“Will AT&T give me an AT&T TV box if I have rain fade?”

A couple of weeks ago, I had a conversation with a longtime customer. They’ve been experiencing rain fade recently and they wanted to know if AT&T would give them an AT&T TV box for times when they had rain fade.

Interestingly it was the second question I had on that very subject in a short while and so it seemed like a good one to answer here on our blog.

First let’s talk about rain fade

Rain fade is a rare, but very real, problem with satellite television. The broadcasts used by satellite tend to have trouble passing through thick clouds and heavy rains. With a properly aimed dish, rain fade only happens about .5% of the time but it’s enough that people do notice it. Satellite is more reliable than cable, because satellite issues are usually solved in minutes while cable problems can take hours or days.

Most people can limit any issue with rain fade by making sure their dish is properly aimed. If it’s not something you can do yourself, an AT&T technician can come out and address it without going inside the house in most cases.

Would AT&T give away an AT&T TV box to people with severe rain fade?

This isn’t really likely to happen, for several reasons. First of all it would be an unnecessary cost for AT&T. The AT&T TV box does have a cost to manufacture and ship, and sending one to every customer with a temporary rain fade issue might be an overreaction. It would also create administrative issues and support issues, since AT&T TV’s user experience is so different from DIRECTV’s. It wouldn’t be terribly satisfying to someone who only uses it on rare occasions.

The best answer, though, is that AT&T already has a way of helping people deal with rain fade. The free DIRECTV app is available for Apple and Google devices. It gives access to tens of thousands of on demand programs as well as over 100 channels of live programming. It’s true, you won’t find it on smart TVs or streaming boxes. However, the app supports AirPlay and casting. Sending video to a large screen is a snap if you’ve ever used either of those two technologies.

The DIRECTV app has access to your account, so you can pick up where you left off on streamed programs, access your programming package, and even schedule recordings through the internet. Using the AT&T TV app would not allow that.

The best solution

If you’re looking for the best solution and want the DIRECTV system of your dreams, call the experts! Our Signal Connect division has activated more DIRECTV systems than almost anyone. We can help you get the system you really want. If you do suffer from excessive rain fade, we can help you get that fixed by dispatching an AT&T technician to your area. If you’re ready for an upgrade, call us and we’ll let you know about all the best deals. When you call 888-233-7563 you get a professional in our Novi, Michigan call center. Our team will take great care of you!

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.