Fed up with Verizon here. Switching to T-Mobile

[FlyingPenguin]

I have been using Verizon since I moved from Sprint back in 2013. Verizon has been very good for me, up until 3 months ago. That's when I was forced to switch from a grandfathered old 6GB/mo data plan to the new 5G unlimited plans. I have no idea if that is what made a difference, or Verizon is just having issues with the 5G migration, or they don't have enough capacity, but my data has been crap ever since. What the hell good is unlimited data if you can't get any bandwidth?

I used to be able to use my cell phone as a wireless hotspot in my house, as a backup when Comcast was down. Now I can't do that. I used to get 50MBit/s download consistently over Verizon here, and I could easily game over that connection with low latency. Now, I'm lucky to get dial-up speeds most days here.

Around town, I get all kinds of data dropout, which is real annoying when I'm streaming a podcast or music. Diners and offices I used to get good data at, now I get nothing.

It's not signal. Sometimes I have 4 or 5 bars, but no data.

As an experiment I got a T-Mobile account last week and got their SIM card for my old Pixel 2 phone. I've been driving around checking, and I'm getting excellent data speeds on it. I just took a mountain bike ride today with both phones, and checked every mile to see what kind of signal and data I was getting, and T-Mobile just blew away Verizon.

As a final experiment, just to make sure it wasn't an issue with my Pixel 6, I did a speed test at my house on Verizon, and then put the T-Mobile SIM in the same phone and tested again.

The results are pretty dramatic (see image below), and this was a GOOD day for Verizon at my house. If I could consistently get 4 Mbit/s I'd be happy, but most of the time at my house it's .2 Mbit/s.

I'm gonna take my phone and the wife's over to T-Mobile next week and move our numbers over. I'll keep Dad on Verizon because he has a locked Verizon flip phone, and he doesn't like change

[Executioner]

Wow! Did you try calling Verizon and reporting the issue? I've been with Verizon for 20 years. I get a discount from being employed at work and it still is good in retirement. I know AT&T has been trying to get me to switch, but they are crap here where I live. When I was using AT&T for work, I had to get a booster just to be able to connect and hold meetings at home. With my Verizon personal phone, I can receive and make video calls inside my house. Not possible with AT&T. I have to go outside with AT&T.

[Losbot]

I know it's all subject to where you live and ever carrier has good and bad days. My co-worker has Verizon and he's been complaining about the signal strength in our area (Boca Raton). They've replaced his phone too because he had trouble getting or maintaining a signal. He's finally throwing in the Verizon towel for a T-Mobile one. I've been with T-Mo for roughly 17yrs now and I'm not interested in leaving. Their customer service is always polite and professional. The service works everywhere and I get lots of free Intl roaming.

If you're 55 or over you also get reduced rates I believe. I don't qualify yet but I'll definitely ask for it when I do.

[FlyingPenguin]

Ya, went to the store, they replaced the SIM, same thing. They gave me a customer service number to call, and all they did was give me a free extra 4GB unthrottled hotspot data a month, which doesn't do me any good if I can't get any data.

It's very inconsistent too. 20 minutes after doing that test Verizon gave me 50 Mbit down, 5 up (what I used to get consistently before September). But it comes and goes and and is usually bad rather than good.

I really think they've over extended their service in this area and don't have the infrastructure for it, and now with the snow birds in town, it's hammering the system.

[reno]

im on spectrum and they piggy back on verizon . we are thinking of jumping ship to again . also piss that they wont give me $29.00 deal they advertise . because we started with them be for that offer was given . so were at $45.00 a month per phone .its just the wife and I. but said if we added a line they switch us to the $29.00 deal on all 3 lines . so why do that we have to buy a 3 rd phone extra cost . for a 3 rd phone we don't need . all these phone company's have there gimmicks. but we really should look into changes phone companys . (just don't want to hear and try explaining why to the wife ) now my wife use a lot of data facetiming all her friends and are daughter .she on a apple phone and im still using the galaxy 21 .

we do know we are use are phone to keep up with the news on Ukraine using the Smart News & News Break apps . we do fine problems loading some story's mostly on the News Break app. daily . were not sure if the News Break app. or are connection . part of me wish's they give Ukraine a-10 planes but we do understand the reason there not being given any planes .everyone worry that would push Russia to using nukes .