Cell phone/Internet/TV reception in E/SE areas of Knoxville (Oak Ridge: new home, to buy)

[QuiltingNanny]

I have been reading lots of things of the area as we are going to be relocating to that area...hopefully.. but I have not heard about access and clarity of connections for internet, cellphone/landline and cable TV.

We are looking around the E/SE of Knoxville area.. Maryville, Seymour, Blount and up towards Kodak general area.

Do you get good reception/service to this area? What are the issues to be faced for these services? Lot of dropped calls and slow internet? Thanks for any information you can share...

[Serious Conversation]

Verizon is the carrier of choice in east TN. Other carriers will get good coverage in cities, but smaller towns and rural areas may be spotty.

It looks like Comcast and Charter both service Maryville. If you're interested in a property, you'd want to plug the address into an online service area map.

[Tabularo]

... and be aware that sometimes the online service mapping tools for cable/internet can be flawed. We had relied on Charter/Spectrum's online tool when selecting a home, and found out *the day before closing* that the online tool had given us inaccurate information. (The online tool said that the address was covered. We called the day before closing to set up service and found out that our address is about 1/2 mile beyond their service area. It was not a good day.) However, we have gotten line-of-sight wireless service that is outstanding. So look at all your options, do your research, and beware of relying on availability promises by realtors, neighbors, or online tools.

[piedmont]

It can really vary by location. Yes, Verizon is the carrier of choice for more rural TN. If you get a serious about a specific place, it is worth multiple phone calls to providers. Many will not immediately know if your area is covered until you try to buy service...then it can become very clear!

Also be aware that sometimes service drops off considerably if you are in a "hole", for example, down a slope next to a lake.

[Serious Conversation]

I'd also call the local Charter/Comcast offices if interested in a property and ask a local rep to check.

[NJDevil]

AT&T and Verizon seem to be the best for cell coverage. When we went camping at Big Ridge (on Norris Lake) my friend had spotty reception with Sprint but I had no problems with Consumer Cellular which uses AT&T towers. You won't get good cell reception in the Smokies though, with any company.

In Seymour we have Charter (Spectrum) but have switched to Dish for TV. It rarely goes out. Spectrum internet has improved over the past decade.

[KathiOH1]

I haven't had problems in the areas you mention. Walland, Townsend, and Friendsville have some issues with cell phone coverage. At one time we had issues with both cell phones and internet in Maryville around Wilkinson pike due to all the new homes popping up and blocking towers, but I think they have done something to address that. You may also have spotty coverage in sections of Oak Ridge (I don't know if the large rock formations interfere with the signal?).

I can't address cable service because we have been using Mohu Leaf antennas and Mohu Sky Attic antenna to get tons of channels for free.

[QuiltingNanny]

Thanks for the info. I figure TN is up on the techie issues as any other state, but with the hills and mountains.. they can't control those!

[JOinGA]

I have T-Mobile and it is fine along the highways and around Knoxville, but when I cut across the mountains to North Carolina, I hit dead spots. I dropped cable TV when I moved to Knoxville. I use a window antenna and Netflix/Hulu.

[pat11784]

I'm in Maryville and have Verizon for cell service and AT&T fiber for internet/tv. Verizon works seemingly everywhere and the fiber is sorted out now and working well with the 300 mb/s speed although 1 gig/s is available.