New Canaan, CT has proof that cell service is “poor” or “very poor” across 93 percent of the town. The Stamford Advocate reported that a June survey conducted by Ookla on cellular service found that more than 90 percent of the town’s roads experience poor service across four service providers, including AT&T (NYSE: T), FirstNet, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS), and Verizon (NYSE: VZ).
The data was gathered by having drivers travel across 125 miles of town and state roads to test cell service. Using eight phones, Ookla gathered several data points, including how quickly a phone uploads and downloads, ping testing, and conducting multiple voice calls simultaneously to determine if calls can be completed.
According to Ookla senior project manager Alekhya Pulavarthy, many voice calls failed to connect (10-30 percent) or dropped (3-7 percent). “I think that would be my main concern,” Pulavarthy said. “When I’m trying to make a phone call, I would want that call to connect.”
The research showed that T-Mobile had the most “violations,” including 110 setup fails and 22 dropped calls out of the 373 calls made during the test drive. Verizon fared best with dropped calls (10) but scored lower with setup failures, logging 82, the second-highest failure rate of the four carriers. Even AT&T, which performed the best, saw a 17 percent failure rate between call drops and setup failures, reported the Stamford Advocate. Upload and download speeds were generally poor for all providers, with about 10 to 30 percent of data calls dropping.
Additionally, the survey found “no service areas” from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in different parts of town. The exception to the bad news was New Canaan’s downtown, which scored “good” or “excellent” signal strength across the four carriers.
According to Ookla’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Bryan Darr, residents are likely to experience even worse signal strength inside their homes, posing a public safety issue. “If someone needs to call 911… they can’t call out if the signal is too low,” Darr said. “There’s less of a chance of a successful call being made to let the first responders know that there is trouble.”
Regarding a solution to fixing coverage gaps, Ookla says the carriers are responsible. Darr added that more towers, particularly those hosting multiple networks, would be needed to fill the coverage gaps.
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