Sprint PCS?

[Gamer03]

I have some questions for people that use Sprint PCS:

1. If we get the add a phone with our plan, would we have to add $5/month for Free and Clear twice on our account to make calls while off the network?

2. How does the Free and Clear America work? Can you only use half your minutes per month off the network?

3. How is Sprint inside of buildings? Have they improved their coverage inside?

4. Which phone is known for the better reception: Samsung VGA 1000 or Samsung V1660?

5. Does Sprint ever extend their instant savings/rebates on their phones?

6. Do they extend their promotions such as 7pm Nights?

Thanks.

If I have any more qestions, I will post them.

[Shizam76]

Originally posted by: Gamer03
3. How is Sprint inside of buildings? Have they improved their coverage inside?

Gamer....while I'm not sure about their plans specifically.....I do know their indoor coverage is VERY poor, and it will always be. There is no possible chance for improvement, due to their 1900 Mhz operations. 1900 Mhz does not have good penetration. Now if Sprint was 850 Mhz, there would be less problems with indoor coverage. I know 2 people with Sprint here and when they talk to me from inside their apartments the call either gets dropped, or I hang up on them because they are so broken up.

[Tony E!]

"You got mail"

[SQFreak]

1. No. $5 per account.
2. Yes, you can use half of the minutes that you use each month off network. Not half of your plan minutes.

[lordsutch]

Originally posted by: Gamer03
I have some questions for people that use Sprint PCS:

1. If we get the add a phone with our plan, would we have to add $5/month for Free and Clear twice on our account to make calls while off the network?

2. How does the Free and Clear America work? Can you only use half your minutes per month off the network?

3. How is Sprint inside of buildings? Have they improved their coverage inside?

4. Which phone is known for the better reception: Samsung VGA 1000 or Samsung V1660?

5. Does Sprint ever extend their instant savings/rebates on their phones?

6. Do they extend their promotions such as 7pm Nights?

1. No, F&CA is a per-account option, $5 per account, no matter how many lines.

2. Basically, all off-network minutes count as "anytime" minutes, and at least half of your total minutes (including Mobile-2-Mobile and Night and Weekend minutes) have to be on the Sprint network. So if you roam for 60 minutes, you need at least 60 minutes on SPCS (including M2M, N/W, and anytime). If you have a 500 anytime minute plan, you can roam for all 500 minutes--just make sure you use 500 minutes N/W + M2M too!

Generally you get warning calls and letters if you go over, and they won't kick you off the plan or charge for overages at the roaming rate unless you are really over for 3 consecutive months. The main thing is they want to ensure people don't buy SPCS who will primarily use the phone in a non-covered area.

3. Building coverage is a function of frequency, and there isn't much Sprint can do to improve it, except increasing tower density; predominantly 800 MHz carriers like VZW and Cingular (in the old cellular A and B bands) will have a leg up. However, SPCS (which is CDMA) at 1900 MHz should be better than a GSM carrier at 1900 MHz, because CDMA generally can do more with a weak or multipathed signal. And some buildings are worse than others.

4. Recent Samsungs are (I believe) pretty interchangeable in terms of coverage. Sanyos are generally supposed to be a bit better, although their signal bars can be misleading.

5/6. Usually; I believe the current promos have been around since 1/4. Word is that May will see a big change in plans though (with a new plan called "Auto Fill"); however, Sprint will let you keep an existing plan or trade up to the new offering as long as you extend your commitment. I doubt 7 pm or the current phone rebates will go away anytime soon.

[Gamer03]

Thanks SQFreak and lordsutch for the replies.

I appreciate it.

[eagle63]

Gamer....while I'm not sure about their plans specifically.....I do know their indoor coverage is VERY poor, and it will always be. There is no possible chance for improvement, due to their 1900 Mhz operations. 1900 Mhz does not have good penetration. Now if Sprint was 850 Mhz, there would be less problems with indoor coverage. I know 2 people with Sprint here and when they talk to me from inside their apartments the call either gets dropped, or I hang up on them because they are so broken up.

I'm afraid I have to totally disagree with this post. To say that Sprint's building penetration sucks is absolutely ridiculous. Tower location and network deployment are FAR more important factors to indoor coverage than frequency is. I've used Sprint and T-Mobile (both 1900 mHz) extensively for the past 5 years, and with few expections my indoor reception is great. Heck, I can even hold a call in the elevator at my office with Sprint. I've also roamed onto 900 mHz Verizon inside a shopping mall and had horrible reception.
The reason your friends are having problems in their apartment is probably because there isn't a tower near by, not becuase of the frequency.

So for cripes sake, DO NOT base your wireless decision on frequency.

[larry]

eagle63,

I agree with you. Tower placement is more important than frequency. To make a generalized statement saying that their indoor coverage is "VERY poor" is misleading and not accurate. It also depends on what area you're in. Some markets are built up better than others. For example here in So. Calif. I rarely ever have problems indoors because of the way this market is built up.

[ComicalMoodyDan]

Larry I will agree with that. SunCom is a PCS carrier in my area and from using them before I can tell you they have very good indoor coverage for the most part. It's all about tower placement.

Sprint PCS is weak in my area but in Knoxville, TN it's great. Indoors and out I found it to be very good. Despite they are a PCS provider they have a dense tower placement in that area which makes up for the frequency.

[MrFlashport]

Frequency is not as important as network buildout and site maintenance. For example, Sprint PCS around atlanta IMO has surpassed Verizon in many areas...I get excellent signal all over Cobb and North Fulton counties, and there are some places (Like VMH at Mableton Pkwy) that Verizon sucks at street level (let alone inside buildings) and has since the old Airtouch days, but Sprint has added 20 plus sites in my county alone...and they have no problem in those areas.

True, 800MHz RF does penetrate buildings better than 1.9GHz, but then 450MHz RF travels farther than 800 (and does better in buildings)- I know this from public safety radio maintenance...however, PCS networks need more sites closer together (they have smaller coverage contours than old Legacy A and B band operators)...but at least Sprint, AT&T GSM and T-Mobile are expanding their contours at record speed. It took 15 years for Airtouch now Verizon (at least here) to get the network they have now...considering that, it is amazing how a company like Sprint, who first came on the air in atlanta in 1st qaurter 98, is where they are now. Many of those 10+ year old Verizon sites are in POOR SHAPE (thus why I left their decaying service) and their arrogant attitude towards customer complaints doesn't help...

Choose a carrier based on your own tests, take a phone home/work/etc and use it during the trial period and make sure it works for you before finalizing an agreement with anyone. Or you may wish to borrow a friend's phone (if they are nice enough to let you) and see how there phone works where you need it to.

[cooljosh]

sano phones will have much better receiption than samsumg....

[Gamer03]

Originally posted by cooljosh:

sano phones will have much better receiption than samsumg....

That might be true, but not always...

My sister's friend has a Sanyo 8100 and she can't make a call inside of my sister's dorm, not even in the living room next to a window.

I however, can make a call inside of the living room without having it drop on a Samsung VGA 1000...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

I guess some phones work better in certain areas...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

BTW, welcome cooljosh to WA.

[larry]

Originally posted by: cooljosh
sano phones will have much better receiption than samsumg....

I haven't seen much of a difference between the two myself but the Sanyos will show more signal strength on their meters because of a different calibration.