Improved cell coverage?

Trice

Well-Known Member
Apr 1, 2010
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How would wifi be a liability issue? Maybe I missed the reply your responding to.

Not wifi specifically but the ability to make calls and send texts. If you can't call 911 if you need help, or reach a family member in the case of an emergency, that's a problem.
 
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Ms3r4ISU

Me: Mea culpa. Also me: Sine cura sis.
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May 7, 2008
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I have US Cellular and we sit in SEZ a few rows from the top of our section. First game this year, I tried to post a picture on Facebook before the game began (actually between warmups and the teams coming back on the field.) It finally posted with about 10 min left in the game. Yes, there's wifi "inside" but it absolutely doesn't go outside those walls, at least down to us. I despise needing to get up, walk in front of people and go back inside just to check a text from family that I need to see.
I laugh when I see the US Cellular commercials on the video/score board.
 

yowza

Well-Known Member
Jun 2, 2016
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Ours worked when everyone got up at end of the 1st half and headed up. Enough people were off their phones for 10 or 15 minutes. US Cellular.
 

MeowingCows

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2015
40,058
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Iowa
Haven't even been able to send a text during all 3 games so far. Verizon, lower bowl, Pixel 6 Pro. No data whatsoever obviously. Been way worse than before this season, but it's also the first football season I've had this phone as well. Previous Note 8 would work spotty at times even during packed games.
 

cyclone87

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2011
3,321
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Ames, IA
My cell service was remarkably better last game. I could watch videos and browse the web albeit a little slow. I have US cellular.
 

el tornado

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2006
809
282
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My wife's Samsung worked great, she used twitter and espn throughout.
My iphone was very slow but i was able to get on for a change.
Verizon, upper deck last row
 

ClonesFTW

Well-Known Member
Nov 13, 2013
5,564
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Waukee
I was able to place a live bet on ISU via DraftKings in the stadium for the first time ever, usually won't even pull up.
 

Icky_Mettle

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Oct 19, 2006
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Lower level on the north east side, zero coverage the whole game. Only had a SOS signal. So far this year it’s been way worse for me. I have verizon.
 

carvers4math

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2012
21,353
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Is he still giving you the stats or does he let you watch the game in peace? :)
He’ll give me the stats that I don’t really want. I talk to the 11 year old boy that sits next to us so I have someone to talk to about the game we paid good money to attend.
 
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CYaeger

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Sep 23, 2019
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I have UC Cellular - Only could receive a few texts but that’s it. My friend had T-Mobile and she had no issue. Could watch videos, send/receive messages.
 

VeloClone

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2010
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Brooklyn Park, MN
I have Verizon, SW corner, upper deck. I only tried to send and receive texts including gifs. Texts went through pretty normally. Pics/gifs were slow but went through. Much better than last year when I couldn't count on a text getting through at all.
 

aeroclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
10,369
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I have UC Cellular - Only could receive a few texts but that’s it. My friend had T-Mobile and she had no issue. Could watch videos, send/receive messages.
Would be interested to hear a little more from the TMO or ATT users here. Seems like all the complaints the last week or two have been VZW and USCC.
 
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AllInForISU

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Nov 24, 2012
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Verizon user, have been able to stream other games on YTTV all season. Everything else works great. It’s very weird, person near me also has Verizon and can’t even pull up a website.
 

Klonz

Member
Nov 9, 2006
382
16
18
Grimes, IA
I’m in Section E, R11 and Verizon on iPhone 13 Pro. Basically non-functional… in North parking lots and in stadium.

I have spoken with Brian Honnold [email protected] via game day fan feedback on cyclones.com. And he said they have been working with the cellular providers to make adjustments to the new permanent cellular infrastructure in & around the stadium.

However. it is clear that either or both the cellular providers or ISU aren’t stepping up to resolve the problem.

I encourage you to reach out to Brian and I will alert him to this discussion.

The only time I have experienced quality voice & data service in and around Trice is when Verizon put a temporary tower in the parking lot a couple years ago.

This is ridiculous. I thought we had a top Engineering college?? Time to call them in!!!!

Otherwise ISU needs to offer WiFi Service that is high end.

As well, I experience exact same issue inside Hilton! A person next to me has great service and I have none.

Which indicates to me - based upon all your comments about spotty service, that there’s perhaps some type of flaw in the signal broadcasts that is preventing it from being universally recognized by all phones. so perhaps something in the broadcast hardware???
 

IcSyU

Well-Known Member
Nov 27, 2007
28,302
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Verizon/US Cellular/etc. could not possibly care less if you don't have coverage on game day. You very likely aren't going to switch providers because most are in the same boat and I would bet most stadiums not in a metro area have the exact same issue because the network infrastructure is built in a cost effective manner meeting the cell provider's minimum bandwidth requirement.

US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis taking on 70,000 connections is no big deal because the MSP metro has the infrastructure to support millions of connections. I would bet Amon G Carter Stadium in Fort Worth probably doesn't have issues because it's a metro area blanketed with coverage. The Ames/Manhattan/etc. college towns without a metro area don't justify the infrastructure investments by the cell providers for flawless wireless service.
 

Klonz

Member
Nov 9, 2006
382
16
18
Grimes, IA
Verizon/US Cellular/etc. could not possibly care less if you don't have coverage on game day. You very likely aren't going to switch providers because most are in the same boat and I would bet most stadiums not in a metro area have the exact same issue because the network infrastructure is built in a cost effective manner meeting the cell provider's minimum bandwidth requirement.

US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis taking on 70,000 connections is no big deal because the MSP metro has the infrastructure to support millions of connections. I would bet Amon G Carter Stadium in Fort Worth probably doesn't have issues because it's a metro area blanketed with coverage. The Ames/Manhattan/etc. college towns without a metro area don't justify the infrastructure investments by the cell providers for flawless wireless service.
Well - ISU Athletic Dept and University have spent a lot of money on building a permanent NEW network on campus as well as around and inside Jack Trice... and the cell carriers are involved in all of that... so while your comments reflect the situation in the past - it is a completely different, designated infrastructure today.

The ISU campus and facilities Cellular Network has been built in the last two years.

Now it is a matter of tweaking the configurations... as has been confirmed by the staff and AD Pollard.

thus... by knowing about the nuances of issues - ie- two people next to each other with vastly different service levels, etc... gives the techs info to fix the issue.
 
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NetflixAndClone

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Sep 6, 2015
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The State of Hockey
I've been to SEMO and Baylor and had 0 service. In the previous years i had service though. I thought those new towers on all the light posts were to improve verizon coverage or did someone make up that fact?
 

dunar

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2007
2,359
580
113
West Des Moines, IA
AT&T, iPhone 12Pro here. I can send and receive texts. SMS w/ pics take awhile, if they go thru. Forget Facebook, ESPN for scores, or anything that requires much of a network connection. No better or worse than previous years. Makes me miss being an early adopter, OG iPhone (8gb!) - I could access sites the whole game, even if it was on EDGE.