Chicago 4G Coverage/EVO

[apopilot]

I have my EVO on pre-order and I was wondering what type of coverage the users on this forum have received in the Chicagoland area. I searched for a Chicago thread but could not find one.

Thanks

 

[CoachEVO]

I've been with Sprint for 10 years and have no problems at all. An occasional dropped call, but that's about it.

 

[Barth39]

I live in Schaumburg area and the coverage is pretty good, 4G works fine outside my house but inside im lucky to get a signal, so i just leave it by a window. Ive noticed the 4G working as far out as Gilberts/Elgin area then the 3G cuts in but the 3G seems way better on this phone then my old Pre. 4G is great downtown, just not so much in the buildings. I was downtown for the Hawks Parade friday and the signal was good, but it was hard to get a connection out because of so many people around you.

 

[apopilot]

Thank you for the post. Have you noticed speeds between 3-4 MBPS when you have full 4G bars?

 

[maverick96]

Like already stated outdoor 4G coverage here in Chicago is good. Indoors its not so good, at least not yet. So far the suburbs of the city that I Have traveled have good 4G coverage as well..

 

[mcbtrain929]

Like already stated outdoor 4G coverage here in Chicago is good. Indoors its not so good, at least not yet. So far the suburbs of the city that I Have traveled have good 4G coverage as well..

same here. great 3G coverage, good 4G coverage (outside), non existent 4G coverage indoors.

 

[mrmikey32]

I helped put up about 50 of the towers in the area. if you are in chicago you are fine. outside, its good, but not great.

 

[mcbtrain929]

I helped put up about 50 of the towers in the area. if you are in chicago you are fine. outside, its good, but not great.

to your knowledge, will building penetration improve overtime with 4G/wimax when more towers are put out? or is "what we got is what we'll get" when it comes to 4G indoors?

 

[evofrompre]

It's very good in the city. I'm in NW burbs and it's hit and miss, but even if no 4G, the 3g is good.

 

[apopilot]

Mr Mikey...When are additional towers being deployed in the burbs? Indoors I am not worried since I will be on WIFI. When I am in the field working I need fast coverage for the HOTSPOT access with my coworkers.

 

[fiskadoro]

In terms of 4G, I get a single bar indoors ("fair") in the Printer's Row/South Loop area, and that's on the tenth floor with big floor-to-ceiling windows, but many other buildings around. But at home, it's just easier to use wi-fi. Outside, at street level, I can get a stronger signal, and interestingly enough I was inside Lincoln Hall at a show on Saturday night and got a perfect 4G signal! Still, even with one 4G "bar" at home, the speeds are good.

3G coverage seems fine so far downtown and in the South Loop. The phone will sometimes show no bars but I think it just powers down the radio sometimes. Not had dropped calls or too much breaking-up/crackling. Overall, significantly better than the 2G iPhone with AT&T I came from.

Not really had the opportunity yet to check it inside buildings in the Loop where AT&T really suffered... doubt there'll be much difference. It's so odd: your buddy with his Verizon phone can get a signal in one spot where you get nothing, then you go up the street and the opposite happens.

 

[EdwardChen]

I live in Schaumburg and have trouble getting 4G indoors at home. I work right by Union Station and get one bar on 4G, moving 4 feet over by the window, I get full signal.

My fastest speed on 4G so far when when I was in Rock Bottom downtown over the weekend, 3.2 down, .95 up. I pulled as fast as 1.32 down and .79 up on 3g as well. This all using the speedtest.net app

 

[Bek]

I'm in the west/southwest suburbs and commute into the Loop daily.

3G coverage is solid all around Chicagoland. There are very very few dead spots that I've encountered, and those are common to all carriers (I spent a year on AT&T went back).

As for 4G, it could be better. It's fine outside and in the Loop, and in major areas. But near say, Woodridge & Bolingbrook, it's lousy. But I also knew that, because much of the area is forest preserve and they did not even have any WiMAX coverage 6 months ago, so it's up and coming. That being said, I cannot get WiMAX coverage at all in my home, but that's fine for me since I rely on wifi at home.

