Why cant you get ATT in Santa Cruz ???

[Doude]

Hi all,

I live in SCruz, and travel often in this area along the coast. I work in San Jose, every day on Highway 17...
I d love to go ATT but they say they dont provide service in this area.
So I HAVE TO go cellular one but cellular one = ATT, so what is going on ? (I dont want to go Sprint or Cingular)
So my question is:

If I go ATT will I be able to use the phone in Santa Cruz ?

Thanks

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

[KevinJames]

I wasn't even aware CellularOne was anywhere in Northern California anymore. I thought when they sold off their remaining interests in the SF/Bay area, they were gone. I guess not.

To answer your question, IF indeed CellularOne has the market there, the reason has to do with legal markets as defined by the FCC. ATT cannot legally market to or sell to anyone not living in an ATT-designated market. If you go with CellularOne, the ONLY downside that I know of is that their rate plans may not be as good as ATT. If CellularOne claims to have coverage in that market, then yes, you will also get the benefit of ATT when you roam.

<u>Addendum:</u>
sure enough, I just checked it out. Here is the website. This particular is owned by Dobson Communications. The one in the Bay Area was 50/50 owned by Dobson and ATT. ATT bought the remaining interests in the SF/Bay market a while back.

Boy! Their rate plans DO suck. You might do what I did several years ago. Put the phone on the least costly CellularOne Plan and then go to ATT and tell them you want to add a 2nd NAM. Get a rate plan you can live with through ATT and just use your CellularOne plan when in the local area.

[Doude]

Thanks a lot Kevin,

I am amazed you reply so fast ! People on this forum are wright when they say you are the king !!! :-)

SCruz Cellularone customers use the ATT network when outside of SCruz. So I guess, but I am not sure, ATT customers when they come to SCruz use the Cellularone network.

So I can order a phone and services through ATT and still use it in SCruz area (and get the same service like a Cellular one customer). They dont officialy support that part of the network but technically it is the same network ?

The solution your proposing is interesting, although I need to have one unique phone number. Sorry for that dummy question but what is a NAM ?

Thanks for your help and your time.

Ps: This specific situation over SCruz is kind of weird, even some representative of ATT I talked to didnt know about it... I guess that is the way people do business in Scruz, protected market etc...

[KevinJames]

See Wireless Advisor's glossary page for a definition of NAM. Since they don't tell you why or how it is important to you, I'll explain that. All wireless phones (that I personally am aware of) are capable of having two or more phone numbers. Before the advent of affordable regional and national plans along with more expansive "local" plans, wireless users had a choice of paying high roaming fees or setting up multiple phone numbers in different markets and then switching to whichever was convenient based on their current geographic location. Another scenario where this was advantageous was/is a person doesn't want to carry multiple phones so he/she gets their employer to agree to paying for the 2nd NAM on the employee's personal phone. Depending on the call (personal or business) you switch to the appropriate NAM.

I didn't understand what you were saying/asking in the following sentence:
So I can order a phone and services through ATT and still use it in SCruz area (and get the same service like a Cellular one customer). They dont officialy support that part of the network but technically it is the same network ?

[Doude]

All right Kevin,

Thanks for your precision about NAM.

Let me rephrase my question:
If today I subsribe with cellularone in SCruz, I drive my car to San Jose, I place a call: I will be on ATT network
If tomorrow I subsribe with ATT in San Jose, I drive to SCruz, I place a call: I will be on what ???

Thats the part I dont understand, if ATT bought Cellularone why do they still make a distinction Scruz/Bay Area ?
I can understand that for marketing reason that ATT and Cellularone do not compete in Scruz but for a ATT customer I cannot see anybody saying: " Sir, we are sorry but if you go to SCruz your ATT phone wont work because we dont compete with Cellularone, (but still we bought those guys)"

My question is: Will my ATT phone work in Scruz ?

As you said earlier, Cellular one sucks that s why I would prefer ATT, but again OFFICIALY they dont support Scruz...

Thanks a lot

[Jack]

For cellular one it is best to call and find out what there current promotions are.

