1. klmini_acres's Avatar
    I am so exhausted from trying to get my phones to connect with the towers here where I live. I have a tower within 1 mile of my house, and for 9 yrs have had 100% the best service. Since this new transition I cannot get a signal 80% of the time. I have opened so many trouble tickets I have lost count, They keep saying there not sure what the problem is but they will take care of it. Never happens. I have 5 phones on the account and 3 are newer. The only time we have a problem is at home , away from home they work fine. They keep coming back to me saying it might be the phone, are they blowing smoke, and cant really fix this at this time? Verizon even tries to sent me text messages with the trouble ticket # and they don't come threw. The tec says I just keep getting an hour glass, well here is the #. Any information with some truth would be greatly appreciated. Thank for listening.
    11-09-09 09:39 AM
  2. Nucleartx's Avatar
    I would actually call CS and request that a Hybrid PRL be pushed to your phone. Some people are having issues with only VZW towers being put first but the hybrid will allocate the Alltel towers first.
    11-09-09 10:10 AM
  3. klmini_acres's Avatar
    Im on my way to Verizon today to let them double check my phone. and to show them when someone tries to call me from my house when im out it comes across 0000000000 missed call.
    11-09-09 10:14 AM
  4. i_hiker's Avatar
    I am so exhausted from trying to get my phones to connect with the towers here where I live. I have a tower within 1 mile of my house, and for 9 yrs have had 100% the best service. Since this new transition I cannot get a signal 80% of the time. I have opened so many trouble tickets I have lost count, They keep saying there not sure what the problem is but they will take care of it. Never happens. I have 5 phones on the account and 3 are newer. The only time we have a problem is at home , away from home they work fine. They keep coming back to me saying it might be the phone, are they blowing smoke, and cant really fix this at this time? Verizon even tries to sent me text messages with the trouble ticket # and they don't come threw. The tec says I just keep getting an hour glass, well here is the #. Any information with some truth would be greatly appreciated. Thank for listening.
    There is a possibility that the tower near your house is a sprint tower. If so, after the switch over in your area that tower was removed as an option for you. The same thing happened to me and it took a lot of digging to get to the bottom of the problem and come up with a solution.

    If you are still on a VZW plan a hybrid PRL will not help. The hybrids are for former Alltel customers who switched to a VZW plan and experienced a drop in reliability. The hybrid gives a VZW plan device preference for Alltel towers, no help for you but a help for a VZW plan where Alltel towers work better.

    Also, if you are on a VZW plan you can get a Network Extender that will often enhance signal strength and restore reliability to your service. If you are on an Alltel plan you are out of luck. VZW does not give an Alltel plan the same great service and options they give a VZW plan. Something called Tower Convergence is suppose to take care of this but nobody seems to know when this might happen.

    My solution, after many hours on the phone with CSR and retail techs, was to take matters into my own hands and get a signal booster. They are not cheap but there are two companies that seem to make good products. I use a zBoost product and another brand is Wilson.

    Hopefully, you'll have better luck than I did and VZW will find a solution for you and end your aggravation. Good luck.
    11-09-09 02:33 PM
  5. klmini_acres's Avatar
    I went in to Verizon today and he pushed a hybrid prl to all of my 5 phones. He said his dad had the same problem having an alltel phone and plan, but now we are technically verizon. He told me it could take up to 24 hrs to take effect. He also said the problem with the towers wont be cleared up untill 3rd or 4th quarter next year.
    He says I should now be hitting off the alltel towers with this hybrid prl. We will see.
    A year is toooo long for me to put up this. Do you think this is a way for them to get us to drop our alltel rates and go with verizon plan, and phone. ?
    11-09-09 02:54 PM
  6. i_hiker's Avatar
    I went in to Verizon today and he pushed a hybrid prl to all of my 5 phones. He said his dad had the same problem having an alltel phone and plan, but now we are technically verizon. He told me it could take up to 24 hrs to take effect. He also said the problem with the towers wont be cleared up untill 3rd or 4th quarter next year.
    He says I should now be hitting off the alltel towers with this hybrid prl. We will see.
    A year is toooo long for me to put up this. Do you think this is a way for them to get us to drop our alltel rates and go with verizon plan, and phone. ?
    Maybe one of the tecs on this site can speak up here for you, but it is my understanding that if you are on an Alltel plan, you are already pulling in Alltel towers. It is also my understanding that this hybrid push takes a lot less time now to show up on your device. VZW tried a hybrid push to me and it made no difference. Good luck with the hybrid. Do you know what you current PRL is? #4357* send will bring it up.

