T-Mobile and Connecticut

[wordczar]

Hi. I live in New Haven County in CT. I'm considering T-Mobile because their Family Share plan is so cheap. I know T-Mobile's coverage isn't the best in CT, but if roaming is free, do I need to worry about it? Will I be able to use the Verizon network when I need to?

Also, can you recommend a fairly cheap camera phone for T-Mobile?

Thanks,
Jill

[MeatChicken]

Originally Posted by wordczar Hi. I live in New Haven County in CT. I'm considering T-Mobile because their Family Share plan is so cheap. I know T-Mobile's coverage isn't the best in CT, but if roaming is free, do I need to worry about it? Will I be able to use the Verizon network when I need to? Also, can you recommend a fairly cheap camera phone for T-Mobile? Thanks, Jill

No, they use different digital systems, AND don't have a roam agreement, & a T-mobile fone will never use VZW's networks.
In some areas you may be able to roam onto Cingular GSM channels.
Keep in mind that if your fone "sees" a crappy 1 bar or less Tmbl signal & can stay locked onto it, it will prefer this over a full strength roaming companies signal.
This is a common complaint among new Sprint & T Mobile users, A salesman in a given area will tell them "not to worry" because you can roam on VZW (for Sprint), or CING (for Tmbl). Some people don't realize that you have to completely Lose you home carriers signal before it will try to lock onto another companies signal, & it will often drop a full strength roam signal once it can again "see" a home signal .....
Some salespeople make it "sound" like , " Pay our cheaper rates & you still get the advantages of Cingular or VZW's networks" .....

[EdwardP]

Wirelessly posted (T-Mobile: Nokia6800/2.0 (5.58) Profile/MIDP-1.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.0)

T-Mobile (on 850 MHz) can roam in Vermont, on Unicel.

Unicel coverage is excellent going up I-89.

[jones]

Originally Posted by EdwardP Wirelessly posted (T-Mobile: Nokia6800/2.0 (5.58) Profile/MIDP-1.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.0) T-Mobile (on 850 MHz) can roam in Vermont, on Unicel. Unicel coverage is excellent going up I-89.

It's good to hear from you that Unicel is good in Vermont,
since some here are saying they're not.

[EdwardP]

On Interstate 89 in NH at Exit 15, my T-Mobile picked up Unicel and held onto the Unicel signal for the remainder of the trip on I-89 from there, into and all the way up I-89 in Vermont, until I turned the phone off about 20 miles from the Canadian border.

[bobolito]

There's a reason why T-Mobile is so cheap. Roaming won't make up for poor coverage in CT since they won't let you roam there. Usually, in areas where T-mobile has built up their own network you cannot roam on any other carrier. So you're either on T-Mobile or nothing.

Give it a try and take advantage of the period before you get locked in a contract. Go to all places you need coverage and see if it works for you.

[EdwardP]

Originally Posted by bobolito There's a reason why T-Mobile is so cheap. Roaming won't make up for poor coverage in CT since they won't let you roam there. Usually, in areas where T-mobile has built up their own network you cannot roam on any other carrier. So you're either on T-Mobile or nothing. Give it a try and take advantage of the period before you get locked in a contract. Go to all places you need coverage and see if it works for you.

Couldn't the same be said of ANY carrier? If a network in question is built up in a particular area, why would one of their own phones be allowed to roam on another carrier in that same area?

The T-Mobile Nokia models I have, include a manual network selection menu. When it roamed (as the 6010 did in Canada), I was able to select a network, either Rogers or Fido (owned by Rogers). With that setting on Automatic, the preferred network was Fido. It would occasionally pick up Rogers though, depending on where I was in Montreal.

Down here, the same menu lists T-Mobile, Cingular, and AT&T Wireless. It will not let me connect to either Cingular or ex-AT&T, either selection will display "no network access".

In Mass., I know Verizon and T-Mobile have a service guarantee, you can return the phone within (I believe) 15 days and only pay for the service used.

There is also legislation pending here that will mandate a one-year agreement. Verizon and T-Mobile currently offer one-year agreements. The legislation was proposed because of all of the complaints people have had about poor service with this or that carrier and being unable to get out of their agreement - because of the poor service, without paying the early termination fee. If anything, it would affect Cingular because the shortest agreement someone can get from them is two years.

[bobolito]

Originally Posted by EdwardP Couldn't the same be said of ANY carrier? If a network in question is built up in a particular area, why would one of their own phones be allowed to roam on another carrier in that same area?

Not really. Cingular let's you roam in many areas even though they have their own built-up network. The same can be said about Sprint and Verizon. For instance, Cingular users can roam on T-Mobile in CT, even though Cingular has a very well built and mature network in CT. I've also been in other areas, such as Albany, Buffalo, Providence, Eastern PA etc. where I've been able to roam on T-Mobile. However, in South Jersey I can't.

If anything, it would affect Cingular because the shortest agreement someone can get from them is two years.

Not true. You can get any type of contract with Cingular. They just only advertise 2-year agreements. But you can go with 1-year or no contract at all if you want.

[EdwardP]

That was based on my own observations.

Every time I upgraded a phone with Cingular (three times in 10 years, the last time being Dec. 2003), I was NOT offered a one year agreement at all. Each time, I was told the minimum agreement available was TWO years.

If the proposed legislation becomes law, then it would cause Cingular to advertise the availability of one-year agreements.

The only times my Cingular phone has roamed in my home area, is when it locked onto a former AT&T Wireless tower.

[viewfly]

Originally Posted by EdwardP That was based on my own observations. Every time I upgraded a phone with Cingular (three times in 10 years, the last time being Dec. 2003), I was NOT offered a one year agreement at all. Each time, I was told the minimum agreement available was TWO years.

That's probably because you asked for the new phone at the cheapest price. The phones have 3 price tiers; cheapest being 2 year contract; next up is one year; and the highest price is no contract. The local corp store here always has printed the three prices on the card next to the phone. I like the service so I go for the 2 year contract and get the lowest price.

[PADutchman]

Originally Posted by EdwardP That was based on my own observations. Every time I upgraded a phone with Cingular (three times in 10 years, the last time being Dec. 2003), I was NOT offered a one year agreement at all. Each time, I was told the minimum agreement available was TWO years. If the proposed legislation becomes law, then it would cause Cingular to advertise the availability of one-year agreements. The only times my Cingular phone has roamed in my home area, is when it locked onto a former AT&T Wireless tower.

Yes - the Cing folks tell me here 1 yr is fine; just pay more for the phone.
They also tell me that changing plans while in contract, does NOT alter the expiration date of that original agreement. VZW has screwed me twice, and lied directly to my face (Rep) on this regard.
Yeah, legislation is needed. A legislation to tell the truth.

[bobolito]

Originally Posted by PADutchman They also tell me that changing plans while in contract, does NOT alter the expiration date of that original agreement.

Now this is no longer accurate. I am not sure on the specifics, but I believe that if you are over half the life of your contract, whenever you ask to change your rate plan, you cut off that contract and get a new one-year contract.

For instance, if you have a 2-yr contract and its 9 months old, you can change your rate plan without extension. But if your 2-yr contract is 13 months old, then you get re-started another year starting from that date which means that at the end of the 24 months your contract gets extended by a month.

Now, if you have a 1 year contract and you are in the 9th month, you get restarted for another year beginning on that 9th month, so in this case you get extended by 9 more months for a grand total of 9 + 12 = 21 months.

If you are out of contract, then you get restarted another year.

[EdwardP]

Cingular had ads in the Boston newspapers today.

In very, very small print at the bottom of the ad, it mentions a one-year service agreement.