AT&T's new iPhone app conveys your disappointment in real time
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted December 7th 2009 10:55AM
posted December 7th 2009 10:55AM
OK, so the bigwigs at AT&T and Verizon have learned to make nice (for the time being at least), but what's a hapless iPhone user to do about dropped calls and other network problems? The AT&T Mark The Spot app offers long-suffering (or even the intermittently bedeviled) customers the ability to ping their carrier in real time, with location-specific feedback, should one experience a coverage crisis. To begin registering your gripes, hit the source link and download away! [Warning: iTunes source link]
I'd like to see a map of those "Spots"
@Arun Balan they already have a map showing where users have dropped.
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer
I believe it's everything in orange and beige.
@Arun Balan
This is a great idea Arun! But you just *know* verizon would use it in an ad lol.
@Arun Balan
And in other news...Google maps has experienced a stunning reversal. The service now connects users with its database of millions and millions and millions and millions of "spots" and then use its new feature to overlay maps on top of the spots. This will allow the user to be able to search for a place on the map where no "spot" exists. If you find one, let us know!
@Arun Balan Awesome! It wouldn't be pretty.
@Arun Balan
Does your network suck? There's an app for that.
@Arun Balan
At least ATT would have a map that has more dots then Verizon at that point.
Please debug the network for us, for free.
@One Love
This is just lazy. Can someone explain why AT&T needs this done manually?
I have verizon and they can see every call I make even if I just dial ####.
How come AT&T doesn't automatically monitor dropped calls?
What are these people suppose to do if there's no data service near them?
@tblucey
Ooh! Ooh! I know! It's because they want to see how many times those dropped calls are related to bad service and how many are because the battery died or the phone was accidentally dropped in a toilet. You know, things like that. Because most of the time when a call is dropped or data stops working, it's usually operator error, right?
Oh, and I'd love to know how someone is supposed to report 'no coverage' when there's... um.. no coverage.
(another screenshot)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.downloadsquad.com/media/2009/12/att-mark-the-spot.jpg
@TheOneAndOnlyJH
App probably records the "no coverage" data for the moment and uploads it to ATT servers soon as it finds service. No rocket science here... I think!!
Apple didn't reject it? Haha.
Iphone users only. How about the rest of us ATT. F you ATT. Ill be taking my business else where the summer of 2010.
Why else would you be on AT&T?
@havoc2007 Took the words right out of my...uh...keyboard...
@havoc2007
uuuhhhhh. There are other phones that need support as well. Like the MAJORITY users on the network. You gotta be a dumbass to think the iphone is the only phone on the network.
Respect to the man who tells it like it is !
@eminisp Why wait until next year. Your ETF is probably less than the next 6-8 months you will pay to them.
@bubbatex
I thought about breaking it. Theres nothing in the market thats making me wanting to switch carriers. Im waiting for the HD2 but theres no word or date of when that will be released in the US.
@eminisp
The point everyone is making is there is no reason to be on Att unless you have an iPhone.
Pricing? Network performance? Compelling handset line-up?
So again- why are you using Att if you don't use an iPhone? You will make up your ETF in a couple months if you switch to Sprint and you'll have a better device and network to boot. Lets also not forget Any Mobile Any Time or upcoming 4G devices (depending on where you live).
@COCOViper Sprint? Are you crazy? Their coverage sucks, PCS coverage in general sucks.
Verizon has a better network than AT&T, but they use CDMA, so no SIM-swapping, and they are more expensive.
Sprint and T-Mobile are just crap.
@(Unverified)
Their coverage sucks? I'm sure my Sprint EVDO Rev A coverage is superior to your ATT 3G coverage.
SIM swapping might be the true advantage, but even then how many phones do have laying around and how many times are you swapping your SIM? I have a back up phone laying around in case my Hero breaks but then I just call Sprint and my backup phone is working...
And please don't tell me the whole voice and data at the same time crap for GSM...how many people are on speaker phone while looking up crap on google maps?
@eminisp waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
@(Unverified)
Verizon is more expensive then AT&T? From what I've seen the AT&T have nearly identical pricing structures.
@ljm
i actually use data while i'm on the phone on almost every other phone. i plug in my vmoda's and speak to whoever it is on the other line while i check e-mail, surf the web, facebook, etc, etc.
it's actually very convenient. but i agree with the above commentors, if it weren't for the iphone, AT&T may as well not exist.
@(Unverified)
You're obviously uninformed. For coverage it goes Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, then Tmobile.
@(Unverified) Sprint's coverage is the best, no matter where I go, and even if say if the rare occasion comes up where I don't get service (rare) I just roam on Verizon for free, both data and voice, no charge.
@ljm Same here I just got a Hero, I had a Pre before that, and a BB 8330 before that, they just sit around and if my Hero ever breaks I log in on sprint's website enter in the IMEI code, restart both phones and I have service on my other phone. Not as convenient, but it takes less than 5 minutes.
We should be getting a $5 credit for reporting each of their failures. I'd end up with a $2000 credit on my next month's bill, along with 8000 remaining rollover minutes.
@(Unverified) I got $133 off my last bill. I'd rather have service that frickin' works.
no matter how I think of something bad to say about AT&T,
this is kinda nice. I hope they gather the data, and fix them, then make an ad for it. HAHA
With the amount of times people will have to send "dropped call, coverage gap or network problems" notifications, this app will only put more strain on AT&T's already flailing network.
@Scape3d
Talk about a fail on top of a fail...
@Scape3d
Valid point, however you are assuming that the network will actually be available to send the message...
I am already using it since live in the City and there are many network problems here. Only problem with the app is that there is no option for "poor 3G coverage" - only "No coverage" or "data failure."
In NYC there is usually 3G coverage, but at less than 200mbits/s. This is frustrating since the 3G signal bar always, always, shows full strength so it is misleading.
@DigDug
sorry i meant
@DigDug
sorry i meant less than 200kbits/s
@DigDug Doesn't it suck when a "less than" symbol still doesn't work in comments, despite the update?
@mac404
Yeah that has gotten me a few times now. I also seem to need to hit "reply" twice to a post to actually get it to show up as a reply instead of as a new post. Not sure why that happens.
@DigDug Signal bar has nothing to do with data speeds, just how well the phone communicates with the towers. Just like when your laptop shows full signal strength on a router and the download speed is slow, it doesn't have anything to do with signal strength between the device and the wireless access point itself.
@DigDug
200 Mbutts? with 3G? WOW :D
i hope i can also submit "stop sending my texts to random people" and "please notify me of new voicemail within 1 month of receiving it" complaints.
AT&T's slogan shouldnt be "Your World. Delivered." It should be "Your World. Delivered... eventually...and sometimes to other people"
@(Unverified) AhaHAhahaaa OMFG SOooo RIGHT! True Story
@(Unverified)
I send about 3000 messages a month give or take a few, I have never heard of the text going to the wrong person because of ATT. it usually happens because im either wasted or because I send it to the right first name wrong last name... ie John Short instead of John Smith.
@Mentat
Nope I sent a text to my gf (as part of a thread already in progress) on my iphone. I got a text from a random number saying "who is this?" turns out they're on verizon (so it's a random number not just a random att number). Both this person AND my gf got the text message. and who knows how many times that's happened and the person didn't respond or it wasn't a cell number.
@(Unverified)
Oh, so that's the story you're going with?
@(Unverified)
Tiger Woods?
yes have customers pin point their dead spots so that they can have a more accurate coverage map in their next ad. lol with even less blue.
work for free for ATT? there's an app for that
@dr34mc4st3r
I'm surprised they need this crowd sourcing when they can just turn on that "box" for the Feds in that AT&T center in S.F..... and easily figure out who's dropping calls. The government's already ahead of you AT&T.
Either way (feds or this app): we're paying the bill.