I spent many years as a design engineer for Central Office systems, but my knowledge of cellular transmission systems is superficial.

I am trying to wrap my head around a problem that I am currently having.

My wife and I have identical iPhones, we are on the same plan. Our carrier is Total Wireless, an MVNO that sells air time on the Verizon network.

Our service has been just fine for a long time, until just a few days ago. The problem now is that in our home area, we have basically no signal. Maybe one bar. This is anywhere in our neighborhood, and today I drove over to the tower that serves our area, stood there looking at the tower, and got one bar. Can not originate nor receive calls.

I can drive maybe a mile north to the area served by the next tower, and get a solid four bars of signal strength and perfect service. In fact, service is excellent EVERYWHERE I go, except in the neighborhood around home. Wife's phone has same symptoms.

What I do not understand: the service is on the Verizon network. We have been out of service for several days. I would think that many Verizon users are affected, and Verizon should have taken care of the tower problem by now. Unless -- is it possible that a problem with a specific Verizon tower could only affect the customers who are using the Verizon network via the reseller (Total Wireless)? Is there any way that this could happen?

Every so often you should update your carrier network settings. Your phone likely just doesn't "see" the tower. For Verizon, one dials 228 for the update. I'm not sure how you would do it with yours, but there must be a procedure.

I should have mentioned two things:

1. The problems started around the time we had a fairly severe lightning storm.

2. I drove over to that particular tower today, stood there looking at it, barely had one bar. Any other tower is giving us good service, but this is the tower that serves us at home. Can not originate nor receive calls at home. Get excellent service when away from the home neighborhood.

As for dialling 228 (or any other code), not possible with no service. Catch-22

How has reception been for your neighbors? If it’s a tower problem other phones might be affective.
Personally, I’d call the phone company and inform them. Perhaps the can ping your phone as the do a computer server.

No idea on your original question but I have an iPhone and ATT service. After we moved I had no signal at the new house but I was able to activate their WIFI calling so now my phone makes and receives calls seamlessly over my wifi to connect to their network. Verizon has this service as well. Sort of like having your own mini tower in your house, or anywhere else you are on wifi.


Might be a workaround.... oh, and it's completly free. May not work for your provider.

Icabod -- No idea about neighbors. I rarely see them. However, identical situation on TWO phones here, wife's and mine. Barely one bar of signal strength anyplace in the whole area served by our "home area" tower. No service whatsoever, neither incoming nor outgoing. Drive a minute or two to an area served by any other tower and we get strong signal, four bars, perfect service. As far as calling the provider, can't call them of course, phones don't work. I have had lengthy chat sessions via cable internet connection, no help possible until Monday morning.

---

cparkte -- we do not have the option of wifi calling. This feature is dependent on the service provider offering it. Verizon may offer it, but it is not in the package that Total Wireless offers. Hmmm . . . I'm going to check and see if Verizon does offer it. We might choose to switch providers.

Are there any protected birds on that tower, such as Osprey or Eagles? If they have a problem topside they may not be able to address it until the birds are gone or at least until the fledglings can fly.

Usually just a call to VZ customer service to open a customer complaint will get the ball rolling.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
My wife and I have identical iPhones, we are on the same plan. Our carrier is Total Wireless, an MVNO that sells air time on the Verizon network.

I don't know how that type of arrangement between the buyer/reseller of VZ, and VZ. Perhaps the reseller has to have some of their own equipment on a VZ tower site? If so, that could explain why theirs got knocked out but VZ still works.
 

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:

I don't know how that type of arrangement between the buyer/reseller of VZ, and VZ. Perhaps the reseller has to have some of their own equipment on a VZ tower site? If so, that could explain why theirs got knocked out but VZ still works.

Yes sir, that's basically the question that I am asking, you re-worded it for me.

Here we go, same question, different words: I am buying Verizon air time through a re-seller. Is there any difference in the equipment on the tower? Do calls for the re-seller's customers go through exactly the same equipment that direct Verizon customers use?

quote:

Originally posted by VANQUISH:

Usually just a call to VZ customer service to open a customer complaint will get the ball rolling.

That's not going to work.

Verizon won't take a trouble call from me, since I am not a direct Verizon customer. They want me to go through the re-seller channel. I have been trying to do that, and my head hurts.

I'd burn the tower down. Show them you mean business.

Since you have iphones, try this KB article:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201270

Maybe the tower was struck by lightening, and is down for repairs?

Also V-tail, you older folks (ahem), can get on the 55 years old and up cell phone plan at Verizon and T-Mobil. Unlimited talk, text, and data for $80/month for two phones ($40 per phone). T-mobile offers the same thing for $10 cheaper, $70 per month for two phones.

You supposedly get better service, and faster data, on the actual network, rather than when using an MVNO.

https://www.verizonwireless.com/plans/55plus/

https://www.t-mobile.com/offer...QfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This is a WAG. I did work for an equipment maker at one point before I retired. Cell towers and their associated equipment, lat I knew, come in 2 flavors. A base station and remotes. The remotes service devices and talk to a base station. The base station talks to remotes or to the “network” via circuits. I would “think” that these 3rd party carriers don’t have equipment at every tower. Heck, they might as well build their own network. I do know there’s a lot of data used by cell networks to identify subscriber devices, so it wouldn’t seem unreasonable that all the 3rd party is doing is being billed by the major carrier. Having said that, sounds like there is an issue at the tower you’ve identified, or the tower you’ve identified is no longer servicing your area. Turn in a ticket to your carrier, because basically they’re the only ones who are likely to care. Verizon, as you said, is not your carrier even though they own the tower and equipment. They won’t care.

Can’t help you, but same thing happened here 4 1/2 years ago in April. One day, 5 bars. Next day, 1 or zero.

AT&T claims nothing changed (despite multiple calls to tech support); still this way 4 years later. Go a mile any direction, no problem.

Still angry about it.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Temporary solution, wireless calling.

No joy on this, Jesse. WiFi calling is a feature that may or may not be offered by the service provider. Total Wireless does not offer it. If I were a direct Verizon customer, instead of going through the re-seller, it would be available.

Sorry, I did not do a good job of reading your post. Resellers do not have their own equipment that I have ever seen, only the big boys on the towers.

More than likely if you are having the problem then everyone on that carrier is having a problem. It is likely they already know about the issue but there could be reasons they cannot make the repairs at this time.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
I'd burn the tower down. Show them you mean business.

First thing tomorrow.

Completing a PRL (or preferred roaming list) update will provide your phone with the most up-to-date information for roaming.


Before you start

Many LTE devices can run this update over Wi-Fi but if you're having trouble getting the update to start, or it fails before completing, you may need to disable Wi-Fi and enable data instead. Also, make sure that you're in an area with good, strong signal when you try this update. You may need to drive to a better signal area.

iOS Devices
There is no separate PRL update command on iOS devices, but running a Profile Update will force an update of the PRL.


Feature Phones
A common path to a PRL Update on a feature or non-smartphone:

Menu > Tools > Update Phone > Update PRL
Once you've selected "Update PRL," all you need to do is wait until it completes. In some cases, your device will automatically restart after a PRL update.