I live in Nassau County, work in NYC. I have had Verizon for years and am generally happy with the quality of their network. I am not happy with the quality of their customer support and technical support. Over the last 4 months, I have had hardware problems with two phones and customer service and tech support have done absolutely nothing to help. It looks like from coverage maps, that Cingular GSM's network is the best next to Verizon. I don't want to do the switch only to find they are worse network wise. I have been thinking if I could rent a Cingular phone in my area just to see how it works may be worth my while. The rep from Cingular told me that Cingular will use AT&Ts towers if available but I don't know how true that really is. My other option right now is to buy yet another Verizon phone outright. The phones I have been using are all tri mode but I see that most phones being offered now dual band with no analog service. For most areas around here that may be fine but I wonder how much I will miss by not having analog capabilities. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Test driving a phone from Cingular is a good idea. I know that they were said to have the 2nd best network in NYC according to the WSJ. In Nassau county, I'm not so sure what reception is like. What kind of phones have you been using?
I had been using a Motorola V60i. The problem with this phone is that the receiving party inevitably at some point says they can no longer hear me. I can hear them no problem but they finally hang up. I went to Verizon tech support who found nothing wrong but after a while couldn't stand it any more and went to upgrade my phone. I was 18 months into the two year contract at the time. Verizon first told me I could upgrade, then no, then yes, then no, etc etc. Finally I bought a LG VX4400B outright. This phone has worked fine until last week when I could no longer hear anything incoming nor send anything outgoing. I could dial out, receive in, but no sound was coming in or going out. I brought the phone back to Verizon who will only look at it if it is activated (I have reactivated the v60i) and then also keep it for a few days. As this is my only phone, I don't want to do it.
From your post it seems that you are unhappy with Verizon because they will not give you a new phone for one that is faulty but out of warrantee. Other than the initial phone other carriers would act the same way with phones that are out of warrantee. You signed a two year contract and took a gamble that your phone would last that long. I did too and if it doesn't, then I am prepared to purchase one out of contract. I live on LI as well. You will not miss a tri mode. In the two years I've been with Verizon my V60i has never been in the analog mode. I think a tri mode would be necessary only if you travelled to the western states or remote rural areas. I have an all digital now. It even worked most of the way between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. (Not at the Canyon) If being able to use your Verizon phone in all the tunnels, Penn Station, and even on the train under the East River is an issue for you then stick with Verizon. If Cingular gives you the sevice you need for the areas you travel then by all means go for it but IMHO you would be leaving Verizon for the wrong reasons. Whenever I think of switching I remember my days with Sprint. This reply is by no means cheerleading for Verizon and suggesting you stay with them. I hope it gives you some things to think about. Good luck
In my two years now with Verizon, I have purchased 2 phones outright. The VX10 that I got with the contract was so bad that even though it "worked", I missed most of my calls because I never heard it ring. I understand hardware is not Verizon's fault, but not being able to repair a phone because it is not activated and then having to keep it for days leaving me without service, is unacceptable. Do you know for a fact, a Cingular GSM phone won't work in Penn Station and such?
While I do not know this as a fact I do know from following the news groups that VZW by agreement will work in Penn Station and on the trains under the river where other carriers do not. The LIRR waiting room and ticket area of Penn Station are one level below the Amtrak sections. The train platforms are below that. I don't think a cell phone would work there if it weren't by design. I have made and recieved calls there with VZW. Another thought for replacing your phone. If your phone is out of warrantee and not working you might try asking to purchase a refurbished phone at the tech counter. They are available for $50+tax. I did this with my V60i when the plastic near the hinge cracked. I have had several refurbished phones from Sprint in the past and VZW now and have found them to be as good as or better than new. Hope this helps
The phone requiring repair has to be active, because the technician will need to send and receive calls in order to test it properly. VZW will not activate phones on "dummy" lines for repair purposes. Most carriers have similar policies. When you encountered your issues with the v60, were there any similarities between each occurance? Did it happen in a particular location every time? While I get great RF in the rural area around Princeton, I know there's one spot on Province Line Road where I'll have the same problem you do. I've narrowed the culprit down to the high concentration of power lines overhead, since that's the only difference between the dead spot and the area around it (where I have no problems). There may be an environmental (ie: non-technical) reason for why your v60 is doing what it's doing. Switching gears... It's not uncommon for cities to sign exclusive contracts with certain carriers to provide mobile service in city-owned facilities like tunnels or underground train networks. (Example - assuming I'm remembering correctly - in Boston, T-Mobile has exclusivity in the underground portions of the T.) In NYC, I believe Verizon has exclusive rights to the Subway system, and possibly the MTA and Port Authority tunnels. I can't say for certain that a non-VZW phone won't work in Penn Station, since I think it's actually owned by the NYDOT, but it's likely. (In general, VZW owns NY and NJ.)
