More cellphone babbling

[danaeris]

OK, so now that I've got when my account expires resolved, I have two months to decide which service I want to be with.

The options I was considering particularly seriously are:
Verizon
ATT
Sprint

Factors to consider in making this decision:

1. the data plans offered by each service
   
2. the phones offered by each service (and far less important, their price)
   
3. the coverage each service has

Additionally, there is the pending merger between Cingular and ATT which will undoubtedly change things. In the end, it will probably lead to pretty good reception area for Cingular, but in the meantime, will it be chaotic and result in poor service? Am I willing to put up with that?

I admit that I have had difficulty understanding point (1). I've been to the websites and can't make head or tails of the data plans and how they interact with voice plans. (2) may change between now and June 5th. And (3)... I'd always been led to believe that Verizon was far superior, especially in rural neighborhoods, but then I found out that only ATT gets reception at Annwfn, which seems odd if what I'd been told is true.

I'm thinking over the next two months I will go into one of each of these stores and corner a sales person and get them to explain the data plan vs. voice plan system.

Comments

[random-vamp.livejournal.com]

(3) really depends on which area of the country you're in. ATT seems to be superior coverage wise on this coast, but I sometimes have problems on the east coast where folds with Sprint or Verizon don't.

As for the ATT and Cingular merger, I doubt it will have much affect on quality of service through ATT though probably a more substantial affect on Cingular subscribers. Although I find it funny that one branch of Ma Bell (ATT-Wireless) is being bought bu another (SBC aka Cingular)

[bk2w.livejournal.com]

I suspect the merger between Cingular and ATT will not seriously affect coverage.

I understand they've been sending out new phones to a lot of people that have phones that won't work on the new system. This implies that the two systems are not directly compatible.

Now, ATT/Cingular would have lot more base station locations established than either company alone, which would mean they *could* improve coverage, but that costs money and might not actually happen.

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

I'm still personally in love with T-mobile. They have the plan I want, the phones I want, and their customer service totally rocks. Mostly it is the good customer service that keeps me loyal to them. People tell me their coverage is not great compared to other companies out here, but so far I have found the coverage to be at least as good as it was where I lived in CT so I am entirely content with that. There are, oddly enough, a couple of minor signal-valleys in Mountain View.

[octal.livejournal.com]

Sprint's $5-15/mo data plan added onto a voice plan is the best data plain available right now. Unlimited, fast, good coverage. Verizon is better, but more expensive.

Sprint's coverage actually seems quite good.

CDMA voice quality > GSM.

GSM phones are "better"

Sprint is hella cheap if you get 5 people together to share a 5800 minute/month plan. $20-30/phone including data, basically unlimited.

[auros]

Sprint seems to be one of the cheaper options in general (I currently have $30/mo for more daytime minutes than I've ever managed to use, plus unlimited night and weekend), and I've had mostly good customer service. But it should be noted that their coverage is excellent in urban areas. I've never had a problem anywhere on the peninsula, or along any highway (including a trip down the coast road, and a trip from Baltimore to Phoenix). But if you go off into the boonies, it's almost guaranteed to die.

[unseelie23.livejournal.com]

I'm with T-Mobile, but that's because I get a discount because of my employer. If it weren't for that, I'd be elsewhere as I get no signal in my apartment.

AT&T is fine so long as you NEVER need to talk to support or customer service.

[terpsichoros.livejournal.com]

Sprint's coverage sucks. As Auros mentioned, in urban areas, the coverage isn't too bad, but in remote locations like Guerneville, the north end of Novato, I-80 through Berkeley, upper Fruitvale in Oakland, Angel's Camp, central Alameda, Camp Richardson on Lake Tahoe, or Palo Alto, the coverage is nonexistent.

I've been pretty happy with AT&T's coverage, as the only places in that list above which have poor coverage are upper Fruitvale and Palo Alto. (And in Palo Alto, it's the fault of Palo Alto, not the cell companies.)

[auros]

If you're having trouble in Palo Alto, you may have a reception problem with your phone. PA is like wealthy techhead central, and I've never had any problems. (And I live here...) I know there are some issues in parts of Berkeley, but that's because the Berkeley city council has refused to let anyone build towers, because they consider them unsightly. :-P

[terpsichoros.livejournal.com]

I have fewer problems in Palo Alto with AT&T than I did with Sprint, and admittedly, a major part of the problem is up by 280. (I used to drive through PA on 280 regularly.)

that's because the Berkeley city council has refused to let anyone build towers, because they consider them unsightly.

That's Palo Alto's problem, too.

[auros]

Oh, yeah, I remember the shadow spots on 280! I used to commute that way myself, but it was a while ago. There are a couple of those, very small, maybe a mile at most. One's up by where 92 comes in from the east, and there's one in PA. I'm not sure they relate to the towers, though, I think they're a terrain issue. In terms of the actual business and residential parts of PA, I've never had a problem.