Van Wert Ohio GSM again

[Cailiff04]

found some coverage maps to show proof of the covrage
T-Mobile left
Cingular middle
and Centennial right (Van Wert is indicated by the red dot)

[Alienware_51]

Hmm that is really odd, maybe at&t added coverage there and just didn't update their coverage maps yet?? Does at&t even have a 850mhz license there?

Alien.

[Cailiff04]

Originally Posted by Alienware_51

Hmm that is really odd, maybe at&t added coverage there and just didn't update their coverage maps yet?? Does at&t even have a 850mhz license there?

Alien.

I'm unsure..maybe I need to get down there and see what carrier my phone picks up...then we will all know!! I'll keep checking the a&t coverage every few days and see then I'll post a reply on this thread!!

[Cailiff04]

Alien...doing a lil reasearch..I found that both VZW and Alltel have 850mhz. licenses in Van Wert...is it possible that the roaming agreement is in place with one of those 2 carriers or not??

[Analog134]

Centennial Wireless built a bunch of 1900Mhz GSM/EDGE towers in Van Wert Co. back in the end of November of 2007. Coverage is pretty good. They even have coverage in Ohio City, which Verizon was the only provider that had coverage in building.

I don't know if T-mobile will roam on the Centennial network, but I know my i-phone works here.

Hope this helps?

[Alienware_51]

Originally Posted by Cailiff04

Alien...doing a lil reasearch..I found that both VZW and Alltel have 850mhz. licenses in Van Wert...is it possible that the roaming agreement is in place with one of those 2 carriers or not??

Well I don't think it's possible to have a roaming agreement with Alltel or Verizon there even though it's 850mhz, it's cdma, and not gsm. Thats really wierd that none of the gsm carrier's coverage maps are showing any native coverage there. I think one of the carrier's need to update their coverage maps.

[Cailiff04]

Originally Posted by Analog134

Centennial Wireless built a bunch of 1900Mhz GSM/EDGE towers in Van Wert Co. back in the end of November of 2007. Coverage is pretty good. They even have coverage in Ohio City, which Verizon was the only provider that had coverage in building.

I don't know if T-mobile will roam on the Centennial network, but I know my i-phone works here.

Hope this helps?

T-Mobile roams with Centennial I roam on Centennial when I was in Defiance and Napoleon Ohio. So it's possible that maybe Cingular and T-Mobile both are roaming with Centennial and their maps just arent updated yet

[Cailiff04]

Originally Posted by Analog134

Centennial Wireless built a bunch of 1900Mhz GSM/EDGE towers in Van Wert Co. back in the end of November of 2007. Coverage is pretty good. They even have coverage in Ohio City, which Verizon was the only provider that had coverage in building.

I don't know if T-mobile will roam on the Centennial network, but I know my i-phone works here.

Hope this helps?

T-Mobile roams with Centennial I roam on Centennial when I was in Defiance and Napoleon Ohio. So it's possible that maybe Cingular and T-Mobile both are roaming with Centennial and their maps just arent updated yet

[Alienware_51]

Originally Posted by Cailiff04

So it's possible that maybe Cingular and T-Mobile both are roaming with Centennial and their maps just arent updated yet

I'm thinking that too.

[Cailiff04]

UPDATE!!!!

I was in Van Wert over the weekend....My T-Mobile phone roamed on Centennial...so alienware51..you were right...Centennial needed to update their maps!! I promised an update when I got over that way!! Now...why can any of the GSM carriers have coverage in Putnam Co. Ohio? Thats between Van Wert and Findlay..maybe Centennial will follow suite and have a buildout in this area!!

[Buickman]

Originally Posted by Alienware_51

Well I don't think it's possible to have a roaming agreement with Alltel or Verizon there even though it's 850mhz, it's cdma, and not gsm.

Alltel operates a lot of GSM for roaming purposes. Western Wireless built it a number of years ago before being bought out by Alltel. All of the GSM that is available in the Dokota's and I believe Montana too is all from Alltel.

[RadioFoneGuy]

Alltel does have some but its small compared to the rest of their network. Western didnt overlay their whole network just some of the highways where others dont provide coverage.

From what I have heard its not a very well put together GSM network and has quality issues and its not maintained the way it should be.

[markuhde]

"All of the GSM that is available in the Dokota's and I believe Montana too is all from Alltel."

Montana has GSM from CellularOne (MTPCS, formerly Chinook Wireless), the Dakotas have Long Lines wireless in a tiny section as well as AT&T in the the downtown of a few towns.

Alltel covers by far the greatest geographical area of GSM in these states, but CellularOne is catching up quick.

[RJB]

You are all right about Alltel having the GSM in those areas. They also have some here as well. As a past GSM user who got to roam on the Alltel GSM let me tell you it was a horrible experience. But at least you could make a call.

[markuhde]

I'd be very surprised if Alltel in Montana and the Dakotas DOESN'T get divested to AT&T in this whole merger thing, so that's good news GSM-wise...

[RadioFoneGuy]

The GSM would be beneficial to AT&T but its not as easy as splitting it off.

All Alltel GSM in the old WW area in co-located on the same towers as Alltel CDMA.

[Eric47]

Originally Posted by RadioFoneGuy

The GSM would be beneficial to AT&T but its not as easy as splitting it off.

All Alltel GSM in the old WW area in co-located on the same towers as Alltel CDMA.

so what would they do?

[markuhde]

I never said the GSM would get split off. I said I expect Montana and the Dakotas to have forced divestures and AT&T will most likely pick them up. The general order of events in this would be the GSM build out would be finished and tuned, customers would receive new handsets, and the CDMA would be shut down and one more step in the death of CDMA would be complete (carriers, including Verizon for 4G, are abandoning CDMA en masse)