Is Cingular Likely To Phase Out TDMA?

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

>
> "Kev" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > That is NOT what I was told by the Cingular rep. He stated that you
> > will have to undergo requalification, pay a new activation fee just as
> > if you are a brand new customer. The only thing different is that you
> > won't have to have your number formally ported as you would from
> > another carrier.
>
>
> I hate to say this but he's trying to scam you and it could get him fired.
> He gets paid for new activations. He doesn't get paid for migrations from
> AWS to Cingular.
>
> Cingular just fired around 50 employees in the Houston area for doing the
> exact same thing this guy is trying to do.

Any managers that winked at it get fired?

---

› See More: Is Cingular Likely To Phase Out TDMA?

Already done in some areas.

Cingular terminated TDMS in Metro Atlanta. My GAIT (no roaming charges
anywhere in USA) 6340I would get "Welcome to American Roaming at
$2/min" downtown Atlanta and other places in the metro area. Cingular
2nd level techs would deactivate my number for over an hour (with my
customer getting no voice mail) while they attempted to correct this
problem. Then I had no voice coverage in another states where Cingular
only offers AMPS service.


Other people posted GAIT still works for them, but I believe Cingular
will continue to terminate nonGSM service without notice to their
customers.

> I've got an old TDMA plan with a decent price.
>
> If Cingular ever phased out TDMA, I'd think they'd probably switch plans
> like
> mine over to GSM rather than lose them to other carriers.
>
> But is there any realistic chance of TDMA ever going away?

Look at this PDF

https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/a...13300694756609


It will give people a better look into the
plans of the people that run the system.

And it carries weight!
"The undersigned declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true
and correct"


.............quote.........................
(32.) Eventually, the addition of new GSM cell sites and retrofitting of
existing cell sites with GSM equipment will make GSM service more
universally available, and customers will replace their phones with GSM
models in order to take advantage of new features, functions, or price
plans. As this occurs, it will be possible to phase out analog and TDMA
service without significant customer disruption. Converting all of the
analog and TDMA service to GSM in a short time in a "flash cut," on the
other hand, would be unnecessarily disruptive to customers. It would also be
uneconomic, requiring a huge capital investment in replacement GSM
facilities and writeoffs of facilities before the end of their useful life.
Moreover, the upgrade of Cingular's entire analog and TDMA subscriber base
to GSM can not be accomplished in a short time. It has taken three years to
roll out GSM as an overlay network; to expand it to the point where it would
have the capacity to accommodate all analog and TDMA users would also take
years. For all these reasons, a "flash cut" of analog and TDMA customers to
GSM/GPRS/EDGE is neither currently planned nor feasible at any time in the
near future
................................................
(sub8.) A flash cut could also have a disparate impact on rural customers,
who are generally more reliant on analog and TDMA phones than urban
customers. Cingular's rural 850 Mhz systems often have more spectrum
allocated to analog and TDMA than its urban systems, where Cingular
concentrated on early GSM deployment; also, 3-watt analog vehicular and
transportable phones have greater transmitting range, which is useful in
some rural areas.
........................end quote.......................

It makes it clear that they are not "out to get analog or TDMA"
It is just another system they have to work with.
Nothing more, nothing less.

Where there is demand for it, it will hang around.
In places where there is no demand for it, it will replaced.
Simple as that.
With them owning both 800Mhz blocks in Florida,
And being able to pool analog/TDMA users,
it may extend the life of the analog system and TDMA system beyond
what it would have been with both A and B systems separated.

"Jer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >>Also Cingular does not know your payment history, AT&T does.
> >>You might have been with AT&T all these years, but you haven't
> >>proven yourself to Cingular yet.
> >
> > Cingular *owns* AT&T. They should have access to payment histories.
> >
> They do, but that was then and this is now.

So you're saying that although Cingular has my payment history their
assumption will be that I'm suddenly going to become a deadbeat because the
bill comes with a new name on it? I'm not sure what point you're making?

JohnF wrote:
> "Jer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>>>Also Cingular does not know your payment history, AT&T does.
>>>>You might have been with AT&T all these years, but you haven't
>>>>proven yourself to Cingular yet.
>>>
>>>Cingular *owns* AT&T. They should have access to payment histories.
>>>
>>
>>They do, but that was then and this is now.
>
>
> So you're saying that although Cingular has my payment history their
> assumption will be that I'm suddenly going to become a deadbeat because the
> bill comes with a new name on it? I'm not sure what point you're making?


It certainly seems plausible that Cingular would have the account
details of former ATTWS clients. I have no idea what Cingular's
strategy is on this issue, but one's payment history as a client of
another company may or may not carry weight with the new company. So,
my point is, having access to information is one thing, assuming that
information to be valid could be a different kettle of fish.


--
jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'

Jack Zwick wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>>If you wish to migrate from AT&T to Cingular, you do not have to go
>>>through a credit check, unless you decide to add an additional line.
>>>The post you were replying to was not completely accurate. You would
>>>be required to sign a new contract, and pay an $18 activation charge.
>>>You wouldn't be paying the same activation charge as a new customer.
>>>New customer's pay a $36 activation charge.
>>>
>>>Also Cingular does not know your payment history, AT&T does. You might
>>>have been with AT&T all these years, but you haven't proven yourself to
>>>Cingular yet.
>>
>>Isn't the $18 considered an "Equipment Upgrade Fee"?
>
>
> Correct, thats the name they give it.