    Suspicion would lead one to deduce that we are being manipulated to switch our plans and buy new devices. Btw, a VZW phone and plan works great at my house, without my signal booster.
    11-09-09 03:20 PM
  7. klmini_acres's Avatar
    My prl is still at 40056 I will give them the 24 hrs then I will have to talk to someone higher up about them exchanging our phones out if necessary, because My husband has a truck and trailer repair business and Has to get the road calls at all hrs. Thats his business, we cant be missing calls.
    11-09-09 03:26 PM
  8. toddnc's Avatar
    I am in the Raleigh market and Verizon is in the process of merging the recently purchased Alltel network with the Verizon network. I recently updated my PRL on my Verizon phone and lost coverage at work. There is a Verizon tower about 1000 ft from the building. What happened is, the PRL (*228 option 2) update pulled what Verizon is calling the "Alltel Hybrid Network" PRL. That forces your phone to pick an Alltel tower first which caused my phone to have very poor coverage at work. The only time I had good coverage with a full signal is when I totally lost the Alltel tower signal and it switched to the Verizon tower in the parking lot. I found out from our corporate rep the reason I lost coverage with a Verizon tower so close. The rep made a change in the system for my phone to pull the Verizon PRL on the next *228 and now my phone works fine again. The Verizon PRL starts with a 5... The Alltel Hybrid PRL starts with a 6. To check your PRL on a Blackberry dial #4357* - send. A status screen will come up and the PRL Version is a little over half way down the screen.

    If you have lost coverage recently after updating your PRL, this is probably why. Some customers with a VERIZON phone may benefit from this if they have had spotty Verizon coverage. There may be an Alltel tower closer to you and the PRL update may fix your coverage problems. If your phone works fine everywhere you need it to, I wouldn't update the PRL for a good while until Verizon gets everything merged and that will still be a good while. I was told months ago before I found out about the Alltel Hybrid Network that all of the towers would be merged by July 09. Its December and they are still working on it.

    Some of my co-workers have an Alltel phone. The PRL's are different and their coverage after updating their PRL did not change. A PRL update on an original Alltel phone will not make the Verizon network your priority towers.
    12-17-09 05:15 PM
  9. Berry Crazy's Avatar
    We have a Alltel tower less than a 1/2 mile from our house. We had gotten "4" new phones. 3 Pearls, and one 8330 Curve. ALL of the Pearls had trouble, and the Curve always worked.

    I had the 0000000 # deal, and so did my wife. BUT, it went away.

    I blamed the "Pearl" phones for the problems. (There is another post of mine explaining), but now we ALL have 8330's. 3 are Verizon phones, and mine is a Alltel phone.

    Have you did the *228 deal ??
    12-17-09 05:43 PM
  10. i_hiker's Avatar
    I am in the Raleigh market and Verizon is in the process of merging the recently purchased Alltel network with the Verizon network. I recently updated my PRL on my Verizon phone and lost coverage at work. There is a Verizon tower about 1000 ft from the building. What happened is, the PRL (*228 option 2) update pulled what Verizon is calling the "Alltel Hybrid Network" PRL. That forces your phone to pick an Alltel tower first which caused my phone to have very poor coverage at work. The only time I had good coverage with a full signal is when I totally lost the Alltel tower signal and it switched to the Verizon tower in the parking lot. I found out from our corporate rep the reason I lost coverage with a Verizon tower so close. The rep made a change in the system for my phone to pull the Verizon PRL on the next *228 and now my phone works fine again. The Verizon PRL starts with a 5... The Alltel Hybrid PRL starts with a 6. To check your PRL on a Blackberry dial #4357* - send. A status screen will come up and the PRL Version is a little over half way down the screen.

    If you have lost coverage recently after updating your PRL, this is probably why. Some customers with a VERIZON phone may benefit from this if they have had spotty Verizon coverage. There may be an Alltel tower closer to you and the PRL update may fix your coverage problems. If your phone works fine everywhere you need it to, I wouldn't update the PRL for a good while until Verizon gets everything merged and that will still be a good while. I was told months ago before I found out about the Alltel Hybrid Network that all of the towers would be merged by July 09. Its December and they are still working on it.