Jack

[KevinJames]

If today I subsribe with cellularone in SCruz, I drive my car to San Jose, I place a call: I will be on ATT network
You will be on whose ever TDMA network CellularOne has roaming agreements with or is a partner with. ATT for sure.

If tomorrow I subsribe with ATT in San Jose, I drive to SCruz, I place a call: I will be on what ???
Same answer as above

"...if ATT bought Cellularone why do they still make a distinction Scruz/Bay Area ?
The distinction is that in YOUR market, CellularOne is owned by Dobson Communications. "CellularOne" is a brandname. In Texas, that brandname belonged to SBC for while. On the east coast, I think another Bell company used the CellularOne name. It gave the illusion to the buyer of national continuity. In your market, Dobson Comm. more likely than not has a very close partnership with ATT, but ATT may or may not have any partial ownership of the CellularOne brandname in your market. From what I see on the surface, ATT does NOT have any percentage of market ownership.

"...I cannot see anybody saying: " Sir, we are sorry but if you go to SCruz your ATT phone wont work because we dont compete with Cellularone..."
For marketing they do not compete. However, in proving seamless wireless service, they cooperate.

My question is: Will my ATT phone work in Scruz ?
Yes

[ILUVSOCAL]

That's the same Cellular One that provides service in Madera, Merced, and Los Banos. It's Celloneusa(by Dobson)

[KevinJames]

Info on Dobson Comm/CellularOne

[Doude]

Thanks Kevin and all for sharing that information.

[bobolito]

Wouldn't getting 2 NAMs be more expensive than getting a plan with more minutes? How will he get the 2nd NAM from AT&T if they say they won't sell him the 2nd NAM because he doesn't live in the AT&T area?
And those Cellular One plans really are obsolete!....sounds like the plans we used to have years ago with analog-only service!

[BillRadio]

The EASIEST solution is to subscribe to AT&T in San Jose, and have the account bill your work address. Then, your travels home and to other parts of the state will all be included in one account, one price plan, and at a better rate. AT&T doesn't mind billing a work address, especially since you'll actually be using there, or nearby.

-Bill Radio

[KevinJames]

Bobo and Bill:

Bobo: Regarding extra costs - Depends on the needs. I made the recommendation after viewing the plans CellularOne offers compared to ATT.
Regarding requirement: NAM2 is not under the same restriction because it is already assumed that NAM1 is in the home area.

Bill: My experience has been that the carriers here won't let you use anything but residential address, so this was news to me. I will differ to your knowledge and experience in this matter.

[bobolito]

Have you thought about Verizon Wireless?

If you don't travel outside CA, right now they are promoting a local plan with 700 minutes anytime minutes and 4000 night and weekend minutes for $40. If you do travel, the American Choice plans are great.

I don't know how Cellular One can stay in business with competition like that.

[BillRadio]

It does take a certain amount of 'finesse.' You don't sign up as Mr. Doude, at 124 Main st, San Jose. You would sign up as Mr. Doude Consulting, 123 Main St., San Jose. I fear he has checked out of the group, anyway. I agree, he should look into other carriers as well.

-Bill Radio

[Doude]

Hi Bill,

I think you lost me with your "finesse subtile", I feel you have a "je ne sais quoi" that is not clear.
I can be living in San Jose during the week, but I dont want my bills to be mailed in San Jose, because I live with someone else there (lets say a super hot and famous movie star). I dont see how ATT would refuse to send my bills to my get-away place on the Pacific coast ?

[bobolito]

Yeah Bill, you lost me too...

[BillRadio]

Doude,
In your first post, you said you "work in San Jose." That implies there is a work address. If a customer wanted to mail you a thank you note, could they send it to you at work? No? Then I will assume that you work (for a company?) based somewhere else, and you just work on Hwy 17. Paving? Taking tolls? Is there no place you can receive mail at work?

My company receives dozens of individual cellular bills here at work, and each employee has a mailbox. These bills are paid totally or partially by the company, and AT&T sees nothing unusual about sending bills to a business address. The bill either gets paid by the company, or put in the employee's mailbox. AT&T could care less, but the "address" here fulfills all legal requirements.

