Coverage Improvement??

DoctorZ wrote:
>
> I am not sure what you are basing this increase coverage on. I deal
> with real life experience and Cingular confirming they have no coverage
> in those areas. They refused to provide another GAIT phone. Therefore
> GAIT no longer exists with Cingular at least in the areas I travel in.
> My 6340i would not could, not work in several states after they killed
> GAIT. I have had a V720 with Verizon American Choice plan and it worked
> in 22 states metro, rural road without fail.

If I'm not mistaken, Cingular doesn't carry GAIT phones anymore. If you
need a replacement, you'd have to find a used one. It would be like
going to a Toyota dealership and asking them to supply you with a 1988
Toyota Corolla...they don't carry them anymore, and they most likely
wouldn't have one in stock.

TH

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› See More: Coverage Improvement??

DoctorZ wrote:
> Prepaid was a good test before the merger. Consider I had Cingular/BSM
> for 12 years. My 2nd home had the entire western end of the state
> shutdown, except for some small areas hours away.
>
> Unless someone is doing their own map of TDMS, AMPS, GSM they would not
> know where service might be terminated.

I had no problem with my GAIT phone. In fact, I had service in areas
where I wasn't supposed to (on a Preferred Nation TDMA plan). GSM was
all roam-free, and I would end up getting GSM coverage in areas where I
was supposed to be charged roaming. AMPS and TDMA were no problem,
either. I just recently switched to an ATTWS plan so I could have plan
coverage in other parts of North America (with no roaming charges).

TH

Tropical Haven wrote (2/2/2005 5:58 PM):

>
>
> If I'm not mistaken, Cingular doesn't carry GAIT phones anymore. If you
> need a replacement, you'd have to find a used one. It would be like
> going to a Toyota dealership and asking them to supply you with a 1988
> Toyota Corolla...they don't carry them anymore, and they most likely
> wouldn't have one in stock.


They are still available by the thousands, literally, brand new and
unused, from a variety of dealers. Check eBay.

--
RJW

Hardpan wrote:

>>Depends which maps you're looking at. Cingular GSM DOES NOT come close
>>to Verizon's CDMA + Analog.
>
>
> You mean Verizons', scratchy, digitalized, barely audible and plenty
> of dropped calls Analog/AMPS "service", don't you?

#1. How exactly do you "digitalize" analog service? Being analog, it
isn't a single bit "digitalized" by its very nature.

#2. Cingular also offers analog service in areas where its predecessor
companies started same service. They HAVE to by law, until at least 2007.

#3. In a pinch where I'm in the sticks and all there is is analog and i
need to call for assistance, I'd rather accept that scratchy analog
service than no service on a GSM phone at all.


> GSM rules!!!

When it works.

--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.

John,
Cingular's plans for any improvements for the ex-AT&T`areas are still a ways
off. Here in Colorado, AT&T has added no new sites in the last 2 or 3
years, but they are working to convert all sites to 800 MHz GSM. But the
lack of NEW coverage is disappointing. Just in 2004, Verizon added 98 NEW
cell sites in just 2 states around me.

Of course, there is a flip side. Other carriers, like Western Wireless, are
adding new GSM coverage for Cingular users. So, while Cingular's coverage
remains the same here in town, GSM coverage is expanding elsewhere. Some of
that new coverage will begin to rival Verizon's. But for the time being,
Cingular is not expanding in their own home areas anywhere through the
Rockies.

Bill Radio
Click for Western U.S. Wireless Reviews at:
http://www.mountainwireless.com


"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> How would you Cingular customers rate the improvement of coverage since
the
> AT&T merger? From their map, Cingular says by now their GSM coverage
rivals
> Verizon's coverage. Would you agree?
>
>

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

> John,
> Cingular's plans for any improvements for the ex-AT&T`areas are still a ways
> off. Here in Colorado, AT&T has added no new sites in the last 2 or 3
> years, but they are working to convert all sites to 800 MHz GSM. But the
> lack of NEW coverage is disappointing. Just in 2004, Verizon added 98 NEW
> cell sites in just 2 states around me.
>
> Of course, there is a flip side. Other carriers, like Western Wireless, are
> adding new GSM coverage for Cingular users. So, while Cingular's coverage
> remains the same here in town, GSM coverage is expanding elsewhere. Some of
> that new coverage will begin to rival Verizon's.

And there's the answer. "Will begin", but not now.






> But for the time being,
> Cingular is not expanding in their own home areas anywhere through the
> Rockies.
>
> Bill Radio
> Click for Western U.S. Wireless Reviews at:
> http://www.mountainwireless.com
>
>
> "John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news[email protected]...
> > How would you Cingular customers rate the improvement of coverage since
> the
> > AT&T merger? From their map, Cingular says by now their GSM coverage
> rivals
> > Verizon's coverage. Would you agree?
> >
> >

Correct Cingular will not offer a replacement GAIT phone and prefers to
collect the contract termination fee.
Buying another one would not solve the problem since 3rd tech confirm
no issues with current phone and Cingular is not offering GAIT at least
in certain areas.

I am not sure what you mean by 1988. My V710 has AMPS and is late 2004
tech. It will work anywhere in the USA unlike a Cingular which will
only work in GSM areas.
Unless you carry a CDMA and GSM on AMPS will ensure your phone can work
across the nation. For example KY has very little CDMA coverage and NC
has very little GSM

>>Of course, there is a flip side. Other carriers, like Western Wireless, are
>>adding new GSM coverage for Cingular users. So, while Cingular's coverage
>>remains the same here in town, GSM coverage is expanding elsewhere. Some of
>>that new coverage will begin to rival Verizon's.
>
> And there's the answer. "Will begin", but not now.

