 1,580member
    Apple 'says' all manner of things... One learns to discern what's most likely rubbish - Like This!
  • Reply 2 of 138
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post


    Apple 'says' all manner of things... One learns to discern what's most likely rubbish - Like This!



    DaHarder 'says' all manner of things... One learns to discern what's most likely rubbish - Like This!
  • Reply 3 of 138
    sheffsheff Posts: 1,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    "(AT&T has) tried to make them look like banana trees, but still, it's a problem."



  • Reply 4 of 138
    daharderdaharder Posts: 1,580member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by astrubhar View Post


    DaHarder 'says' all manner of things... One learns to discern what's most likely rubbish - Like This!



    Maybe if you (and your ilk) would removed those Apple-tinted goggles every once in a while you'd better see that no company is infallible... no matter how much you claim otherwise.
  • Reply 5 of 138
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post


    Apple 'says' all manner of things... One learns to discern what's most likely rubbish - Like This!



    Meh, I can see it being true. I used to live in an area that had poor coverage from every major carrier (located in Minneapolis, MN), and plans for a tower shared by both AT&T and Verizon were pushed back for over 2 years (it never got put up while I lived there) because people continued to complain that they did not want a cell tower installed at a busy intersection. I can only imagine San Francisco is a million times worse than Minneapolis...didn't they just make some sort of cell phone radiation law? But then again...it's not like people from California are known for wanting their cake and eating it too...
  • Reply 6 of 138
    ianmac47ianmac47 Posts: 43member
    Or alternately, instead of waiting for AT&T to install new towers, maybe Apple should be offering the iPhone on other networks that don't have "weak signal" spots as frequently as AT&T.
  • Reply 7 of 138
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    "Not all of us want cell towers in our backyard, but we all want good reception," Jobs said. "(AT&T has) tried to make them look like banana trees, but still, it's a problem."



    Damn...those would be some HUGE banana trees!
  • Reply 8 of 138
    8corewhore8corewhore Posts: 833member
    The noisiest ATT customers are in SFO and NYC. In SFO get off your asses and tell your govt you don't want a landline. Stop bitching about ATT if you're too lazy to vote or write your rep.



    In NYC ha! Manhattan is slot canyons. Too bad. Get three phones for insurance if you can afford Manhattan.



    ATT handles more traffic than all the other carriers combined. That's frikkin heroic. Don't like it stop being a whiny brat and switch.
  • Reply 9 of 138
    I live near Chicago. Many cell phone providers collaborated and decided to share a new tower. It took over 2 years for the local politicians to agree to it and in order for it to get approved, the tower had to be seamlessly integrated into an existing church steeple. They literally had to build a giant, tall brick tower, fill it internally with antennas, and top it with a cross.



    Amazing. Now I know why my cell phone bill is so high.
  • Reply 10 of 138
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post


    Maybe if you (and your ilk) would removed those Apple-tinted goggles every once in a while you'd better see that no company is infallible... no matter how much you claim otherwise.



    Don't you think Apple is smart enough not to make things up? The news would jump on that in a heartbeat and roast them.



    If you spent 10 minutes fact checking, you'd realize they were right. Stop being so freaking paranoid.
  • Reply 11 of 138
    I wonder why there are no reports for dropped calls on the Blackberry for AT&T. Can we get a hardware analysis please?
  • Reply 12 of 138
    retiariusretiarius Posts: 142member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sheff View Post






    hiding cell towers in church steeples is another favorite trick --

    in frisco there's supposedly one in st. paul's in noe valley

    (where sister act was filmed), but if so it's only helping us out only a little bit.
  • Reply 13 of 138
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    SF is the land of special interests and left-wing-looney-lobbyists. 3 years is probably optimistic. It is the most dysfunctional city I've ever seen in a developed nation. And, for what it is worth, I can confirm that there are most certainly dead spots all over, not just for ATT.
  • Reply 14 of 138
    chronsterchronster Posts: 1,894member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    "Not all of us want cell towers in our backyard, but we all want good reception," Jobs said. "(AT&T has) tried to make them look like banana trees, but still, it's a problem."



    That's pretty damn funny actually
  • Reply 15 of 138
    desidesdesides Posts: 80member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post


    Apple 'says' all manner of things... One learns to discern what's most likely rubbish - Like This!



    In this case, it's true. Getting local governments to agree to cell tower placement is hit or miss, for a variety of reasons. I'd imagine that the San Francisco city government is concerned about the physiological effect of the additional cell towers, which would require lengthy studies to resolve. Jobs' comparison between Texas and San Francisco is well founded in reality.



    As for the banana tree thing, that's true too. Carriers tend to pretty up or disguise their cell towers as part of an agreement to get the things deployed in the first place. There are plenty of photos on Google.
  • Reply 16 of 138
    ihxoihxo Posts: 567member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post


    Apple 'says' all manner of things... One learns to discern what's most likely rubbish - Like This!



    how to spot a troll.
  • Reply 17 of 138
    OMG. People are beginning to play nice with AT&T because Jobs spoketh. You realize this was information already available, yet largely ignored? I'm picturing a bunch of people being led around by their nose rings by Steveo. Yeesh!
  • Reply 18 of 138
    "AT&T has tried to make them look like banana trees". How about Apple trees?
  • Reply 19 of 138
    prof. peabodyprof. peabody Posts: 2,860member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post


    Maybe if you (and your ilk) would removed those Apple-tinted goggles every once in a while you'd better see that no company is infallible... no matter how much you claim otherwise.



    Oh come on! You are a known troll. I've even heard you refer to yourself that way on here. You live to say nasty things about Apple, prod forum users with insults, and engage in endless arguments.



    For you to call "bias" or shenanigans on anyone else is pretty rich.
  • Reply 20 of 138
    prof. peabodyprof. peabody Posts: 2,860member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by buckdutter View Post


    Meh, I can see it being true. I used to live in an area that had poor coverage from every major carrier (located in Minneapolis, MN), and plans for a tower shared by both AT&T and Verizon were pushed back for over 2 years (it never got put up while I lived there) because people continued to complain that they did not want a cell tower installed at a busy intersection. I can only imagine San Francisco is a million times worse than Minneapolis...didn't they just make some sort of cell phone radiation law? But then again...it's not like people from California are known for wanting their cake and eating it too...



    Yeah, it's kind of funny too given that the crazy idiots that are scared of cell phone radiation giving them cancer and denying the placement of cell towers are pretty much the same personality type that would still be thinking this is all some kind of coverup or conspiracy by Apple.



    Some people just live to complain and see a conspiracy or a negative in everything.
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