Cingular 20% More Cell Sites - Lexington, KY

[jones]

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...2006,+08:29+AM

Cingular Wireless Completes Network Integration in Lexington Area
With Cingular and AT&T Wireless Networks Fully Combined, Customers Now Have Access to More Than 20 Percent More Cell Sites


LEXINGTON, Ky., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless customers in the Lexington area now have more bars in more places thanks to the integration of the Cingular Wireless and the former AT&T Wireless networks. With both networks now fully combined into one in the greater Lexington area, Cingular customers have access to more than 20 percent more cell sites, which translates into fewer dropped calls, improved call quality, new coverage where none existed before, and better in-building, in-car and pedestrian coverage for customers.

"The integration of the two networks in the Lexington area gives our valued customers increased coverage, improved call quality and the ability to make calls in more places, whether they are on the road, at work, or at home," said Jim Thorpe, Vice President and General Manager for Kentucky and Tennessee. "Our network is the foundation of our business, and we are continually working to make it even stronger than it already is."

When Cingular and AT&T Wireless merged in October 2004, customers received a better experience immediately because they had access to more cell sites in more places through "home-on-home" roaming. Now, with the completion of the network integration in greater Lexington, the two networks have become one continuous network, establishing the call through the closest cell site and passing the call seamlessly from site to site. Customers not only have access to more cell sites, but also have all the cell sites in the Lexington area working for them.

Planning and preparation for the network integration involved choosing the best cell sites from both networks, eliminating duplicate equipment, and combining technologies onto a common network. The integration is part of an $85 million investment by the nation's largest wireless carrier in its Kentucky and Southern Indiana network in 2006. The investment also includes the addition of portable and permanent generators and the addition of more than 25 new towers across Kentucky and Southern Indiana by the end of the year.

[Fnineone]

For me it is the other way around. My phone uses the 1900 mhz frequency and prior to April I was having 4-5 bars everywhere in Lexington. Now I can't even get a signal most places I go to in Lexington. The only area that works are on I-75 and around the airport. Seems like they removed the 1900 mhz frequency towers when they did the intergration.

I tried a T-mobile SIM card and it works fine on the same phone, since T-mobile is 1900 mhz.

And Cingular support is of no help.

[strunke]

Originally Posted by Fnineone

For me it is the other way around. My phone uses the 1900 mhz frequency and prior to April I was having 4-5 bars everywhere in Lexington. Now I can't even get a signal most places I go to in Lexington. The only area that works are on I-75 and around the airport. Seems like they removed the 1900 mhz frequency towers when they did the intergration.

I tried a T-mobile SIM card and it works fine on the same phone, since T-mobile is 1900 mhz.

And Cingular support is of no help.

Don't listen to these Press releases, it's pure marketing baloney.

[jones]

Originally Posted by Fnineone

For me it is the other way around. My phone uses the 1900 mhz frequency and prior to April I was having 4-5 bars everywhere in Lexington. Now I can't even get a signal most places I go to in Lexington. The only area that works are on I-75 and around the airport. Seems like they removed the 1900 mhz frequency towers when they did the intergration.

I tried a T-mobile SIM card and it works fine on the same phone, since T-mobile is 1900 mhz.

And Cingular support is of no help.

you can swap T-Mobile Sim on the Cingular Phone?

32K SIM Never works on 64K SIM Phones.

[Fnineone]

I uses a Toshiba 904T, not a Cingular phone. Previously was using a SE 700i. They both worked with Cingular prior to April.

I am not sure if my girlfriend's sim card was 32k or 64k, but regardless it did work on my phone. Anyway as soon as my contract is up with Cingular in another 2 months, I am switching over to T-mobile which almost exclusively uses 1900 mhz.

[strunke]

Originally Posted by Fnineone

I uses a Toshiba 904T, not a Cingular phone. Previously was using a SE 700i. They both worked with Cingular prior to April.

I am not sure if my girlfriend's sim card was 32k or 64k, but regardless it did work on my phone. Anyway as soon as my contract is up with Cingular in another 2 months, I am switching over to T-mobile which almost exclusively uses 1900 mhz.

T-mobile roams on 800 too...probably already knew that but just saying...

[Fnineone]

Yeah i know T-mo uses 800/850 for roaming.

But that is the lesser of the 2 evil, since most of the places I had lived in or would visit typically has 1900 mhz coverage. Right now I have to resort to using a very old dual band cell phone to use Cingular.

I m just upset that they never tell us the customer in regards to what happened to the 1900 mhz towers that used to work before intergration.