Isn't the $18 "Equipment Upgrade Fee" for ATTWS customers the same as
Cingular orange customers who upgrade their phones?

> Where there is demand for it, it will hang around.
> In places where there is no demand for it, it will replaced.
> Simple as that.
> With them owning both 800Mhz blocks in Florida,
> And being able to pool analog/TDMA users,
> it may extend the life of the analog system and TDMA system beyond
> what it would have been with both A and B systems separated.

Cingular doesn't have control of all cellular blocks *throughout*
Florida...don't forget that Alltel has cellular B on the west side.

TH

>> With them owning both 800Mhz blocks in Florida,
>> And being able to pool analog/TDMA users,
>> it may extend the life of the analog system and TDMA system beyond
>> what it would have been with both A and B systems separated.
>
> Cingular doesn't have control of all cellular blocks *throughout*
> Florida...don't forget that Alltel has cellular B on the west side.

I know that.
In that statement, I am referring to areas where they own both.

"Tropical Haven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Jack Zwick wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>If you wish to migrate from AT&T to Cingular, you do not have to go
>>>>through a credit check, unless you decide to add an additional line. The
>>>>post you were replying to was not completely accurate. You would
>>>>be required to sign a new contract, and pay an $18 activation charge.
>>>>You wouldn't be paying the same activation charge as a new customer. New
>>>>customer's pay a $36 activation charge.
>>>>Also Cingular does not know your payment history, AT&T does. You might
>>>>have been with AT&T all these years, but you haven't proven yourself to
>>>>Cingular yet.
>>>
>>>Isn't the $18 considered an "Equipment Upgrade Fee"?
>>
>>
>> Correct, thats the name they give it.
>
> Isn't the $18 "Equipment Upgrade Fee" for ATTWS customers the same as
> Cingular orange customers who upgrade their phones?
>

Yes. Legacy Cingular customers pay an $18 upgrade fee when upgrading to a
new handset.

--
JJ

N9WOS wrote:
>>>With them owning both 800Mhz blocks in Florida,
>>>And being able to pool analog/TDMA users,
>>>it may extend the life of the analog system and TDMA system beyond
>>>what it would have been with both A and B systems separated.
>>
>>Cingular doesn't have control of all cellular blocks *throughout*
>>Florida...don't forget that Alltel has cellular B on the west side.
>
>
> I know that.
> In that statement, I am referring to areas where they own both.

Okay, that's fine. Just wanted to make sure those who didn't already
know didn't assume it was throughout the entire state.

TH

For sure there was a lot of attwireless data that cingular wanted
access to. Individual payment history data may have been xfered as
well. cingular may not have required it. They may not bother to look
at it. It may be more accurate, pertinent to check credit reports,
which att would have reported to about late paying customers.
There is no requirement that cingular accept all of attwireless customers.

"Jiu Jitsuperfly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:GSPXd.63679>
> Yes. Legacy Cingular customers pay an $18 upgrade fee when upgrading to a
> new handset.
>

What exactly is considered an upgrade? If I were an existing customer on
GSM and I bought another phone to replace the one I had, would they charge
me? Why would anybody pay that? I'd rather deny them my business and go to
a competitor. If more people did that, these fees would soon disappear.

"DoctorZ" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Already done in some areas.
>
> Cingular terminated TDMS in Metro Atlanta. My GAIT (no roaming charges
> anywhere in USA) 6340I would get "Welcome to American Roaming at
> $2/min" downtown Atlanta and other places in the metro area. Cingular
> 2nd level techs would deactivate my number for over an hour (with my
> customer getting no voice mail) while they attempted to correct this
> problem. Then I had no voice coverage in another states where Cingular
> only offers AMPS service.
>
>
> Other people posted GAIT still works for them, but I believe Cingular
> will continue to terminate nonGSM service without notice to their
> customers.
>

They are a cocky bunch of arm-twisters. I have no plans to "upgrade" with
them. When my phones give out, I's switching to Verizon. I've been a
satisfied Verizon landline customer for years. Cingular can drop dead.

"N9WOS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
>
> Where there is demand for it, it will hang around.
> In places where there is no demand for it, it will replaced.
> Simple as that.

But the question that I have is: If they turn TDMA off in my area, will they
offer me the same terms and rates as I'm paying now, under my old ATTWS
plan, or will they try to strong-arm me into a higher rate that I neither
want nor need?

"Jeremy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Jiu Jitsuperfly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:GSPXd.63679>
>> Yes. Legacy Cingular customers pay an $18 upgrade fee when upgrading to a
>> new handset.
>>
>
> What exactly is considered an upgrade? If I were an existing customer on
> GSM and I bought another phone to replace the one I had, would they charge
> me? Why would anybody pay that? I'd rather deny them my business and go
> to
> a competitor. If more people did that, these fees would soon disappear.
>
>

Yes, they charge an $18 upgrade fee whenever you recieve a subsidized
handset. So does Verizon($15), so did AWS($25).

You could go to Sprint, T-Mobile, or Nextel. But then again you wouldn't
have the coverage Cingualr provides either. Not even close.

--
JJ