Egale, I have been with Verizon for almost 2 years and to tell you the truth I have been thinking for quite some time to drop them and go with Cingular but then I think about the great coverage that verizon has and how reliable they are. During the black out I had service throughout the entire time mean while Cingular and other carriers where out of service including. As a lot of people say if you depend a lot on coverage and reliability Verizon is the only provider that can offer that at this time. Maybe in the near future with the merge, Cingular will be able to provide the same as Verizon then I will switch in a heart beat. But until then even though I hate them I have to stay with Verizon. There are a few great tri-mode phones for Verizon: CDM8900 VX44000 I have used both of these phones and they are great currently I'm currently using a LG TM510 since I'm pissed about Verizon's delayed and over priced phones. RooK
In the 5 boroughs, I'd say Cingular is ok, but in Nassau Co. they are far from being the second best. However, I believe, the AT&T acquisition will change a lot of that.
The grass is not always greener, especially once you are out of Metro Nyc. I would suggest a better RF phone like the Nokia, Samsung A650/a670, of the newer LG 4500/4600/6000/7000.
My problem if I stay with Verizon is finding a tri mode phone. Most of those new phones are not tri mode. The A670 is all digital. The A650 is tri mode but it has no screen on the outside forcing you to open it to see who is calling. I think all the newer LGs are all digital as well. Unfortunately, Vermont & New Hampshire are two large areas on the east coast with very little digital coverage and I have been then on vacation where my phone stayed in analog all the time.
I live in Massapequa and I can tell you that Cincular sucks in my part of the Isalnd, There are too many weak areas all over the Island. I guess things will get better after the merge but right now stay away from Cincular
Thanks! I am in that area also. I think I am going to buy a phone outright for now, not sign another contract, and worry about switching later.
Where in NH did you go that was all analog and what year? I have the 4400B and I think it is a great tri-mode phone.
I had the 4400b or should I say I have one that has decided it won't let me hear any incoming sounds or send and outgoing sounds. It does dial out and receive well. I loved it up until that point. I was in southern Vermont. No digital at all. Looking at Verizon's coverage map, most of Vermont and the entire western part of NH are shown as Extended Analog areas.
Sorry to hear about the 4400b. I usually go to upstate NY by going through Concord, then out towards Keene, and then through Brattelboro and then Bennington (or the other way around?). I am very curious to see what I get for coverage. I was not overly impressed with Verizon's choice of phones when I signed up, but it seems like it depends on what type of store you go to when you sign up for service. I just wanted a color screen tri-mode phone and that is what I got.
Did you just say you couln't hear your VX10 ring. Thats strange. Mine can wake me up from another room. This is of course with one of the Normal ringers.
"While I do not know this as a fact I do know from following the news groups that VZW by agreement will work in Penn Station and on the trains under the river where other carriers do not" _________________________________________________________________ I comute to and from the city everyday and have NEVER had a signal in the tunnel under east river. Niether is anyone that i know that have VZW or any other provider.
Out of curiosity, have you updated your PRL (preferred roaming list - *228, option 2) since you purchased your a530?
Yes i did. The PRL is 50183, but it was the same thing with other PRL's. And it is not the phone either, cause i had: lg4400, 4500 and now Samsung a530(which in my opinnion has the best RF between the three). I use F train and once in the tunnel the signal stops almost immidiatly. It was same when i had AT&T(TDMA) and people that i know that have SPCS, AT&T, Cingular all told me that once you enter the tunnel signal dissapear.
The train and tunnel I was referring to is the LIRR not the F Train. No carrier will work on the underground subway trains.
Try a different phone and see what happens,or try cingular out and see if you like it and if you don't then return it within (2) weeks and cancel the service. Good Luck! PS: Sprint is much,much better than what they used to be in the past.I've noticed that a lot of very unhappy people who once had sprint and had left them due to poor service will not accept the fact that the company will be able to correct their problems and get better.To them once a problem,alway's a problem.Sprint is just as good as verizon will ever be and that's a fact,not fiction.
I am in the process of switching from ATTWS to Cingular. The reason is basically because I got the best deal on phone and contract there. Since I am mostly in Manhattan everyone pretty much has the same coverage so that wasn't much of a factor. I just wanted to say that my cousin informed me that Cingular customer service was great. Unfortunately she knew that because she was calling them every month to get mistakes on her bill fixed. She did say that everything eventually got straightened out. Both her (Harrison, Westchester and Manhattan), and other cousins in Woodmere (5 towns), Naussau County are very happy with the Cingular coverage and service. As for Penn Station, I can tell you that with ATTWS I have reception on the LIRR while the train is at the platform. In the tunnel under the city it is spotty. Under the river I get nothing. At Grand Central I have reception everywhere in the station, and on the train all the way through the tunnel.
