Sudden loud "white noise", then dropped call

M

Morganhorses

New member
We have 3 phones on a family plan. All 3 are having the same problem. Sometimes during a conversation both parties will suddenly hear an extremely loud "white noise type" sound, loud enough to cause me to jerk the phone from my ear. The noise continues for maybe 15 seconds or so. And the call is ended.

Any 2 phones. So, it's not just one handset. All 3 phones are different (a Nokia and 2 different Motorola models). It also occurs between any one of the phones and a land line.

I talked to tech support this afternoon. Explained problem. He was checking on any local network problems when it happened. He called my land line and told me he had heard it, too. He said there were no network problems. He went on to check our specific phones to see whether they had been on any recall list. They hadn't. He asked whether I could try a differnet SIM card. We can swap them and they work fine. He finally said it was all he could check. He could only guess that I needed to replace my phone.

Well, it seems quite coincidental that all 3 of our phones started having this same behavior over the past month or so. He's suggesting that all 3 "went bad" at the same time. He agreed that it sounds like a network problem. But at the end of the call he repeated that his recommendation was to replace the phones.

Anybody know what kind of problem could cause our symptom? The phones are all unlocked, purchased elsewhere (not AT&T). We've been using all 3 for at least a year. This trouble started within the past month or 2.

Thanks for any help!!

-Harry
 
You should never buy an unlocked phone. I am not suggesting that is the issue, but it limits AT&T's customer support abilities.

The issue sounds like a transfer station issue. This can occur when a transfer station is experiencing a large amount of call volume or if there is an issue with the transfer station system. These issues can occur immediately after a large storm and may never go away (at least until AT&T discovers the issue). They can't detect the issue by any network tests, which he attempted to do over the phone. They have to have technicians look at the issue. It also is something that every AT&T customer in the area would experience. This means, AT&T wouldn't know about the problem until a lot of the customers began reporting them.
 
Thanks for the QUICK reply! If there's an issue with the transfer station system, maybe others will be reporting the problem soon. If it's call volume ... I guess I'll be hoping for another tower soon.
 
The issue I was referring to as it could be isn't related to towers.

Calls, throughout your entire region, goes to a transfer station (also known as a Switching Station)...a new tower would improve call quality/signal but wouldn't fix your issue.
 
Thanks, Nick. Just goes to show you that my 30 years working for a phone company as a programmer didn't equip me to know about the real world outside those doors!

I may have misspoken when I said the 3 phones are unlocked. I'll dig around and figure out the difference between unlocked ... and a phone that's not issued to me by AT&T but works with my AT&T SIM card.

Thanks,
-Harry
 
Well, if the device is unlocked...it just limits AT&T's ability to assist you. They wouldn't be able to swap your device, they wouldn't be able to get you a new device for cheap...since you're probably locked into an agreement.
 
I haven't had a contract in several years. That's what I've tried to avoid. That's why I get phones elsewhere when needed. I know at least one of our phones is not unlocked. It was originally a Ciingluar-issued phone. I put my SIM card in it when I bought it from an individual.

The other 2 phones we purchased new from a local phone store who's a reseller for several carriers. I just don't remember whether these phones are locked to AT&T or are unlocked.

My existing plan, which continued from my earlier contract, is less expensive than any contact I could get right now.
 
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