    Some of my co-workers have an Alltel phone. The PRL's are different and their coverage after updating their PRL did not change. A PRL update on an original Alltel phone will not make the Verizon network your priority towers.
    Are you still on an Alltel plan? It is my understanding, after speaking with several reps and CSR, that you can only get a VZW PRL with a VZW plan. I have a VZW device and an Alltel plan. I installed a zBoost signal booster at my house to resolve dropped call issues.
    12-17-09 05:52 PM
  11. R.O.C.'s Avatar
    That is correct, and the PRL 40056 is an Alltel PRL... So not only will the phones not likely get the Hybrid PRL, but it appears it may be a similar case to yours where contracts with towers have changed, and she will not likely receive good signal at her home...

    Sometimes, switching to Verizon phones and plans has been known to work, since you will be getting a Verizon PRL...
    12-18-09 08:15 AM
  12. high life's Avatar
    get a vzw phone, do not let them talk you into switching plans. I got bad info and gave up my plan for the same service issues as op. I am now paying more per month for less features, but my calls stay connected.
    12-18-09 08:24 AM
  13. pkcable's Avatar
    That is correct, and the PRL 40056 is an Alltel PRL... So not only will the phones not likely get the Hybrid PRL, but it appears it may be a similar case to yours where contracts with towers have changed, and she will not likely receive good signal at her home...

    Sometimes, switching to Verizon phones and plans has been known to work, since you will be getting a Verizon PRL...
    Except on the wallet.
    12-18-09 08:40 AM
  14. starlaleann's Avatar
    There seems to be a little confusion still on the hybrid PRL, though some of you ARE correct.

    A hybrid PRL is for...
    ...former alltel customers...
    ...in an overlap market (both alltel and vzw existed)...
    ...who now have a VZW device AND price plan.

    A hybrid prl:
    1. makes alltel towers the priority
    2. is now sent out immediately after it is requested
    3. is automatically sent when dialing *228 to activate a new phone if the customer meets the previously mentioned criteria.

    A hybrid PRL WILL NOT help if you're in a service area where the signal is NOT from former alltel towers. If you had alltel service but used towers from some of their roaming partners, a hybrid PRL will not return that capability.

    I hope this alleviates any confusion any one still may have been having on the hybrid PRL.
    12-18-09 11:22 AM
  15. klmini_acres's Avatar
    Well they tried to push the hybrid prl to my phone but it either didn't help or didn't go threw. So they thought giving me a new vzw phone might help. It hasn't helped much, at this point I will give it until after the first of the year then I am switching to t-mobile . My prl is 40058 i now have a verizon phone and an alltel plan not much difference in service. Still get calls going to voice mail, calls come in from #0000000000, or no service available. About to give up on VZW.
    12-18-09 04:18 PM
  16. R.O.C.'s Avatar
    get a vzw phone, do not let them talk you into switching plans. I got bad info and gave up my plan for the same service issues as op. I am now paying more per month for less features, but my calls stay connected.
    Actually, if shes having issues with an Alltel phone on an Alltel plan, just switching to a Verizon phone without switching to a Verizon plan won't improve her service. She would need to switch to a Verizon plan as well...


    Except on the wallet.
    Actually the Verizon Nationwide Plans are quite competitive, and often times cheaper than the Alltel Smart Pack's were...



    Well they tried to push the hybrid prl to my phone but it either didn't help or didn't go threw. So they thought giving me a new vzw phone might help. It hasn't helped much, at this point I will give it until after the first of the year then I am switching to t-mobile . My prl is 40058 i now have a verizon phone and an alltel plan not much difference in service. Still get calls going to voice mail, calls come in from #0000000000, or no service available. About to give up on VZW.
    A Verizon phone likely won't help as long as you have an Alltel plan...
    12-18-09 05:52 PM
  17. tsguy52's Avatar
    Yeah makes no sense to go to a vzw device and still keep the alltel prl/plan..

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    12-19-09 05:35 AM
  18. hdtechmachinist's Avatar
    Are the reception issues area specific?

    The reason I ask is because I travel and have done so on an Alltel device and plan with Verizon service also on Verizon device with an Alltel plan with Verizon service and never had a minutes trouble.
    12-19-09 09:23 AM
  19. klmini_acres's Avatar
    Well I cant see paying more to get less by switching to a verizon plan. It shouldnt matter. I refuse to be forced to pay more, my bill is high enough, with 5 phones, 2
    that are smart phones. I checked the rates and it is too much for the same options threw verizon.
    The reception problem is mostly bad in my neighborhood, now. It was fine for 12 years. We now have dead zones on my way to work, and here at the house. Most of my calls go straight to voicemail. The Tec couldn't even sent me a text, to send me my trouble shooting #. If this was going to be such a problem they shouldn't have merged until the bugs were all ironed out.
    12-19-09 10:10 PM
  20. MrShawn's Avatar
    Yeah makes no sense to go to a vzw device and still keep the alltel prl/plan..