All in all, even if Chicago had zero WiMAX, I'm more than satisfied with the 3G coverage and speeds on the Evo. And for reference, I'm a heavy data user.

I work right by Union Station and get one bar on 4G, moving 4 feet over by the window, I get full signal.

You must be a few blocks away from me... I'm at Wacker & Monroe!


Oh yes, I forgot... here's a 3G & WiMAX tethering speed test thread I did a few weeks ago out in the west burbs. Should give you a better idea of things.

http://androidforums.com/support-tr...82-3g-wimax-tethering-speed-test-results.html

 

[apocalypse_later]

I get excellent reception downtown but in the Ukrainian Village area I get almost nothing outside (zero to one bar, usually much slower than 3G) and absolutely nothing indoors. From my informal testing, its extremely spotty. According to some people on this board, their Clear modems get signal but their EVOs do not in the same place.

Not really sure if this will get any better. We might just be looking at limitations with the chip/antenna in the phone and there isn't as much of an incentive to get good reception in residential areas as the downtown area.

 

[BetterMost]

Well let me comment on my findings so far. I live in Downers Grove. The 3G coverage across the whole area and the City is pretty darn good, you might fall off some in buildings. The 4G coverage is spotty at best. Where I live according to Sprints map I should be getting a good strong 4G signal and I get none. It seems that the 4G coverage really falls quickly as you progress away from the tower. I would say if you are within 3/4 of a mile from a 4G tower you are OK any more and it gets very dicey indeed. For example I live around 55th and Fairview in Downers Grove and I have no signal, but 2 miles away at 63rd St and Rt. 83 I have wall to wall 4G signal. It drops off very quickly as you move from the towers.

 

[rfss]

Excellent in Wicker Park/Bucktown. There is a Clear 4G tower on the corner of Ashland & Division.

 

[Berner]

Lincoln Park area (~ Clark & Fullerton): excellent CDMA/3G signal, 2 bars 4G outside, 1 bar 4G inside.

 

[adseguy]

lincoln park too at Halsted/Diversey with full 4G bars and almost full 3G bars. Can't complain here. Also when I travel I like having at least 3G everywhere where as my old iphone....not so much.

 

[gapoochi]

But near say, Woodridge & Bolingbrook, it's lousy. But I also knew that, because much of the area is forest preserve and they did not even have any WiMAX coverage 6 months ago, so it's up and coming. http://androidforums.com/support-tr...82-3g-wimax-tethering-speed-test-results.html

I'm in Bolingbrook and I can get 4G outside the house occasionally. My 3G coverage is ok i think....it used to be better though.

I know we just got Clear service in our area a few months back so I'm hoping this gets better.

I'm getting the same speeds for 3g on my hero as on hubby's hero. I thought the $10 was supposed to give us better 3g too?

 

[Bek]

I'm in Bolingbrook and I can get 4G outside the house occasionally. My 3G coverage is ok i think....it used to be better though.

I know we just got Clear service in our area a few months back so I'm hoping this gets better.

I'm getting the same speeds for 3g on my hero as on hubby's hero. I thought the $10 was supposed to give us better 3g too?

Howdy neighbor!

 

[mtrajano00]

Addison Il 4G 3 bars outside/2 bars inside the office. Elk Grove no bars for 4G for me.

 

[gzeshDP]

I live just south of Union Station and am very much looking forward to getting an Evo once my AT&T contract ends with my iPhone 3g come July. Cannot wait to feel the speed difference. And actually make phone calls!

 

[ayman86]

UIC area is a bit spotty. no coverage in doors.

southside not much of a signal outdoors whereas an overdrive can.

 

[THEFORCE]

Check your coverage on clear.com. just put in your zip code

 

[gapoochi]

Howdy neighbor!

I went to my friends' house across the street and they have one bar of 4G in their house!
I can't even get it outside of my house most of the time and have never gotten it inside. I'm trying it now at home to see if it has changed at all.

I checked the clear.com map and I'm in the "best coverage" area.