Question about Carriers.

Normally, the decision would depend on where you travel nationally. However, AT&T is going through a significant transition, both in technology and in ownership. The AT&T TDMA network works very well and has good national coverage, but they aren't supporting it fully. The AT&T GSM network is still too new and doesn't cover as much.

Today, verizon has the advantage. In about a year, Cingular, after having absorbed AT&T Wireless, should be just as good.

 

Sprint isn't a cellular carrier; they operate a CDMA network entirely on the PCS bands. However, if you think you will need cellular service, they do sell dual and tri-mode handsets that roam on the cellular networks. In most areas throughout California, you can pay an extra $5 per month to roam off-network at no extra charge.

I don't live in California, but visit Sacramento and the Bay Area a few times a year and have always had excellent service from Sprint. The service even works at my aunt and uncle's house, which is located in a remote part of the Sierra Nevada foothills outside Lincoln. Additionally, my roommate is in southern California frequently (generally a week per month), and has been very pleased with the Sprint service there.

I concur with BillRadio wrt ATTWS, although I disagree on the timeline. I think it'll be 2-3 years before Cingular has the network integrated to any reasonable degree. ATTWS' IT infrastructure is a train wreck, and it's definitely not improving (especially considering that the folks running it know they're losing their jobs).

 

Welcome back TProphet.

 

I am in Newport Beach and have a Verizon (samsung), a T-Mobile (nokia) and an ATT Blackberry....and there is no doubt in my mind that the best service is Verizon both in Southern California and calling the U.S. even if you roam around the country.

The problem with Verizon,that I am trying to solve; is there is no GSM and cannot use the phone internationally and their rates for calling internationally is sick as in TOO HIGH!!!

so if you just need domestic take it from someone who buys every phone and I need 7000 minutes a month for my 800 number coming to my cell phone.....VERIZON

 

If you stay in the cities GSM will probably work for you. If you plan to travel in rural areas - at least in the West but I expect everywhere in the country - go with Verizon. GSM coverage is very spotty or non-existant outside the cities or off the Interstate Highways. I have found my company-provided Cingular GSM phone works best as a paperweight and I use my personal Verizon phone to communicate.

 

A lot of people talk negatively about GSM carriers. While it may be true that they do not offer service off of the routes that they have coverage, there are few times that most people will go there. Of course I am not saying that I have always been in areas with T-Mobile service, but I have been surprised that even during cross country trips, T-Mobile has roamed off of the other local GSM carriers in the area. If you are in a city that has service, and travel to areas that have service, any of the GSM carriers will be OK for you. I would say that 99% of the time you will be good. For me, I have had a total (even with my cross country trip) of about 10 hours this year without service. Not bad!!!

 

But did you drive in places like North Carolina State Road 1003 a.k.a. Windblow Road? I drove it with my friends on the way to the beach, and the VZW phones were the only ones with signal, and even they had trouble placing a call sometimes. (Going through a weak signal area at 70mph doesn't help either.)

But my point is, if you ever plan on getting off the major highways and byways (Windblow Road splits off US-220 just south of Asheboro) and outside of the cities, you should go with either a provider that has cellular spectrum in your area, roams on someone who has cellular spectrum in your area, and, best of all, someone who can fall back to AMPS - yes, even today.

 

Yay!!!! Welcome back. :highclap:

 

Welcome Back TProphet!!!

 

Going back to BK's original question, I think it all depends on what part of CA you live. Verizon can't be beat in SoCal, from the north (Ventura), south to the border and over to Vegas. With Verizon now considering this area to be one market, I believe it is the biggest network in the USA?

 

ooo please Verizon does not have the biggest native coverage (all that coverage you see is mostly comprised of roaming parteners [but they prepay roaming mins so they included in your plan])

Verizon has VERY little coverage of their own

on verizons behalf they do have great CS

Cingular/ATT have the BIGGEST United States coverage in the United States (GSM)

 

I think they do have a pretty large nationwide network. Their network reaches more than 240 million people, just like Sprint's network is advertised at. It all depends on where you live, though. The biggest nationwide network(whoever it is) might not work well in your area; heck, what do you need the best nationwide network for if it doesn't work well in your area? In CA, NV, and UT, Verizon is definitely hard to beat, even without roaming agreements.

 

no but all that naitionwide coverage you see on the map is NOT verizons, it is there roamings partners coverage

they do not have much of their own coveage (do not own alot of towers)

if they would STOP spending so much money on roaming aggrements and more time on building their own network (buying their own towers) they would be better off.

 

I know that not all of what you see on the map is Verizon's network. The America's Choice consists of VZW's network and roaming partner's networks.

Verizon does have a lot of their own coverage in many places. In a lot of places(utah is the perfect example), they have more own coverage than any of the national competitors...Competitors like to roam on Verizon in Utah where they don't offer service.

Verizon spends more than $4 Billion per year in their network...I think that's a lot, don't you think?

I travel a lot myself, mostly in the western U.S,(UT, NV, CA) and VZW's own coverage is great even without roaming agreements.

Other areas might be different. AT&T's new no roaming plan also includes a LOT of roaming. Of course they'll have a huge network after the Cingular takeover, two big networks will join together.

 

With what licenses?

Also, if you look at the Enhanced Services Map, that's a heck of a lot of native coverage. There's other areas where everything works like it's native coverage (Alltel, US Cellular).


Sorry, but unless you use Sprint, you roam a lot when you travel, even if you can't tell. Every carrier has to depend on roaming agreements. That's the nature of the US wireless system. Verizon has lots of roaming agreements and that's to their advantage because it gives them great coverage. I don't understand why you have a problem with augmenting native coverage with the coverage of other carriers.

 

Like SQfreak said, roaming agreements make wireless better for everyone. Without them, you would need to carry multiple phones to have the service you have come to love (or hate) now!

 

Actually Verizon Wireless does have quite a bit of "their own" coverage. Although, it does not mattter. The arguement you brought up is only brought up by companies and people who support them because their coverage is worse. The only thing that will matter in the end is what coverage the customer has at no extra charge. Verizon has merged with many companies and so their towers all now belong to VZW. Yes, America's Choice Network does include the "Extended Network" coverage. Where VZW customers can roam at no extra charge to them. Like I said, the most important thing to a customer is the most coverage at no extra charge, Verizon Wireless is able to do that for its customers and since they are able to do that, they have the most coverage. It does NOT matter whos towers they are. To the customer it does not matter. So, hate to break the news to you buddy, Cingular/AT&T does not have the largest coverage area. That crown is still on the head of VZW. Granted, after the merger, Cingular/AT&T will have the largest customer base, but VZW will still have the most home coverage area provided to its customers at no extra charge. Thats what is most important to everyone, especially the customers.

 

Very well put! Thank you and welcome to Wirelessadvisor!

 

Thank you.....thank you very much :browani:

 

I agree. good explanation, & welcome to the forums...

 

I agree also...nice explanation and welcome
Where's yahoo!man???

 

I think "in his place" would describe things about now.

That's quite an excellent first(ish) post, SBacklin.

 

Thank you everyone I really like Verizon Wireless as a company. They have been really good to me so when I see that they need backing up I will be one of the first people to do that. Can you hear me now?....Good!

 

Hmm...wierd...I don't have those problems when down in So. Cal.

Welcome to the Forums, SBacklin :biggrin: