Cell Dead Zones In Weston & Wellesley
If you live in Wellesley or Weston, Mass. and drive Oak Street to Cliff Road, you probably already know that you will either have no service or your call will be lost at least two times. Similarly, traveling on Rte 30 from the Pike towards Weston High School, you will be in drop-call-zone. As a Real Estate agent in Wellesley and Weston, I spend many hours on these roads. These are just two examples of many locations in Wellesley and Weston that either have minimal or choppy cell service. Obviously, more cell towers are needed, but this raises its own issues.
“Can You Hear Me Now?”
While we all may find the Verizon commercials with the “guy in glasses” repeating this phrase over and over annoying, there is no denying the effectiveness of this ad campaign. Similar to “where’s the beef?”, “Just Do It”, and “Tastes Great, Less Filling,” the Verizon ads stick with us for a long, long time (for better or worse!). How many of you have said to someone “Can you hear me now?” when your connection is less than stellar? Exactly.
So, why is it that in these commercials, they test remote locations all over the world, showing great cell service no matter where you are, but I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t have cell service issues in even relatively busy areas. And when you do have these issues, more often than not, I bet you’re saying “Can you hear me now?” to the person on the other end of the line. After all, is there really a substitute phrase that makes this point more directly? What are you going to say: “Does the ear with your phone pressed against it have the ability to recognize what I am saying?” Nope. You say the same as everyone else… “Can you hear me now???” This is what Verizon wants you to think about when buying a cell phone. They made reliability seem as cool as the iPhone.
Life Without The iPhone
I bought my first cell phone when living in NYC years ago. I did not compare rates or go online to see the different types of phones. It was all about convenience and Verizon happened to be just a few blocks from my apartment. It was not a car phone used just for emergencies. It was the real deal that was going to transform me into a gadget girl. For many years, my loyalty remained with Verizon, even when the iPhone first came out. I vowed to wait for Verizon to get on board. After a long time of this not occurring (just many rumors about Verizon and the iPhone that never came to be), I decided it was time to make the move. So about a year ago, I graduated from the soooo antiquated cell phone to the iPhone, much to my kids delight. I recently attended a social media conference (Inman Agent Reboot Real Estate Social Media Conference) in Boston, where Apple (along with Nike) was labeled as the top lifestyle marketers. It’s hard to disagree. Even the process of going into the Apple store seemed cool! I thought I was entering a whole new world as I made the purchase and got ready to make my first call…
The Beginning
I couldn’t wait to make that first call. There is something exciting (even in adults) about using our newest “toy” for the first time. This was going to be great… my first call… I was entering a new era of technology… well, not so much. After dropping my call three times in a very popular area of town, I was close to throwing my iPhone out the window. “Can you hear me now? What about now? Can you hear me now?” The good news was the person I called could hear me. The bad news was they could only hear every fourth word! So, I checked the bars on my phone… it looked like I had them all… and then… Call drop!!! How could a call fail when you have all the bars? This scenario happened over and over and over again. My first week with the iPhone was filled with frustration and there was no love for AT&T. While my “connections” have gotten only slightly better over time, once you get used to all the iPhone has to offer, you are quickly brainwashed into ignoring the downsides. “Can you hear me now? No. Don’t care! I have apps!”
The Future
There is no perfect solution to spotty cell phone coverage, unless….The Verizon/iPhone chatter is back. Verizon now has access to the iPad, and the iPhone should be next. Many reliable sources are saying first quarter 2011 is the timeline for the first iPhone with Verizon service (By Valentine’s Day would knock it out of the park!). I am no tech expert and have heard the rumors before, but I can only hope this is true. I am longing for the day when the person on the other end of the phone really can “hear me now.” Of course, there is no comment from Apple or Verizon. The secrecy, the hype, the chatter, the longing all play into Apple’s game of lifestyle marketing. If this comes to fruition, I will have to convince my husband on why I need a new iPhone…Verizon, we are waiting for you (of course with an upgraded network, please!!!!) Hey Verizon, “Can you hear ME now???”
