GSM Service in the MD/DC area?

[AntLive]

Hello Forum,

I currently looking into GSM service in the MD/DC area. I'm looking at ATT. Is there anyone that has this service, if so how do they feel about it. Also, which phone do they recommend. I'm looking at the T68i. Thanks.

[Airb330]

Well if you need service in Eastern MD I would not recommend GSM. But if you must have a T68i and GSM, I would recommend T-Mobile before ATT GSM.

[AntLive]

Y is Tmoble better? As I been reading through the message board, it seems that Tmoble is great on the west coast and now in NYC.

[Matt]

I've had t-Mobile for over 2.5 years in DC area (I live in NoVa, work in Tysons and also Bethesda/SS)

DC is one of T-Mobile's best markets. Coverage is excellent IMO, especially if you are considering an AT&T GSM-only phone for comparison. This network has been up for almost 7 years - it is very mature and getting larger all the time.

[jmccrane]

In DC, Sprint actually started the GSM network 7 years ago, then sold it when they decided to go national with CDMA (they probably should have stuck with GSM, but oh well...hindsight is 20/20). That being said, DC's GSM coverage has been around longer than GSM coverage in just about every other market. However, east of the chesapeake is sketchy...TDMA and CDMA are much stronger on the Eastern Shore (and Delaware).

[BigSeXXXy]

Is there anyway to send text messages from my computer to my phone w/o having to pay for software???

[DandyDon]

Originally posted by: jmccrane In DC, Sprint actually started the GSM network 7 years ago, then sold it when they decided to go national with CDMA

It was called Sprint Spectrum, and they actually sold it to Voicestream now T-Mobile.

[NextelLover]

Really depends on what you are looking for. ATT GSM network will be very good....in about 3-5 years. I was a longtime ATT subscriber and loved their network. I switched to Nextel for the Direct Connect feature (which is going nationawide mid year) for my family and the internet CURRENT capibilities which are excellent. Service in the DC/MD/VA area is excellent. I do alot of travelling to populated areas and cities and have not encountered ANY problems yet. It is true if you go to parts of the country like the Dakotas or little populated areas Nextel will not work but neither did most of the others (although ATT and Verizon usually do because of the agreeements they have with other carriers) I probably will switch back to ATT once their GSM network is fully functional but do not let them trick you. They state their GSM network will be up and running in their current markets by the end of next year which is correct but a half truth to the consumer. Their current digital area is extremely limited but your service switches to analog so your phone still works. EXAMPLE: In the MD/DC/VA area ATT switched to Extended are/roam iright outside of DC and Baltimore in places like Frederick,Laurel(some places),north of Gaithersburg, Hagerstown, as soon as you go over the Bay Brdge. It is going to take them about 5-7 years to replace ALL their current analog and digital areas over to just digital. Just a side note that analog is going away and must be gone per fed regulations by either 2007 or 2010(can't remember which) By them I see what Nextel is doing and decide which is better. There is always somoething going to be better every 2-3 years. You just have to determine if your like me and have to have the latest and best gadgets.
Chazz

[shaft103]

NextelLover, When was the last time you went around the maryland/dc area with an ATT GSM phone. For one you listed laurel of places that were extended area and wouldn't be gsm for a while. Well I drove all over laurel today and had no less than 3 bars everywhere in laurel. Also, Frederick and Hagerstown are covered gsm.

[NextelLover]

That's great but you notice I said some. Not knocking ATT. I had it for 4 years and loved it but right now GSM is still in the infant stages and for me Nextel offers better service on the net and with Direct Connect. Believe me in a few years once ATT replaces analog with all digital I will probably be back. Although I love the DC feature of Nextel.
C

[cryobite]

Actually, Sprint ran a few Arial Communications Locations but were not the Owners of true gsm. If you look back in history on of the starter in gsm were Arial Communications in 1994. They launched all over the united states and were a little slow at getting their systems going due to their investor an oil tycoon. Sprint ran a few of their satellite stores but were not the true owners. Arial went public in 1995 and stock was available. In 1998 their stock dropped to .52 a share and were on the verge of going bankrupt. Voicestream was another gsm company that started a little earlier in the gsm market in other states and were well established and bought Arial. My stock went from .52 a share to an outstanding $149 a share. Then in 2002 tmobile purchase voicestream.

[cryobite]

Originally posted by: jmccrane In DC, Sprint actually started the GSM network 7 years ago, then sold it when they decided to go national with CDMA (they probably should have stuck with GSM, but oh well...hindsight is 20/20). That being said, DC's GSM coverage has been around longer than GSM coverage in just about every other market. However, east of the chesapeake is sketchy...TDMA and CDMA are much stronger on the Eastern Shore (and Delaware).

By: Cryobite
Actually, Sprint ran a few Arial Communications Locations but were not the Owners of true gsm. If you look back in history on of the starter in gsm were Arial Communications in 1994. They launched all over the united states and were a little slow at getting their systems going due to their investor an oil tycoon. Sprint ran a few of their satellite stores but were not the true owners. Arial went public in 1995 and stock was available. In 1998 their stock dropped to .52 a share and were on the verge of going bankrupt. Voicestream was another gsm company that started a little earlier in the gsm market in other states and were well established and bought Arial. My stock went from .52 a share to an outstanding $149 a share. Then in 2002 tmobile purchase voicestream.