Interesting Channel 8 story in Dallas

Saw one of those short consumer advocate clips on the 10 pm news on Channel
8 in Dallas. In it they were exploring poor coverage/service for Cingular in
the area. The reporter said they took the bull by the horns and confronted
local Cingular officials who seemed surprised that they were any problems in
the area. The problems were typical stuff: calls that rolled straight into
voice mail even though the receiving phone was on with several bars of
signal, text messages and voice mails that don't show up for hours even when
signal strength was good, poor coverage, etc.

After some churning around (not shown on camera) the Cingular official
admitted that they had not planned well for the ATT users being added to the
system and that they had now corrected the problem (yeah, right!). They
implied it only had affected the newly incorporated ATT customers.

I was left with the impression that the TV reporter was patting themselves
on the back for solving the great cell phone problem of 2005 with just few
well placed interviews and the power of the broadcast media.

I really don't know how other services fare, but I am a long time Cingular
customer and the quoted problems are the same that I often experience. Don't
believe that the TV guy really affected anything (and I don't think the
Cingular official actually did anything either)

Mike

---

› See More: Interesting Channel 8 story in Dallas

Mike Marquis wrote:
> Saw one of those short consumer advocate clips on the 10 pm news on Channel
> 8 in Dallas. In it they were exploring poor coverage/service for Cingular in
> the area. The reporter said they took the bull by the horns and confronted
> local Cingular officials who seemed surprised that they were any problems in
> the area. The problems were typical stuff: calls that rolled straight into
> voice mail even though the receiving phone was on with several bars of
> signal, text messages and voice mails that don't show up for hours even when
> signal strength was good, poor coverage, etc.
>
> After some churning around (not shown on camera) the Cingular official
> admitted that they had not planned well for the ATT users being added to the
> system and that they had now corrected the problem (yeah, right!). They
> implied it only had affected the newly incorporated ATT customers.
>
> I was left with the impression that the TV reporter was patting themselves
> on the back for solving the great cell phone problem of 2005 with just few
> well placed interviews and the power of the broadcast media.
>
> I really don't know how other services fare, but I am a long time Cingular
> customer and the quoted problems are the same that I often experience. Don't
> believe that the TV guy really affected anything (and I don't think the
> Cingular official actually did anything either)
>
> Mike
>
>


It's all a conspiracy I tell ya! A goddamn conspiracy.

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

Sorry to reply in my own thread. The Cingular guy said the problems did not
exist with GSM phones, only the older TDMA (or was is CDMA?)


"Jer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike Marquis wrote:
> > Saw one of those short consumer advocate clips on the 10 pm news on
Channel
> > 8 in Dallas. In it they were exploring poor coverage/service for
Cingular in
> > the area. The reporter said they took the bull by the horns and
confronted
> > local Cingular officials who seemed surprised that they were any
problems in
> > the area. The problems were typical stuff: calls that rolled straight
into
> > voice mail even though the receiving phone was on with several bars of
> > signal, text messages and voice mails that don't show up for hours even
when
> > signal strength was good, poor coverage, etc.
> >
> > After some churning around (not shown on camera) the Cingular official
> > admitted that they had not planned well for the ATT users being added to
the
> > system and that they had now corrected the problem (yeah, right!). They
> > implied it only had affected the newly incorporated ATT customers.
> >
> > I was left with the impression that the TV reporter was patting
themselves
> > on the back for solving the great cell phone problem of 2005 with just
few
> > well placed interviews and the power of the broadcast media.
> >
> > I really don't know how other services fare, but I am a long time
Cingular
> > customer and the quoted problems are the same that I often experience.
Don't
> > believe that the TV guy really affected anything (and I don't think the
> > Cingular official actually did anything either)
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
>
>
> It's all a conspiracy I tell ya! A goddamn conspiracy.
>
> --
> jer
> email reply - I am not a 'ten'

"Mike Marquis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Saw one of those short consumer advocate clips on the 10 pm news on
> Channel
> 8 in Dallas. In it they were exploring poor coverage/service for Cingular
> in
> the area. The reporter said they took the bull by the horns and confronted
> local Cingular officials who seemed surprised that they were any problems
> in
> the area. The problems were typical stuff: calls that rolled straight into
> voice mail even though the receiving phone was on with several bars of
> signal, text messages and voice mails that don't show up for hours even
> when
> signal strength was good, poor coverage, etc.
>

