AT&T GSM/GPRS LAUNCH NY/NJ

No wonder I've been seeing control channel changes and other variances in coverage recently. Where did you read that?

 

One question. If you get AT&T GSM what happens when you travel to a non-GSM area? Will the phone switch modes to work with their current TDMA system? Or is GSM a crap shoot - roaming wise - until it becomes very wide spread?

 

It depends on the phone you buy. If you have a GSM only phone like the Nokia 8390 or Ericsson t68i, it won't work in a TDMA area. you can get a Siemens s46 that will work in both.

 

Too bad. Really like that t68i!!!!!

 

Does a switch to GSM mean AT&T service will really improve in NYC?

 

LOL...I hope so!

 

The only bummer is the Siemens s46 does not work in analog. You do lose some flexability. "Digital Multi-band TDMA (800/1900) and GSM (900/1900), no analog."

 

is that why my stupid AT&T phone has such sucky receeption this week at home? It's either no service or very weak analog service at my home area (Elmhurst, Queens NYC)

I hope they are switching soon because I want a new phone. Will it support GSM phones that I buy overseas? (Does it have to be tri-band? whatever they are)

 

Did someone smack AT&T's head or their tyranny is falling apart? Finally, I see they are loosening up a little. That's a nice move to allow unlocked phones. Besides, their rate plans are much better than before. I guess they finally understood that customers need some flexibility.

 

Will this GSM/GPRS be available to CT/MA customers as well or any time soon?

 

AT&T will launch GSM/GPRS in september for CT.

 

so... uhh wat should I do now if I want Att'z serivice.... should I get one now with what phone... or should I wait till they roll out GSM and them get ATT

 

If you need the service now, get it now and then switch to GSM. GSM rollout dates are always a mystery.

 

You can always switch to the GSM phones BUT if you are over 30 days with at&T that would require buying another phone.

Voicestream offers GSM service in that area.

Jack

 

Yeah, but he could stay a year or two with TDMA and then it wouldn't be that bad to get another phone if he wants to switch. People change phones about every year anyways. Also, that will give GSM coverage a chance to get more solid.

 

If you have a GSM phone, you phone will go out, but that only applies to AT&T GSM.

Voicestream GSM on the other doesn't have this problem. Voicestream has GSM nationwide, not in every crack and crevice, but they have it in way more places that AT&T can even think of dreaming of, unless they dream 3-5 years from now. So with Voicestream, when you leave the NY/NJ area, you still have coverage, all across the U.S.
Cingular also has GSM in other places, but that's only courtesy to Voicestream, for letting Cingular ride on there back (using Voicestream's network across almost the entire nation-SERIOUSLY).

 

A non-GSM area means no GSM coverage. So the truth is if you go to a non-GSM area with ANY carrier your phone will be dead.
Although I agree that Voicestream has the most extensive GSM coverage in the US which AT&T is not even close to match, it would be a fallacy to say that with Voicestream you won't have this problem because you will be covered all across the US. Not true at all.

The best bet is to get a TDMA/GSM phone so when your phone goes outside GSM areas you'll still be covered. It is common sense to anyone that if your phone is able to pick up more than just one network you have less chances to be out of coverage. That's what's nice about GAIT phones.

 

is the at&t gsm launch going to cover new brunswick?

and i agree.......at&t plans are getting nicer all the time. i think at&t finally decided to chill out, have a beer, and make up some new plans and policies.

 

True

And I will agree that voicestream has the best GSM coverage

Jack

 

Yes, AT&T finally decided to chill out and their GSM deployment is faster than any GSM carrier. Soon they will match Voicestream's coverage.

 

No, they aren't moving that fast. AT&T's problem is that they aren't building extensive GSM coverage; They are only building in spots, and that is a huge problem, especially since they are NOT a roaming partner of Voicestream.

Don't take my word for it that AT&T's GSM is tiny in every place that they build it, just try it out yourself. There have been many threads about AT&T's GSM coverage being small, and them just calling it a finished job. AT&T's GSM launch in Cleveland was all a huge flop. Voicestream (T-Mobile) launched around the same time in Cleveland, and they have much much much more extensive GSM coverage than AT&T, and Voicestream (T-Mobile) built their Cleveland coverage from the ground up, started with nothing, and built over 300 towers. That's a huge accomplishment. Why couldn't AT&T do that? Who knows, noone will ever know. I don't think they even know.

To make a long story short, I look for AT&T's GSM launch in NY/NJ to be a huge flop too, due to lack of coverage.

 

Maybe so...the problem with these deployments (and its something a lot of people ignore) is that by looking at a coverage map, you can see that a city is covered but what about weak spots within that city? Maps will never tell you that. That's why I am not switching to GSM just yet. It needs to mature even in the already covered areas and that will take even longer because it is not necessarily the carrier's top priority.

 

That's the thing, AT&T's GSM coverage map doesn't even look good. The cities even look half-filled with coverage. I know for a fact that they only cover half of my city, as I sometimes do I manual network selection on my phone, just to see where AT&T has coverage. They are in all reality missing half of my city. They say they are finished though. I told off the people in the AT&T store about it. I only went in their to get some faceplates for my 8390, and they asked me how I liked my GSM coverage, and I said good with Voicestream. They were so mad, telling me that AT&T's GSM was better and stuff. They couldn't understand that I had the Nokia 8390 with Voicestream. When I went to pay for my faceplates, I just simply showed them my screen, and 'VStream' it showed.

HA HA HA

I can't wait to go buy some more faceplates. Maybe I can get into it with the manager next time. LOL

 

I don't believe it. I remember hearing that ATT GSM was over a year away. In fact, my sister just bought a new Nokia 3360 yesterday... I suppose that isn't too big a deal, as the TDMA network will still need to be supported for years to come and then ATT will probably give her a free GSM phone, by then perhaps a refurbished 8390, or whatever junk is cheap at the time. For her, it really doesn't matter though. GSM and TDMA are meaningless to her as long as she can talk to people and hear them talk back.

As for me, I am an out of contract VS (now t-mobile) customer. ATTs plans look great, especially the "Nights/Weekends" part, as opposed to t-mobile, but if the coverage is spotty and they aren't using VS/Cingular to roam, it'll stink. Its a shame too, they're getting all the nice phones.

Keep all of us informed of whats going on... once ATT goes GSM the cell phone world will be forever changed.

 

Nothing will change when they go GSM. They have already went GSM in some places, but the GSM coverage that they put up just sucks. And NO, they DO NOT roam on Cingular or Voicestream.

 

AT&T GSM roams on Cingular in the Carolinas.

 

Reliable rumor has it that starting tomorrow, nights/weekends will be available on T-Mobile as a 6.99/month add-on option on plans 39.99 and up nationwide.

 

That's nice. Will it be UNLIMITED n&w minutes?