a TDMA cingular phone - what the hell?

>However, one must consider that the
>Cingular TDMA coverage is shrinking with each passing day.

Actually, they are doing EXACTLY like AT&T Wireless in that they are adding GSM
but not removing TDMA. TDMA coverage is not shrinking. Alternatly their GSM
coverage is increasing.

I wouldn't expect that either carrier (soon to be 1) will abandon TDMA for 4
years of more.

--
John S.
e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

---

› See More: a TDMA cingular phone - what the hell?

"Richie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Yes, Cingular does have a TDMA network but since they are moving to GSM,
> they no longer support TDMA phones (except for customers who already had
> them, and except for limited markets). If he had a problem activating the
> TDMA phone in his market, he's better off getting a GSM phone and selling
> the TDMA on eBay (where he initially bought it). It'll be a lot less
> trouble.

There are still a few Cingular markets that will activate new TDMA accounts
(no GSM service yet). Most will not.
TDMA quality is decreasing as the carriers clear spectrum that was used for
TDMA to use for GSM.

At this point in my area, GSM coverage is poorer than TDMA coverage.
We have EDGE, but the TDMA coverage is better than GSM, and I don't hold out
hope for it getting nay better. So TDMA has not shrunk in my area, it is
still the better coverage and better performing.

AL
"Jer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Yes, John, you're right, Cingular will still activate a TDMA phone in
> any market that has TDMA service. However, one must consider that the
> Cingular TDMA coverage is shrinking with each passing day. Frankly, I
> expect AMPS to outlive TDMA. Since wireless carriers are only required
> to provide AMPS service until the sunset date, I'm guessing Cingular
> will abandon TDMA sooner than AMPS. Expecting long-term access to a
> Cingular TDMA network may be an exercise in futility.

As you said, Cingular still supports and activates TDMA phone in SOME
markets, but not ALL. The person who posed the question, was not able to
activate the TDMA phone in his market. Chances are he will not able to
active his phone. I was simply suggesting that he gets a phone (namely GSM)
that can be activated in his market.

"John S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >Yes, Cingular does have a TDMA network but since they are moving to GSM,
> >they no longer support TDMA phones (except for customers who already had
> >them
>
> Newsgroups are great places for information gathering. Alternatly they are
also
> great places for people who know nothing about a subject to make
statements
> that they know nothing about.
>
> Cingular, in all markets where they have had and still have TDMA, sells
and
> supports and turns on new accounts on their TDMA network. Nothing has
changed
> along these lines.
>
> --
> John S.
> e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

In article <[email protected]>,
Black Curtains <[email protected]> wrote:

> so i won this off ebay, a motorola v60i (t) cause it said it was for
> use on cingular. i made a post about it a week or so ago cause the
> description said (c) which would indicate a cdma phone, but alas it is
> the (t) model... what this cant be a cingular phone you say? yeah
> cingular sai that too, but theres the keypad logo (cingular) and
> powering it on brings you a nice big cingular boot screen...so wtf?
> btw cingular told me they wont activate it for me (switch my # to it)
> even though it's their phone...but...they said it cant exist on their
> network cause they use GSM...im lost, someone tell me whats up

Call their HQ in Atlanta and get someone that knows rather than a lowly
new CSR that doesnt want to take the time to switch you back off GSM.

In article <[email protected]>,
"Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Cingular still operates a TDMA network, but is phasing it out. They are
> clearing bandwidth for more GSM service. They will not activate new accounts
> with TDMA. AT&T may still be activating TDMA accounts, if you can get your
> phone unlocked then it may work on AT&T (as well as on Tracfone).


A Google search will locate many outfits that unlock phones. Typically a
$20 charge.

In article <[email protected]>,
"Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote:


Cingular still operates a TDMA network, but is phasing it out. They are
clearing bandwidth for more GSM service. They will not activate new
accounts with TDMA.

and then:

> There are still a few Cingular markets that will activate new TDMA accounts
> (no GSM service yet). Most will not.
> TDMA quality is decreasing as the carriers clear spectrum that was used for
> TDMA to use for GSM.

==========================

I love these know it alls, that know nothing and make up answers.

In article <[email protected]>,
"Richie" <[email protected]> wrote:

> As you said, Cingular still supports and activates TDMA phone in SOME
> markets, but not ALL. The person who posed the question, was not able to
> activate the TDMA phone in his market.

Likely because he talked to a lowly new CSR that didnt want to take the
time.


>Chances are he will not able to
> active his phone. I was simply suggesting that he gets a phone (namely GSM)
> that can be activated in his market.

"Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:rmarkoff-

> I love these know it alls, that know nothing and make up answers.

Please do some research before posting.

Cingular will only activate _new_ TDMA accounts in markets where they have
not yet deployed GSM, and there are very few of these left. This is the
problem that the original poster ran into. If he had already had a Cingular
TDMA account then they would have been happy to activate his new phone on
his existing number; he did not, he was trying to get his existing phone
number from another carrier ported to a new TDMA account (at least this
sounds like what he was trying to do, he wasn't crystal clear on this
point). Perhaps, as one poster suggested, he can elevate his request up the
chain of command and persuade them to activate a new TDMA account.

Cingular and AT&T are doing what is known in the industry as "spectrum
clearing." They do not have enough spectrum to deploy both TDMA and GSM at
full capacity. Technically, TDMA coverage is still geographically complete,
but there are more and more dead spots because they are converting some cell
sites to GSM only. They do this when there are adjacent TDMA sites that are
close enough that there is no break in coverage. However, besides decreasing
capacity (which is acceptable since less and less TDMA capacity is needed),
it increases the number of dead spots. This is what AT&T is doing in the
west, resulting in worsening coverage (Cingular in the west has always been
GSM only and has no TDMA network).

Steve
http://sfbacell.com
http://socalcell.com
http://nyccell.com

In article <[email protected]>,
"Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:rmarkoff-
>
> > I love these know it alls, that know nothing and make up answers.
>
> Please do some research before posting.

Are you looking in the mirror? You did post two contradictory answers.

John S. wrote:

>>However, one must consider that the
>>Cingular TDMA coverage is shrinking with each passing day.
>
>
> Actually, they are doing EXACTLY like AT&T Wireless in that they are adding GSM
> but not removing TDMA. TDMA coverage is not shrinking. Alternatly their GSM
> coverage is increasing.

I spoke to my bud again today, and he disagrees with the above comment.
Cingular IS removing TDMA radios and replacing them with GSM radios in
all overlay market areas. Yes, Cingular's network in these areas IS
morphing from TDMA to GSM. As a consequence, network capacity is
growing, not due to increased spectrum, but due to the improved
efficiency of GSM over TDMA. If additional spectrum had been available,
the overlay plan would've been unnecessary. He also confirmed that
Cingular (like all cellular providers) is not under any statutory
requirement to continue TDMA service whatsoever. If Cingular didn't
mind pissing off about a gazillion TDMA users, they'd morph the entire
network to GSM at dawn tomorrow. So, the larger question... Is
Cingular trying to wean it's user base off TDMA and onto GSM? Count on it.

If we play our cards right, maybe Cingular will start giving away a
Caribbean island with new GSM contracts. )

>
> I wouldn't expect that either carrier (soon to be 1) will abandon TDMA for 4
> years of more.
>
> --
> John S.
> e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net


--
jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
"All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
what we know." -- Richard Wilbur

> I spoke to my bud again today, and he disagrees with the above comment.
> Cingular IS removing TDMA radios and replacing them with GSM radios in
> all overlay market areas.

AT&T is doing the same thing. These carriers have no alternative. In many
markets they have a limited amount of spectrum. They cannot simply add GSM
capacity without removing TDMA capacity, unless they have capacity to spare.
In markets where they have unused capacity, and rack space, they could
indeed simply keep all the TDMA equipment and simply add GSM.

AT&T and Cingular ARE keeping complete TDMA geographic coverage. However in
areas where there are more TDMA sites than are physically necessary to
provide complete geographic coverage, they are converting some of the sites
to GSM only. While technically the TDMA coverage remains complete, this
practice increased dead spots.

If I was to switch to AT&T or Cingular today, I'd only do it with a GAIT
phone. Even a GSM/AMPS phone would be okay, though less desirable in areas
that still have no GSM coverage, but that have good TDMA coverage.

I'm not sure what the agenda is of the person who insists that no TDMA is
being removed. It's not true, the carriers even admit what they're doing. I'
d have even accepted the explanation that the carriers are lying, in order
to persuade people to move to GSM, but the TDMA quality is worsening
noticeably, with no other logical explanation.

But they will fight like the devil not to.


"John S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >In some areas, Cingular did have TDMA at some point. But they no longer
> >support that phone now.
>
> They havenot disassembled their TDMA network. If he is in a TDMA market
and it
> is a TDMA phone, they should activate it for him.
>
> He hasn't told us where he is!
>
> --
> John S.
> e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net