From wesde Tue Jan 26 22:58:56 1999
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom,comp.dcom.telecom.tech,alt.cellular
Subject: ATTWS -- No Circuits Available in Hoboken, NJ
Organization: Interpage Network Services, Inc. // www.interpage.net
Keywords: Cellular, No Service, Hoboken, ATT Wireless
Status: RO

For the past three days, I've been driving around and spending some time 
in Hoboken, NJ, which is located about 1.5 miles due west of Midtown 
Manhattan on the Jersey side. 

Hoboken is located between a number of "major" roadways (well, based on 
NYC's more or less unchanged 1930's and 1940's highway system), most 
proximate are the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels and their respective arterials.

Each day, and up to and including right now (10:45P EST), I have tried on 
a number of occassions to make a call from my 3-watt ATTWS cellphone, and 
just get the "no circuits available" phone-generated fast busy. 

For example, at about 10:20 PM today, I tried to call a 212 number in New 
York, and have tried SENDing the call (calling the number) for about 25 
minutes, trying 3 or 4 times per minute, and EACH and EVERY time I get 
the "no circuits available" message. I have also duplicated these results 
on an A-side CT account (3-watt) and a A-side RI account (.6 watt). 

It basically seems impossible to get a call or place one right now, and 
this has gone on for the past 25 minutes at at about the same time for 
the past 3 days!!


I called ATTWS/NY customer service, told her where I was, and she said 
"Oh, it gets congested at this time; try a bit later"...I think that 25 
(now 30 actually) minutes is WAY too long to place a call..Note that I 
wouldn't be likely to receive a call either. 

(And no, this isn't a problem os picking up signals from Manhattan and 
confusing the switch as to which tower to serve me; at 4AM calls go 
through fine from precisely the same location.)

BTW, my BAMS/NY 00022 B account (which also offers free off peak airtime 
and no local call charge) doesn't seem to have any problems at all from 
this area. 

If AT&T is going to push its product as aggressively as it does one would 
hope they have the capacity to back it up....Right now, it is painfully 
obvious that at least in this area, they don't. 

(This post and updated SID list are also available at www.wirelessnotes.org)

Regards,

Doug