Verizon Will Not Activate Nexus 7 On Its LTE Network!!!

[Preach2k]

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Verizon customers who purchased a Nexus 7 can not activate it on their network. It is not because it does not work on their network, the Nexus 7 with LTE works just fine on Verizon’s network. The problem is the fact that you can’t walk into a Verizon store and activate Nexus 7.
Jeff Jarvis found out that the Nexus 7 with LTE is “not part of our line up & can’t be activated,” Verizon has since gone into damage control and attempted to clarify the situation. Their latest response to Jarvis on Twitter from Verizon claims that they cannot activate the tablet because it is not on a list of their compatible tablets, so the problem cannot currently be solved.

And in a statement to the press, Verizon PR has said:

This is not yet a device that is Verizon 4G LTE certified. We’ll let folks know when it’s certified.
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So here are my two cents. Verizon should have had their systems ready for the Nexus 7 once it was released by Google, since Google announced that it would work on their LTE network back in July. But it appears as if Big Red’s systems simply aren’t equipped to deal with an LTE-only device such as the N7 that hasn’t yet been whitelisted. You see, I tried to activate mine as a new tablet line this morning when all of this fuss first arose, and of course, it failed on me as well.
From what I’ve read from a half-dozen Verizon employees who are responding all over the place to these stories, the system simply cannot deal with activating a device they currently do not have in their system. That’s sort of it. Is that a ridiculous problem of Verizon’s to have that should have never existed, especially with VoLTE around the corner? Of course it is. Do I think that Verizon is somehow doing this purposefully to hate all over Google and their Nexus party? Not for a second.
Keep in mind that Verizon’s CFO sits at every single financial conference around the country talking about their Share Everything plans and how they are going to rake in cash from customers who add-on services, tablets in particular. Verizon charges you an extra $10 per month to add a tablet to your insanely overpriced and terribly-valued shared data plan. This is their cash cow and way of killing it for investors. So again, no, I don’t believe Verizon is really doing everything in their power to tell Google and the Nexus 7 to F-off. It’s not a phone, it’s just a tablet that they can make money off of should you activate and use it on their network.
I think this is simply a situation that could have been avoided had Verizon’s current system which requires approval of devices not been stuck in the dark ages or molasses. I’m sure it will all get resolved before long and the device will get certified, assuming Big Red doesn’t have their testing department on it. Because again, the tablet works just fine on their LTE network as long as you use an already active SIM. Their system just doesn’t recognize the IMEI for the Nexus 7, thus the denial of service.

What are your thoughts?

JeffJarvis

 

[jstafford1]

I think its hilarious that even in 2013 corporate hickups still occur. The speed and rate that data can and does exchange hands, this kind of thing shouldn't happen. How can companies drag their feet like this? Money is the name of the game and to miss a cash cow like an add on tablet is quite frankly pathetic. Verizon is supposed to be on the forefront of technology, yet lags so hopelessly behind in moving things forward. Sad...really sad.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4

 

[UltraDroid]

I think this is yet another example of why Google wants nothing to do with Verizon for their Nexus devices.

Sent from my GSM Note 2, using TapaTalk 2.

 

[xsylus]

Sprint ran into a similar issue when the iPhone 5 came out. Since Sprint's software searching for an ESN match against a database of allowed devices if an ESN doesn't match the device cannot be activated. That is also the same reason you cannot flash a phone from another carrier to work on Sprint. My guess is that Verizon's issue has something to do with LTE requiring a SIM card.

 

[Preach2k]

The thing is that the guys at Droid life put in a a Verizon LTE sim card in the Nexus 7 and it worked.

 

[joemcp]

I had a similar issue with a Motorola Xoom I self upgrade to 4G. If you call in and give them the IMEI number instead of the MEID number it might work. My device was only 3G in their network until I had them put the IMEI number it. It doesn't show as a Xoom but I have 4G.

You have to triple check that the rep has entered it in the right place.

-Joe

 

[Miller6386]

Could this be more of an issue of vzw not getting anything out of activating the 7? Since they don't sell them they have no financial gain there fore no motivation to allow the device.

Note Uno Uno.

 

[Vepaot]

The answer is pretty simple guys.

Verizon doesn't like unlocked bootloader devices on their network.

 

[Asgard]

And the amount of people surprised by this is: 0
Seriously, even if the Nexus 5 is supported by VZW (Which I doubt) I won't be getting it with them.
Even a friend who works with verizon hates them because of some networking issues.

 

[johnnie113]

to me, I am ok with it. But version should be able to do better.

 

[Amagine]

This is one reason why I doubt I'll ever have an LTE tablet. I can hotspot over through my phone. I'm not going to give VZW 10 bucks a month just to access data I already use. If it wasn't for the fact that most other carriers in my area suck reception and data speed wise worse than Verizon's customer service... I'd be gone.

 

[pri0rity]

Could this be more of an issue of vzw not getting anything out of activating the 7? Since they don't sell them they have no financial gain there fore no motivation to allow the device.

Note Uno Uno.

I wouldn't imagine Verizon makes that much money from the hardware sales. Since the upgrade plans have came out, it has been discovered that most companies were making you pay for the rest of the phone (after the initial $199 or $299) during the 2-year plan anyway. With the tiered data plan, they could make at least $50 dollars a month ($10 for the device on the line, $40 for just 4GB of data).

 

[boidsonly]

What do I think? I think VZW is the new M$...

 

[kodiak799]

I'm not really sure why VZW hates unlocked bootloaders so much.

But I do have a new theory: with rumors of Google looking to become a carrier (I don't think this could happen without running amok of antitrust), this might be more defensive on the part of VZW. People get a Nexus device and get timely updates and they could definitely be a fan of future Google mobile service.

Also, Google subsidizes nexus devices. Presumably they limit the number they will produce, and from VZW perspective that might not be kosher if Google isn't producing enough to satisfy anticipated demand. VZW could be looking for an exclusive nexus device, and maybe Google doesn't want to do that.

 

[cereal killer]

Official Statement


The Google Nexus 7 is not yet a Verizon 4G LTE certified device, though it entered our process in August and we expect it will be certified shortly. Once the device is certified, we will work with Google to enable the device to be activated on our 4G LTE network.

Verizon Wireless’ certification process, which generally takes between four and six weeks, is one of the most rigorous testing protocols of any carrier, and is focused on guarding the safety and security of our network. Certification is done by third party labs approved by Verizon, and selected by the device manufacturer. Over the years, Verizon Wireless has certified hundreds of devices; information on the certification process is available to anyone at opennetwork.verizonwireless.com.

Verizon is committed to ensuring our customers have the best overall experience when any device becomes available on the nation's most reliable network.


Via: VZW