It all depends on what areas you use your mobile. Here in Florida, I
find that GSM rivals, and is usually better than, Verizon CDMA coverage
(even parts where Verizon will roam on Alltel Cellular B). Now, some of
the rural areas of the west are still AMPS/CDMA or AMPS only.

Hopefully, GSM and CDMA coverage will spread to the point that where one
is, the other is also.

TH

DoctorZ wrote:
> Correct Cingular will not offer a replacement GAIT phone and prefers to
> collect the contract termination fee.
> Buying another one would not solve the problem since 3rd tech confirm
> no issues with current phone and Cingular is not offering GAIT at least
> in certain areas.

> I am not sure what you mean by 1988. My V710 has AMPS and is late 2004
> tech. It will work anywhere in the USA unlike a Cingular which will
> only work in GSM areas.

I was using that to illustrate the point that Cingular may not longer
carry GAIT phones, however that doesn't mean their system won't support
them.

Also, it is up to the carrier whether or not to allow new customers
access to AMPS. Cingular, using GSM which is generally not compatible
with AMPS, has chosen to support GSM only phones. Verizon Wireless
allows its customers access to AMPS, but at the same time, when AMPS can
be shut off, they may find themselves now having HUGE coverage holes
that were not present before. I highly doubt Cingular would leave its
AMPS network in Eastern Florida up for Verizon users...

GAIT, like AMPS-only phones, are being transitioned to be an obsolete
item of the past.

> Unless you carry a CDMA and GSM on AMPS will ensure your phone can work
> across the nation. For example KY has very little CDMA coverage and NC
> has very little GSM

It depends on where *you* use it. I don't care if Verizon Wireless has
nationwide coverage if I can't use the phone for 20 miles around my
house/work. I don't care that Cingular doesn't have the greatest GSM
coverage in North Dakota. I care that GSM service is great where I use
my phone most, which is basically from Florida to Minnesota, with the
bulk of my minutes in my home state of Florida.

Likewise, you probably don't care how great GSM service in Europe
is...but it's important to choose a phone that suits *you*.

What is to stop Cingular from killing GAIT in FL, as they have in at
least NC?

I am not talking about roaming, but zero service and no way for
Cingular 3rd level tech to fix it without traveling to a GSM area.

> What is to stop Cingular from killing GAIT in FL, as they have in at
> least NC?

I highly doubt Cingular is going to shut of AMPS until at least 2007.
With the amount of TDMA customers it still has (now increased from AT&T
Wireless) I doubt it would cut off TDMA as that would force all TDMA
customers to use AMPS, and Cingular would then have to deal with
expanding an overloaded AMPS system.

> I am not talking about roaming, but zero service and no way for
> Cingular 3rd level tech to fix it without traveling to a GSM area.

Actually, in my experience, you only needed to be in a Cingular area
with TDMA or GSM coverage.

In some areas, Cingular has removed its own TDMA coverage. This is
because it did not have sufficient spectrum to run both TDMA and GSM
networks. An example is Western Florida. It's kind of like trying to
drive a gasoline car and a diesel car on a one lane road. Even though
you would like to run both side by side, there isn't enough road (or
spectrum in Cingular's case) to make that possible. Cingular made it
clear that it was going to be switching technologies in that area and
you would be REQUIRED to trade in your phone (for a comparable GSM
phone, free of charge). When I moved into my new house (which was 2
miles down, but across a county line), Cingular let me know that in
order to keep my Preferred Nation TDMA plan, I would not be allowed to
transfer my phone number because when the switch date came (I think it
was 25 June 2004), I would be required to start using a GSM phone.

"DoctorZ" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What is to stop Cingular from killing GAIT in FL, as they have in at
> least NC?
>
> I am not talking about roaming, but zero service and no way for
> Cingular 3rd level tech to fix it without traveling to a GSM area.
>

Your story sounds more and more like a rant. If you had either of the GAIT
phones and a Cingular National plan you would have service on AMPS, TDMA, or
GSM virtually anywhere.

When amps service can be shut off, verizon's network, which has almost
all been overlaid with digital. will have very little more in holes or
lack of coverage than it has now.

Jerome Zelinske wrote:
> When amps service can be shut off, verizon's network, which has
> almost all been overlaid with digital. will have very little more in
> holes or lack of coverage than it has now.

Verizon's *own* network, however, some of its roaming partners are
migrating to GSM instead of CDMA. Imagine all the analog areas (and a
good portion of roaming areas) then becoming "No Service" areas.

Likewise, Cingular has overlaid its network with GSM, so when AMPS is
shut off, the *Cingular* network will not lose coverage. However, some
of Cingular's roaming partners may be migrating to CDMA instead of GSM,
or they may still be using TDMA as it may be too expensive for them to
migrate to GSM.

That is why you buy service from a company that has service where you
will be using it, not from a company that will be roaming where you will
be using it. For me verizon does not cover everywhere I want to use it,
but Sprint PCS does. To be honest in the one place, Sprint PCS does not
claim to have service there, will not sign up new customers there, but I
have been able to make a call there. However while I can reach a
distant Sprint PCS tower from there, there are no verizon towers within
that range.