If you're determined, there are several things you can do. You can rent a San Jose PO box...once again acting as a business, not as an individual. The mailing address is critical. AT&T specifically mentions in their terms of service you must have a (mailing) address within their digital coverage area. They will NOT send the bill to Santa Cruz. They might accept an address at Mail Boxes Etc., who, for a fee, will forward the bill, or just hold it.

So, if a work address doesn't exist, then you need to try something else. I never give up until i have exhausted all of my options. Since I am Pre-paid on AT&T I don't know if it is possible, but on Verizon I can view and pay my bills online, and for all they know, my paper bill could be sent to a relative in San Fran, who dutifully discards the bill each month.

I could think of several other options, but it would make it easier if i knew more about your circumstances. I have several items sent to my business address because I would not be a 'qualifying professional' for some offers without it. Seems to me if you insist on the bills sent to your Santa Cruz address, you need to find a carrier local to that address. And if Cellular One is too expensive, there must be at least 5 other choices.

-Bill

[Doude]

Hey Bill,

I wish I could take tolls on H17 I would make so much money, this road is so damned crowded... :-(

Yes I work for a company here in San Jose, my address would be:

Mr Doude
My_Great_Company
150 Super_nice_street
San Jose CA 9500

If you tell me ATT would accept this (again I cant believe you cannot have your bills mailed to wherever you want...as long as you pay them !!!) then I think I am all set, and I can order services tomorow...

[bobolito]

I like your philosophy Bill...Doude can also get the phone under the company's name instead of his. He would just be paying the bill.

[Jack]

check out cell ones current promotions. I know that there is a cell one in my state and they seem to have good promotions

Jack

[bobolito]

I checked Cellular One website for Santa Cruz, CA and nobody in their right mind would choose plans like those. Unless they have competitive promos/offers hidden and not posted in their website.

[Airb330]

Why do all of this work just to get a particular carrier, ATT isn't that great! When I was in the bay area, we drove down to Santa Cruz, my Verizon phone had 3-4 bars digital there, and it sounded cyrstal clear. Heck we went down on the scenic 1 along the coast, I had good service there, it was analog(2-4 bars), but it sounded really good, and heck that analog was better than nothing!

[ComicalMoodyDan]

It depends on where you live AirB. Northern California is known to be a strong market for AT&T Wireless. They have high ratings in that area on Epinions.com and won some JD Powers awards for that area also. I have a friend in the Sacramento area that has AT&T and coverage wise he is happy with his service.

[Kenny]

At the Hilton in Knoxville/Alcoa (TN) my AT&T had better in-building coverage over Verizon. Although with Verizon I didn't have any service problem but I had 1 bar of service versus 4/5 with AT&T. But then again, my AT&T service was served by Suncom which I guess has a strong market and focus in that region.

[ComicalMoodyDan]

SunCom has great coverage in East TN [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[Airb330]

Ok, I realize ATT may be the ebst carrier in the region, but it isn't worth all that trouble just for an extra bar of service or two. Cell One there is a rip-off, I'd go with anyone else before those crappy plans. All I am saying is that One should shop around first, there might be a good solution out there that doesn't involve all that hassle.

SDFG

CellularONE the portion of Dobson Communications has now sold our 4 country region (santa cruz, san benito, merced, madera) in CA to AT&T. This will not affect our current customers availability of service, or change anything in the future besides who they pay their bill to. AT&T plans on sticking with TDMA service with our towers we currently carry in the 4 county region. UCSC will still remain a troublesome property as well as "the fishhook area". There will be a press release sent out in the next few days in reguards to this switch. The switch has been made since AT&T owns the rest of the area around California, and they put a strong strong interest in our protion of CellularONE. The change will be made slowly but surely within the next few months. The process should be fully completed by the begining of february of 2003. Look forward to the press release on the INET rather soon!

[christof]

So does this bring the end of "clear across america" plans...

unlimited nights and weekends 7pm-6am
unlimited mobile to mobile
double the anytime minutes (on local plans)

!???