Holy crap, Cingular down in Dallas sounds just like Nextel all over the U.S.
That's been my exact experience with nextel for several years (forced to
carry nextel handsets by various employers). My experience with nextel over
several years in many states:

When I need to make a phone call, I almost always have no signal
ALL incoming calls go straight to voicemail, even in the rare areas that I
have a strong signal
The only time a nextel handset rings at all is to let me know that I have
voicemail waiting, that was left for me hours ago
Note that I've had these problems with various handsets of various brands
(it's a NETWORK problem)

Cingular has been a real life-saver for me. If I didn't have a (personal)
cellular handset on the Cingular Nation GSM network, I basically wouldn't
have gotten ANY work done at all over the past several years. I RELY on the
Cingular handset to get my -work- done, even though I was always required to
carry a nextel handset (ie doorstop) for business use.

One area I've never been in (yet?) is Texas. I've been just about
everywhere else in the U.S. and have had no problems with Cingular, before
or after the merger. -Dave

"Ted B." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Note that I've had these problems with various handsets of various brands
> (it's a NETWORK problem)
>

Which brands?

"Scott" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Ted B." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> Note that I've had these problems with various handsets of various brands
>> (it's a NETWORK problem)
>>
>
> Which brands?

Several different motorola handsets, an audiovox and one other (sanyo,
maybe?, from memory). Recently, it appears that nextel offers only motorola
brands, but my first nextel handset was not a motorola, though most of them
have been. Basically, I've had a long history (several years) of reception
problems with nextel that could not be blamed on any specific handset or the
towers in any specific area (I have travelled many states).

None of the handsets were models that I would have (personally) chosen. But
the odds of them ALL being crap are slim and none. It's a network problem.
Nextel sucks. My feelings on this are so strong that I'm going to have it
put in writing in my next job offer (that is, wording to the effect that I
will NOT be required to carry any cellular handset on the nextel network)

I know individual experiences with any particular provider will vary. But
I personally find it hard to believe that anybody could possibly have
anything positive to say about nextel, ever. -Dave

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Saw one of those short consumer advocate clips on the 10 pm news on Channel
> 8 in Dallas. In it they were exploring poor coverage/service for Cingular in
> the area. The reporter said they took the bull by the horns and confronted
> local Cingular officials who seemed surprised that they were any problems in
> the area. The problems were typical stuff: calls that rolled straight into
> voice mail even though the receiving phone was on with several bars of
> signal, text messages and voice mails that don't show up for hours even when
> signal strength was good, poor coverage, etc.
>
> After some churning around (not shown on camera) the Cingular official
> admitted that they had not planned well for the ATT users being added to the
> system and that they had now corrected the problem (yeah, right!). They
> implied it only had affected the newly incorporated ATT customers.
>
> I was left with the impression that the TV reporter was patting themselves
> on the back for solving the great cell phone problem of 2005 with just few
> well placed interviews and the power of the broadcast media.
>
> I really don't know how other services fare, but I am a long time Cingular
> customer and the quoted problems are the same that I often experience. Don't
> believe that the TV guy really affected anything (and I don't think the
> Cingular official actually did anything either)
>
> Mike
>
>
>

It is well known that Cingular has been experiencing problems in its
digestion of AT&T Wireless. This will continue for a couple more years
at least.

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Sorry to reply in my own thread. The Cingular guy said the problems did not
> exist with GSM phones, only the older TDMA (or was is CDMA?)
>
Which is bull--I've actually had more "little" problems after DFW went
GSM than I ever did with TDMA. Things like my 6340i powering off by
itself, when turning on getting the signal and then resetting and
repeating that 2 or three times before staying up, phone not ringing
although caller hears rings, lower signal bars, losing the signal in
buildings and then not picking it back up outside, etc. True the 6340i
isn't a pure GSM but I'd bet the GSM-only models are seeing the same
things.
--
Jud
Dallas TX USA

The "official" was their PR talking head, I felt like I was
just assaulted by a slick used car salesman.

1. Until the TV reporter called, we didn't know we had a
problem with certain cell numbers (all ATTWS) for the last 5
DAYS.
2. We didn't realize we would have a capacity problem
migrating the ATTWS customers.
3. We handle 60,000 cingular calls a day in DFW.
4. We think 4,000 attws calls were sent directly to vm each day.
5. In just a few hours the problem was fixed.