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Uh, its cheaper Mr. Verizon Guy, that's what I'm doing when I get the Storm 2, Alltel works where I live, Verizon doesn't, I don't my phone searching for Verizon towers first, and its abt $20 cheaper

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    12-20-09 12:09 AM
  21. R.O.C.'s Avatar
    Well I cant see paying more to get less by switching to a verizon plan. It shouldnt matter. I refuse to be forced to pay more, my bill is high enough, with 5 phones, 2
    that are smart phones. I checked the rates and it is too much for the same options threw verizon.
    The reception problem is mostly bad in my neighborhood, now. It was fine for 12 years. We now have dead zones on my way to work, and here at the house. Most of my calls go straight to voicemail. The Tec couldn't even sent me a text, to send me my trouble shooting #. If this was going to be such a problem they shouldn't have merged until the bugs were all ironed out.
    5 phones, 2 of them smartphones... I have to assume you have at least the 1200 minute pack... How is Alltel cheaper?


    Uh, its cheaper Mr. Verizon Guy, that's what I'm doing when I get the Storm 2, Alltel works where I live, Verizon doesn't, I don't my phone searching for Verizon towers first, and its abt $20 cheaper

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    I'm thinking he's referring to specific scenarios where Alltel service is degraded, and that just switching to a Verizon phone without switching to a Verizon won't improve the service...
    12-20-09 09:37 AM
  22. i_hiker's Avatar
    Well I cant see paying more to get less by switching to a verizon plan. It shouldnt matter. I refuse to be forced to pay more, my bill is high enough, with 5 phones, 2
    that are smart phones. I checked the rates and it is too much for the same options threw verizon.
    The reception problem is mostly bad in my neighborhood, now. It was fine for 12 years. We now have dead zones on my way to work, and here at the house. Most of my calls go straight to voicemail. The Tec couldn't even sent me a text, to send me my trouble shooting #. If this was going to be such a problem they shouldn't have merged until the bugs were all ironed out.
    New PRL 30051 was pushed to my phone last night and has solved my poor reception issues. Hope you get similar results.
    12-20-09 11:23 AM
  23. klmini_acres's Avatar
    [QUOTE=R.O.C.;4341339]5 phones, 2 of them smartphones... I have to assume you have at least the 1200 minute pack... How is Alltel cheaper?

    Nights and weekends start at 7:00pm w/Alltel and I have 11 friends/Fam. I do have the 1200 min. But everything else is unlimited.
    Well last time I checked with Verizon, My Alltel plan would be cheaper. That was back in June. Maybe things have changed. I will go back in and check into it again to see if things are different now. I don't care who my plan is threw I just want good service at a reasonable rate.
    Also very important is that I don't feel I should have to buy all new phones because of there end screwing everything up. They should replace my phones if I am forced to change my account over to verizon just to get good service again.
    12-20-09 11:26 AM
  24. i_hiker's Avatar
    [QUOTE=klmini_acres;4341845]
    5 phones, 2 of them smartphones... I have to assume you have at least the 1200 minute pack... How is Alltel cheaper?

    Nights and weekends start at 7:00pm w/Alltel and I have 11 friends/Fam. I do have the 1200 min. But everything else is unlimited.
    Well last time I checked with Verizon, My Alltel plan would be cheaper. That was back in June. Maybe things have changed. I will go back in and check into it again to see if things are different now. I don't care who my plan is threw I just want good service at a reasonable rate.
    Also very important is that I don't feel I should have to buy all new phones because of there end screwing everything up. They should replace my phones if I am forced to change my account over to verizon just to get good service again.
    New PRL 30051 was pushed to my device last night, restoring my signal to what is was before the merger. Have you tried a PRL update lately?
    12-20-09 11:46 AM
  25. klmini_acres's Avatar
    [QUOTE=i_hiker;4341954]

    New PRL 30051 was pushed to my device last night, restoring my signal to what is was before the merger. Have you tried a PRL update lately?
    Yes I just done one this morning and I am at 40059.
    12-20-09 11:52 AM
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