Switching to VZW in NH - TriMode Phones? (Long)

[Jarzynka]

Hi Folks-

Long time reader, first-time poster in the forum. It has been an excellent resource for a cell-technology geek like me!

I'm finally getting out from under my ATTWS contract this July and am looking to switch to Verizon Wireless. Not only has AT&T been a nightmare to deal with - late extended area partner billing, terrible to rude customer service, etc, but the AT&T 1900MHz PCS signal does not reach my house!

I have a Nokia 6100 series phone so, if I turn the phone off, turn it back on while holding my hand over the antenna, I can force the phone into 800MHz "Extended Area" (Cingluar TDMA) which works quite well even at -99 to -105dB (about 1-2 bars max) I can often "lock" the phone into Extended Area by using the Manual Service feature on the Nokia, but anytime I move around town, it'll kick back into ATTWS. In addition, due to late billing from Cingular (or U.S. Cellular TDMA in other parts of the state) I get hit with minute overage charges and I often have to fight (yes, fight) with CS to get them removed!

My girlfriend has Verizon Wireless with a Kyocera 2325 phone. Although she also only gets between 1-2 bars, her service here is excellent (850MHz CDMA), no dropped calls, etc. Also, my work gives me a 15-25% discount with Verizon service and phones, so it seems like a no-brainer, except...

The phone selection pretty much lies in the pure CDMA digital domain (850/1900 MHz) now. I just can't believe that many of today's phones with all the features in the world decided to abandon analog service. I know 2005 is around the corner, but, as anyone in NH will tell you, analog service is still alive and well. The reason I'm leaving AT&T is due to spotty coverage with a patchwork of roaming partners across the "network". I'd hate to have a great new phone and plan, only to not be able to make calls when only analog service is available.

I was looking at getting a no-frills Kyocera or Motorola v60 series handset for the time being and then upgrading to an all-digital handset in a year or two. I've read some pretty bad reviews on the Motorola though (antenna tennis anyone?) Should I be concerned about analog service in NH and southeast Maine, or is Verizon rapidly filling in those holes with their own (or U.S. Cellular's) CDMA service?

Thanks very much and sorry about the LOOOONG post. I think there's a few years' of questions bottled up in there!

--

[kjo]

There are still many good Tri-mode phones.
If you want to wait and are willing to pay the big bucks the Motorola v710 will be out soon and it's tri-mode and has everything on it except a backyard pool. ha ha

Otherwise I would suggest the Nokia 3589i phone if you are worried about reception. I have this phone and it's a great little phone. A lot of people in this forum would agree with me. It has 2 antenna's..one internal and one external (that you pull out if you need..otherwise it is flush with the phone and you don't have to worry about breaking antennas)

Right now you can buy one for 9.99 and get one free.... not a bad deal.
I've heard alot of good things also about the LG 3200 tri-mode flip phone. It has a speakerphone...but no front LCD display which might not be something you'd like.

Welcome to the forum!

[waywith]

I am in Manchester NH and have US Cellular. When I am in Rockingham County, I roam on Verizon since US Cellular isn't licensed there (legally, part of the "Boston" market). I travel to various parts of NH and very rarely run into a situation where I am on analog. I am on either USC digital or Verizon digital (in Strafford County, Unicel digital). I am told that it still is needed in "the north country" of NH. I understand that Vermont has a lot of analog area in the northern part of the state, "the Northeast Kingdom."

In Maine, I have no direct experience, but US Cellular now has digital CDMA throughout the entire state and friends up there say they have not run into much analog in the past six months.

You probably could get by OK without analog, but like you, I would opt for a tri-mode phone just to be on the safe side.

--way

[dmarkson]

Verizon has good service in Rockingham County.

You'll lose AT&T once you are a few miles from the highway. My CallPlus phones (AT&T) drop to roaming (U.S Cellular TDMA) at some friends that live just 2 or 3 miles from me.

With USC's switch to CDMA, all of New England should be covered for a digital-only phone. In Southern NH and MA I don't think you will lose much with a Verizon digtal-only phone. If you travel to rural areas (eg: Central Adirondacks, etc) you'll need analog. I was in Saranac NY a few weeks ago and there was a solid analog-only signal nearby. I could hit one digital tower but the signal was very weak. That is one area that has not converted to digital. The Verizon maps show digital coverage throughout NH. Analog gives you the ability to connect to non-CDMA systems, such as Cingular and Unicel.

Our Verizon phone is the tri-mode Nokia 3589i, for the reason that it has top digital RF performance. Analog performance is good, but not excellent. It's a very inexpensive phone. The only annoyances are that it's sometimes hard to turn on and the navigation keys can be touchy.

[Jarzynka]

Thanks for the quick responses! I definitely appreciate it!

While I figured USCC would be filling-in a lot of the digital "holes" (replacing analog service) north and west of Concord since switching to CDMA, I still travel enough around the state that at least having an analog option would be better than not. (Strange that I still use USCC for TDMA digital "roaming" north and west of Concord and Manchester now. Hard to believe they're operating analog, and TDMA/CDMA digital towers!)

Not to mention, you all said the magic word concerning the Nokia 3589i - maximum RF! I live in an area (in Salem, right near the Haverhill, MA border) where coverage is very weak, so every last drop of RF coverage (and more importantly broadcasting back to the tower) will be huge!

I've heard about the Motorola v710 - but, as kjo suggested, I think I'll wait a while on that handset and let the price come down a bit while any software bugs are worked out! Thanks again for the nice welcome to the forum and the great help!

[Jarzynka]

Waywith-

As a U.S. Cellular customer, do they give you a detailed map for coverage areas of the state like Keene and Lebanon? According to this great Verizon wireless detailed map found on another thread...

Verizon Wireless Detailed Coverage Map

... all of Cheshire, Sullivan, Grafton and Coos counties in New Hampshire (with the exception of a few larger towns near highways) are covered in analog roam only. This is strange since Verizon will roam digitally on U.S. Cellular CDMA elsewhere. I can only assume that U.S. Cellular has only converted their A-side properties (SID 445) in NH to CDMA and their B-side (SID 1484, I think) is still TDMA digital / analog. I've always found it strange that the NH U.S. Cellular markets split with A-side in southeastern areas (minus Rockingham and Strafford counties - due to different cell markets) but went B-side in western and northern NH counties.

I visited the U.S. Cellular sites for map information (digital vs analog - since they sell the digital only handsets too!) but got very little information besides home versus extended areas. If there is only analog roaming with Verizon in U.S. Cellular's B-side territory then it is crucial I take your advice and get a tri-mode phone. That Nokia is looking better and better all the time!

[dmarkson]

Originally Posted by Jarzynka

I can only assume that U.S. Cellular has only converted their A-side properties (SID 445) in NH to CDMA and their B-side (SID 1484, I think) is still TDMA digital / analog. I've always found it strange that the NH U.S. Cellular markets split with A-side in southeastern areas (minus Rockingham and Strafford counties - due to different cell markets) but went B-side in western and northern NH counties.

USC's New England network is fully CDMA covered, including the Western/Northern NH "B" system.