Matthew Weyer's dashboard

The large event I was referring to was the Cubs game.

Any event with a large number of people gathering together will overwhelm any voice or data network, especially since a large portion of spectrum is still devoted to GSM [2G GRPS/EDGE]. When you're stuck in that situation, try to turn 3G off. If you need to place a call and can't, keep trying, I was able to place a call one time by trying to dial my voicemail over and over, and when I finally got a line, I then added a call while I was already connected. AT&T says they add mobile towers to locations for special events, but it seems like they don't do it very often. The 3G issue should be helped later this year when AT&T devotes more spectrum from 2G to 3G. For now, switching to GSM may be your best option whenever you're having problems.

Coverage on that are of Belmont is poor, not sure why, although I usually always have to move to a window if I'm in a building. New construction nearby may have affected your coverage. If other AT&T 3G phones aren't affected like yours, it may indicate an equipment issue. You can try to reset your network settings, which seems to fix some call issues. Also, I've had to get a new SIM card before when I had call quality problems in 3G since my old SIM didn't have some specific updates for the iPhone.

You can try calling 611 to open a case with technical support to diagnose and troubleshoot your call quality problems. You can also try writing into the corporate headquarters and they may consider adding a new tower nearby.

I've been having major problems with data near my home address at Irving Park and Ashland. For the past couple of months, 3G service has been slower than GPRS with high latency and very slow speeds. Thankfully I'm in WiFi at home, but when I leave and start Pandora or something, I have to switch to GSM until I get a mile or two away, and then 3G is fine. The issue resolved itself a few days before the 3Gs launch, but now it's back. It's becoming quite annoying.