AirTouch Finishing Network Upgrade
This weekend, AirTouch Cellular will put the final touches on a massive, four-month network overhaul that includes replacing equipment at more than 1,000 cell sites throughout the Los Angeles region.
But the project, touted by equipment vendor Nortel Networks as “the most complex network upgrade ever attempted in the United States,” has left many AirTouch customers unimpressed.
During the last few months, scores of local users have complained that their AirTouch service has been plagued by dropped calls, erratic voicemail and other glitches.
Pierre Giammattei, an AirTouch customer from West Hollywood, got so fed up with the network problems that he switched to rival Pacific Bell Wireless earlier this month.
“I’m not paying full price to beta-test their network,” Giammattei said of AirTouch. “I don’t remember a single day since May where I had less than five dropped calls. . . . Often my phone would switch over to analog and then just disconnect.”
In addition, on Sept. 1 some AirTouch customers in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside counties could not receive calls on their mobile phones from people calling from a traditional “wired” phone.
“With the network transition, there were some issues where incoming calls would go directly to voicemail . . . and throughout the change-out there have been dropped calls,” said Andrew Colley, an AirTouch spokesman. “It hasn’t been the easiest process.”
AirTouch has a standing policy of compensating customers for all dropped outgoing calls. The company offers a credit for one extra minute of monthly air time for each dropped call. But in some cases, users must call AirTouch customer service to arrange for the credit, and Giammattei and others say the phone lines have been jammed, pushing hold times well beyond 20 minutes.
The problems started in May, as engineers began replacing AirTouch’s Motorola network equipment with switches and other hardware made by Nortel. The project also included adding capacity to both the analog and digital networks, which cover more than 30,000 square miles. The upgrade is designed to accommodate such services as mobile Internet access and voice-activated dialing.
AirTouch said it conducted most of the work during non-peak hours to keep service disruptions to a minimum, and sent mailers to customers warning them that “they may experience an occasional fluctuation in service or feature use” during the transition.
“This is like flying a 747 jet at 10,000 feet while you change out your engine,” said Barbara Sager, director of network transition at AirTouch. “With that complexity comes unexpected things, and we know that there have been some hiccups.”
As teams of engineers moved from cell site to cell site installing equipment, service in those areas would be disrupted for several days while AirTouch readjusted the system. During the transition, some customers found calls dropped in places where there had typically been a strong signal.
“The drop points shifted, and that’s what gets customers’ attention, but our overall number of dropped calls has been reduced dramatically,” Sager said.
The final step comes this weekend, when AirTouch discontinues use of the Motorola equipment entirely. Sager has promised a smooth switch.
“It should happen fast, and be over in about a three-hour period,” she said.
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Getting a Refund
If your calls were dropped, here’s how to get billing credit from AirTouch.
For outgoing calls:
* After a call is cut off, redial the same number (by pressing “send”) within five minutes of the lost call. AirTouch will automatically add a one-minute credit to your account.
If the credit does not appear on your bill, call AirTouch customer service at (800) 247-8682 and request the credit. You will need to provisde the number you dialed or the date and time of your call.
*
For incoming calls:
* Customers of AirTouch digital service receive the first minute free on inbound calls, so credits are not given for individual dropped calls, regardless of when the call is disconnected.
* Customers of AirTouch analog service may call customer service at (800) 247-8682 and request a credit for the dropped call. Users can call immediately or wait until their monthly bill arrives.
Source: AirTouch Cellular
