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Ride Along With a Real Verizon Wireless Tester

Posted by samzenpus on from the everything-on-tv-is-real dept.

jonknee writes "So you're probably sick of the Can you hear me now? ads, but here's a new article about a real-life Verizon Wireless network tester. This guy logs over 3,000 miles a month in a station wagon decked out with over a quarter-million dollars worth of network gear (I dare say the most valuable station wagon ever?). An audio file is linked at the bottom of the article that has a few minute sample of the audio Verizon tests with. It's bizarre!"

10 of 304 comments (clear)

  1. Nice map by tealtalon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can see where my nextel drops me everyday on the way home on 275 talking to my wife. Seriously.
    /me calls verizon.

    1. Re:Nice map by RevRigel · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That's their way of telling you to get off the god damn phone while you're driving.

    2. Re:Nice map by inKubus · · Score: 5, Funny

      Why are you talking to your wife on the way home? You should be enjoying your last few moments of silence before dinner! dishes! hold me! sex and the city! blaaaaagh

      --
      Cool! Amazing Toys.
    3. Re:Nice map by jaysones · · Score: 5, Funny
      Phone work great when I talk to everyone else

      I'm sure Mrs. Frankenstein is happy to hear from you.

      ;)

  2. Pimp My Ride by Schwing84 · · Score: 5, Funny

    All that equipment but the guy really hoped that MTV and Xzibit would Pimp His Ride!!!

  3. Doing something about service.. by inKubus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They've put up a shitload more antennas. It's interesting that people haven't noticed, because they've been camoflauged.

    --
    Cool! Amazing Toys.
  4. The 3/4 million car... by s-orbital · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Um... are you sure its a good idea to publish a pic with the license plate number of a car carrying $750 000 worth of stuffZors?

    --
    Patent: from Latin patere, to be open
  5. Re:Can you hear me now? by fm6 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I doubt if Sprint or Nextel has special inside-building towers. More likely they just happen to have a tower that's close enough to the various building you go into, and Verizon doesn't.

    One sad thing about the U.S. cell system is that all there are so many incompatible cell protocols and systems. You get a phone that handles 3 or 4 different protocols, you worry about "roaming" charges -- and you still often find yourself in places where your particular provider just can't serve you.

    The Europeans did the right thing when they agreed that all their providers would have to use GSM, so everybody's phone would work with everybody's network. U.S. providers complain that GSM doesn't use bandwidth efficiently. But from the consumer point of view, their hodge-podge of GSM alternates is really inefficient.

  6. Re:No wonder their service sucks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Driving around with a cell phone will tell you you're losing your signal.

    Driving around with an HP 8563 spectrum analyzer and a standard-gain antenna will tell you why you're losing your signal.

    This is sorta important if you're in the cell-phone business.

  7. The Other Side by Unca'+Scrooge · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd like to see them air a commercial from the point of view of the poor guy stuck at his desk all day...

    "....yes....yes....yes....yes....yes....yes...."