Two choices:
1. Incompetent network administration. (like, we didn't see
thousands of calls dumping to vm, yea)
2. Let's pull down this excess attws capacity and see if
anyone *****es.

remember who owns cingular, sbc. Resistance Is Futile.
You Will Be Assimilated!

-larry / dallas


Mike Marquis wrote:
> Saw one of those short consumer advocate clips on the 10 pm news on Channel
> 8 in Dallas. In it they were exploring poor coverage/service for Cingular in
> the area.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Thu, 25 Aug 2005
15:07:24 GMT, Repo Man <[email protected]> wrote:

>It is well known that Cingular has been experiencing problems in its
>digestion of AT&T Wireless. This will continue for a couple more years
>at least.

Network integration should be completed next year.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

In article <D12Re.11137$p%[email protected]>,
John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:

> >It is well known that Cingular has been experiencing problems in its
> >digestion of AT&T Wireless. This will continue for a couple more years
> >at least.
>
> Network integration should be completed next year.

I just wanted to put John Navas's prediction out there to be stored
forever.....

.....just in case he's wrong.....again......

Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:

>In article <D12Re.11137$p%[email protected]>,
> John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>>>It is well known that Cingular has been experiencing problems in its
>>>digestion of AT&T Wireless. This will continue for a couple more years
>>>at least.
>>>
>>>
>>Network integration should be completed next year.
>>
>>
>
>I just wanted to put John Navas's prediction out there to be stored
>forever.....
>
>....just in case he's wrong.....again......
>
>
>
Be careful what you wish for...

Notice John said "should be completed next year." Now, you could say
something like that to make a prediction along by which that time is
surmised looking at what has currently been accomplished, or that
statement could mean something that "should" happen. A child "should"
eat spinach, but that doesn't mean he will.

TH

Tropical Haven wrote:

> Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:

ahhh, make life easier, learn to use your "plonk" or
"killfile" filter. last week i checked the list, 60+
messages a day, popped in a filter, now only 10 or so msgs a
day.

a trick learned from m c frugal living ;-)

-larry / dallas

I've been an AT&T customer since 1996. I've always enjoyed great
coverage and service. Of course, Cingular bought them out, so that's
over.

About a month ago, I started having problems I've never had before on
my 8260 Nokia tdma phone. Dropped calls, all over the place -even on
LBJ freeway. Incoming calls never ringing, going straight to voice
mail. My phone no longer works at all inside my house.

I've called Cingular a couple times and they say "we're migrating
service" and "you should get a GSM phone".

Well - I don't know what "migrating" really means and I have no
confidence in what the reps say, but it really looks to me like they
are just decommissioning most of their TDMA towers in a bid to force
everyone over to GSM. Well, I could live with that, except that to get
a new GMS plan that is close to the plan I have now would cost $100
instead of the $60 I'm paying now.

I've lost all confidence in Cingular and am now looking at the other
providers.

Mike Marquis wrote:
> Saw one of those short consumer advocate clips on the 10 pm news on Channel
> 8 in Dallas. In it they were exploring poor coverage/service for Cingular in

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on 8 Sep 2005
09:46:47 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>I've been an AT&T customer since 1996. I've always enjoyed great
>coverage and service. Of course, Cingular bought them out, so that's
>over.
>
>About a month ago, I started having problems I've never had before on
>my 8260 Nokia tdma phone. Dropped calls, all over the place -even on
>LBJ freeway. Incoming calls never ringing, going straight to voice
>mail. My phone no longer works at all inside my house.
>
>I've called Cingular a couple times and they say "we're migrating
>service" and "you should get a GSM phone".
>
>Well - I don't know what "migrating" really means and I have no
>confidence in what the reps say, but it really looks to me like they
>are just decommissioning most of their TDMA towers in a bid to force
>everyone over to GSM. Well, I could live with that, except that to get
>a new GMS plan that is close to the plan I have now would cost $100
>instead of the $60 I'm paying now.
>
>I've lost all confidence in Cingular and am now looking at the other
>providers.

Before bailing out, you may want to call Cingular Customer Care, tell them
you're about to cancel, and ask to be connected to "Retention" (special
department). They may be able to give you a sufficiently better deal (e.g.,
pool of Rollover minutes to offset the lower number of minutes at your price
point) for you to stay. Ordinary Customer Care folks don't have the power to
do that.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>