darkvapor 0 #1 December 20, 2002 Well.. my Nextel contract is up in 2 weeks, so I need a new cell phone provider... Since I spend half of my time in Atlanta and the other half in Dallas, I need a provider that has good national coverage. I also want something that works well beyond the metro area, so when I jump or go camping or something, I still have a chance of getting some service... People, especially in Dallas and Atlanta, please post your experiences.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #2 December 20, 2002 I got to Dallas every 6 weeks or so for wok, bothe my Verizon and Nextel work great on all my trips. My only complaint is the Nextel has been known to delay pages for an hour or so.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #3 December 20, 2002 Avoid Sprint PCS, check the fine print, in some cases they charge for customer care over the phone. They've also been losing $1B per year since they've been in business. Their parent company won't support that forever. Do not fall into the "X-files" ad trap. Industry campfires suggest that SPCS may be acquired by Verizon Wireless. Their technology is robust (CDMA) like VZ Wireless. T-Mobile is a good player (backed by Deutche Telecom), but most of their coverage is "new" so you will not get good rural/non-metro coverage. The GSM platform does not lend itself to smooth handoffs. Don't be fooled by T-Mobile hotspots in Starbucks coffee either, it's not cellular, its a completely separate 802.11 set-up. Cingular (PacBell/BellSouth) would be better, but they are losing customers due to coverage and laying off workers, less service, less flexible pricing. Not to mention they're a cross platform between GSM and TDMA (related technologies). Nextel is an industrial application, if you run a fleet or something, it's great, but again rural coverage is spotty and the iDEN platform has the same limits that GSM does. AT&T has a mature footprint, but they are not on the most efficient platform (changing from TDMA to GSM) for their subscriber base (lots of fast busy/overloads in metro areas). Verizon Wireless, while it used to be four different carriers (GTE Wireless, AirTouch, PrimeCo and Bell Atlantic Mobile), they have done a superb job of integrating their network, and equipment you can buy (phones, etc.) is tested very extensively before it's brought to market. Their coverage is the most expansive. While that geek keeps asking if you can "hear me now" is annoying, there's a reason why their growing 10%+ per quarter and adding 300,000 subscribers per month. I've been a customer of AT&T, Cingular and currently VZ Wireless. Verizon is superior to the lot in my opinion. I've not had a problem anywhere from Seattle to San Diego, Dallas to Chicago, Orlando to Atlanta to NYC to Boston...and almost everywhere in between I work in the industry, but not for any of them. Just my two cents... edit: added a few more details.... So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akaGQ 0 #4 December 20, 2002 Personally Id go with cingular but thats just my opinion- GQ ... it was the love of the air and sky and flying, the lure of adventure, the appreciation of beauty ... -Charles Lindberg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DZBone 0 #5 December 20, 2002 Quote Verizon Wireless, while it used to be four different carriers (GTE Wireless, AirTouch, PrimeCo and Bell Atlantic Mobile), they have done a superb job of integrating their network I'll vouch for that. I've used them for years, traveling back and forth between RI and SoCal, and all over before that. I used to call them before I went on a trip, I'm not sure why. I think they used to request that at one point (before nationwide coverage). Now I can just go, and everything works great. During the integration with GTE (?), there was a period of a few months or so where I wouldn't get the voicemail indicator on my phone south of Ventura. That was it, everything else was transparent. One day, that too started working. I literally have never gotten "all circuits busy", if there is a signal, the calls go through, which is more than I can say for AT&T. The couple of times I've had one of their phones, it seemed to hit about 20% of the time! After 9/11, I drove east from LA to RI, and had coverage everywhere except through the desert(ed) southwest. This was also during the time they were struggling to right their infrastructure after its heart had been ripped out (along with each of ours). Having said that, I'm still not getting a decent signal at my home, or in a few other dead areas I have been complaining about for years. Oh, well. I can't compare the others (besides AT&T), as I haven't used them. My brother-in-law works for Cellular One, and he tells me about the layoffs and integration headaches they have, and when he's at my house, he gets a very strong signal (bastard!). _________________________________________________ If you hadn't read this, would it have made a sound? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sangiro 26 #6 December 20, 2002 Seeing as we have an expert in the house (or to anyone who may know), which of these offer international phone-to-phone text massaging? I know AT&T doesn't. Just got them a few weeks ago, didn't know this and I'm considering killing my contract and paying the penalty just to have this. I know people on many continents! Safe swoops Sangiro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #7 December 20, 2002 There are two ways to potentially solve this problem, but both depend on service availability of the carriers involved. First, if you have a web-enabled phone, you should be able to send emails from it. As such, you should be able to receive emails also. Some carriers, and I believe AT&T is one of them allows "text messages" to be sent from an email (i.e. 3105551212@attws.net example only), which would flash as a text message on your phone, or, at worst, arrive in an email in-box for your mobile internet. If such services are available from Vodafone or Orange in the UK, then you should be able to exchange text messages via an email protocol. Another example, an internet enabled phone from Europe would be able to send an "email" to my number (9495551212@vtext.com -- Verizon Wireless' domain) and it would appear as an instant text message. My phone service allows me to reply directly, without turning "on" the web. (tested from my own home email...) Second, of the major GSM carriers in the US, I would submit that T-Mobile would be the most likely to enable phone-to-phone text messaging because they carry the common GSM technology, and T-Mobile's parent company is a dominant local telco in Europe (DT). One key is to experiment. I've found little things every now and again that I can do with my phone that I didn't think possible. For example, if you have text messging on your AT&T phone, I bet we can trade messages (at a small cost) despite being with competing carriers...just let me know if you want my number So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sangiro 26 #8 December 20, 2002 Thanks for the info Max. I'm sure I could send email to UK phones. In the UK simple text messaging has become a way of life. In the US people barely use it. The service provider who gets my contract is the one who allows me to send a simple text message directly to a phone number in Africa, Europe or the East and it gets there... with no strings attached. Technology should be pervasive (something as simple as text messaging anyways!) I should not have to have to think about whether the person I'm sending it to is in London or on the next block. I'm slightly annoyed at the fact that I'm struggling with it over here. It has become a large part of how I communicate with my friends and family... Funny thing is I never even though that if someone tells me "yes, we do offer text messaging", that I should ask: "Does that include international texy messaging?". It's just expected to be what it is in most other countries in the world. Live and learn. Safe swoops Sangiro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mujie96 0 #9 December 20, 2002 I've had Verizon in both California and Hawaii and I've spent a total of over $400 cancelling service on three phones because the service and prices were lousy. I haven't tried in Atlanta, but their customer service was always really, really terrible for me. I have T-Mobile now and I love it. Jess Just keep swimming...just keep swimming.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #10 December 20, 2002 I have had Cingular for about 2 years now. I have gotten good service everywhere I have gone so far. All over Georgia, New Jersey, Tennessee, Illinois, Florida, and Alabama. Never a problem getting service. Much better than some of the other companies around here. Especially Nextel. In fact I am about to get a new contract with them for nationwide service. I get 150 anytime/anywhere (No roaming or LD charges) and free night and weekends for $29.99. Not sure if the 150 is enough but I figure I'll try it for a month or two and if I need to move up to the 250 which is $39.99. I've had the local 250 service and I rarely exceed 250 in one month. I guess for Sangiro the bad part is I think the text messaging is pretty limited. Like only other Cingular users. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #11 December 20, 2002 Quote The service provider who gets my contract is the one who allows me to send a simple text message directly to a phone number in Africa, Europe or the East and it gets there... with no strings attached. The service and technology platform is more ubiquitous in Europe and parts of Africa and Middle East. Quote Technology should be pervasive (something as simple as text messaging anyways!) I should not have to have to think about whether the person I'm sending it to is in London or on the next block. While I don't disagree with you, it is a tall order. There are several factors in how data is carried across networks in the US vs EU. The technology platform Verizon and SPCS uses is far more robust and efficient than the GSM platform that is the backbone of Europe, T-Mobile and soon, AT&T. Sending text messages to another phone won't be difficult, but as soon as you leave the North American Number Plan (ie. NPA-NXX-0000), you run into a barrier. The same way you have to dial "011" before making an international call from a landline phone, you have to incorporate that into the signaling that enables text messaging. It may have no strings attached in EU, but remember those companies get far more assistance from the Govts than they do here. Not to mention there is a pride factor to consider (US: CDMA vs EU: GSM) that will keep things interesting for a little while. You should try with an "email" function first, that may enable an exchange of information without having to use a micro-browser....So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Opie 0 #12 December 20, 2002 I'm with Jess on this one. I used to have Verizon and it sucked. The coverage the had was lousy and the customer service even worse. If you're in a big city you may have no problems at all but everyone has to decide for themselves according to where they will be using the phone the most. I switched to U.S. Cellular and am very happy now Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pds 0 #13 December 20, 2002 fuck sprint.namaste, motherfucker. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #14 December 20, 2002 Verizon. You shouldn't even consider the others. http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1freak 0 #15 December 20, 2002 In my area i have nothing but good things to say about nextel... great coverage, and the text messaging has been great(we use text messaging for work, i can get up to 100+ a day) Driving from VA to Orlando, i dont think i lost coverage one time.HAVE FUN... ...JUST DONT DIE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #16 December 21, 2002 As far as US companies, I have T-Mobile (formerly voicestream) and they give me 550 text messages a month for $3. It's not a bad deal for me, because I can tie them to my work email and find out when I get email at work, even when I'm not at work I don't know how good their coverage is - I have a Treo, which only works on digital networks (so only in big cities). As far as coverage, I've got the best luck with Verizon and AT&T, but AT&T customer service sucks. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
