Switch, Nextel to Sprint, Is it worth it?

I currently have Nextel and have had for 3.5 years. For the last year, since the merger with Sprint, the service has really declined. Areas where I used to get good service I get very little or none. Dropped calls all the time, never used to happen. And the Direct Connect, its almost useless, I spent 50% of the time repeating or asking for the other person to repeat what they said. However, as long as I don't leave the city, its not to bad.

I'm still on contract till september. My bill is currently $83/mo. and so is my wifes (she has cingular). Well, I can switch to Sprint without a penalty from Nextel. I can get into a family shared plan with free phones right now, and a $50 rebate. Basically its going to cost me nothing to switch. Most of our calls are to each other and the mobile to mobile will eliminate that. So even if I go with 800 minutes and 6pm N&W start time it costs us $79/mo. Which cuts our bill in half. Here's my only hang ups. #1 in the west michigan area does anybody know how the service is. #2 neither of us have roaming with our current plans, if we switch to Sprint we will. I'm just not sure if it'll bite me in the ass or not. So my question is, should I switch? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Hmm, I don't understand why your quality of service has gone down, as the merger should not have had any impact on coverage for either provider. However, I'm not trying to discredit your complaint, and honestly I don't know much about the Michigan area. I do know someone from Ann Arbor who tells me his Sprint coverage has always been good when he goes up to visit family, and not just in Ann Arbor, he says the coverage is good in most of those little townships and things around Ann Arbor, if that's any help to you.

I have been very happy with Sprint, and as you said, I never go over my minutes thanks to the free mobile-to-mobile on family plans and the nights & weekends at 6pm. My plan also includes free roaming and free long distance, so I can use my phone anywhere and not worry about it costing extra. Nextel is good for two-way communication on job-sites, but I personally prefer the flexibility of CDMA coverage and being able to hear the person on the other end.

Nextel has no competition to roam through, so if you're outside of their coverage area, you're out of luck. But with Sprint, if you ever go outside of their coverage areas, you'll be covered by Verizon, Alltel, and other CDMA networks that have roaming agreements with Sprint. I don't want to tell you what you should do, but if you're not happy with Nextel, try Sprint.

Good luck!

If you decide you want out, take advantage of the remorse period and try out Sprint's service and coverage for yourself before committing to a contract,

Thanks guys, I did make the switch last night. I've got 14 days to evaluate it. Even if the service is only about the same, with the free mobile to mobile and the 6 pm night & weekend start time its worth it I think. With my wife and I both on the same plan it will save us $80/mo on our phone bill and save us a ton of minutes cause we'll be free. Question, what's "CDMA" ?

CDMA definition: http://www.cdg.org/technology/index.asp

it's just one of 4 cellular technologies being used in the USA right now, alongside iDEN, GSM, and the nearly obsolete TDMA technology. one company can roam on another company's towers as long as they use the same technology.

Oh, don't let me forget the analog band AMPS which is still being used, but more or less as a "backup" when digital service is unavailable.

As brad said, CDMA with Sprint means a lot more rural coverage through roaming then you corrently get with Nextel.

Sweet, well so far it seems a lot clearer when I talk on it. Still leery about it, guess I've been with nextel to long.

To OT:

It is up to you if you want to switch to Sprint. If everything is free what can it hurt? I used to be a 3rd party representative for Sprint and Nextel. Mind you used to be. Friday I quit.

But, I can tell you that Sprint is a good way to go. Nextel's service did not decline. Neither did Sprint's. It was just a merger. Both Sprint and Nextel run off of different towers. And if someone (a third party dealer) has told you that Sprint and Nextel phones will be able to communicate in August to a year......that is wrong. They might, in 2010, be able to communicate to each other then. MIGHT.

Sprint I feel does offer a good deal. The fair and flexible plan is great. For 5 dollars to 10 dollars more you do have walkie talkie access. Sprint phones can only communicate to each other and does have a 3 second delay on chirpping. They do offer company plans and if you are in the county, state, or federal government you get a 12% discount on your monthly bill.


Thanks for hearing me out. Have any questions feel free to call.


Sorry......just saw that you got Sprint. disregard everything else. I am so embarrassed!

Taslo.

Maybe Sprint/Nextel is trying to combine PTT compatability in the near future.

[/quote]Maybe Sprint/Nextel is trying to combine PTT compatability in the near future.[quote]

I heard that they were going to try to implament Q-Chat when it is ready for the publc. But, no one has to get a new phone or anything until Q-Chat is here. Or, 2010. Whichever comes first.

I heard it at a meeting when I was working for the third party representative from a sales rep from Sprint/Nextel.

I know me working for a third party representative! What was I thinking! ))

Well so far after almost a week I am liking Sprint pretty well. The service is not only a little better but the calls seem a lot clearer too. My wife likes it as well and I think we are going to stick with it.

Taslo, I gotta tell you, my Nextel service declined about 4 months after the merger and so did several other people's I know. This is particularily evident with the 2 way, It's gotten so bad that I spend 50% of my time on the 2 way repeating or asking the other person to repeat what they said cause it cuts out or the signal drops. As far as the phone side, I have had way more dropped calls than I did before the merger, happens a lot.

As for the 2 way function with Sprint, not worth the extra money in my opinion. When I first got Nextel it was the cool thing to have. But honestly, the last couple years, I have gotten tired of it. And with the unlimited mobil to mobil, there is no need for it.

The fair and flexible plans are great, my wife and I cut our phone bill in half by going to it. The extra $10/month for the 6pm night and weekend start time I think is going to be well worth it. How can you not love that. After 6 pm, every call is free.....

I am glad to hear that you like Sprint. Yeah, I love the fair and flexible plan myself! I want to upgrade my plan to 500 or 800 minutes. I have been able to survive with only 200 minutes. Most of my talking is after 6 PM and (for me) that is free too. Then, of course, weekends are free too. I agree about the other extras myself. I really have no need for them either. Good luck with Sprint!

My Nextel service went to garbage also after the merger!!!! I am in CT. it was good before then cause they just put a tower right by my house. I know somoene that works for nextel and he said too many people signed up and the towers are overloaded. now i get dropped calls, echoing, goes from full service to no service all in the same room. so i totally agree with OT. i just made the switch myself

oops forgot to finish my post.

so i just made the switch myself to sprint the other day. service is just ok in my house and i do seem to drop calls occasionally. but it is clear and no echoing so far when i do have service. i am down a hill so that doesnt help. good service if i go up the hill. i have gone to roam in my basement and it was good service. i should work out ok especailly if i can switch over to sero plan. i think the internet and stuff is going to be good. plus i got my phone at costco and they have a great return plan. basically like free insurance.

i also read on another site that a phone is coming out in October that will be compatible with both networks. i thought it was official. taslo where did you get that it wont be till 2010?

Actually, I got it from an actual Sprint representative when I used to work for a 3rd party dealer about a week ago. The sprint/Nextel representative said that it would cost too much money to have all the towers togo CDMA or visa versa. If they are expecting one to be campatible with both then I expect it will be a hard time for the ordinary customer.

I do not remember the name of the phone for Cingular that was campatible with both. But, that phone was discontinued with them because of customer compliants. It was great for a traveler. But, a person who is stationary, usually, had many dropped calls because the phone did not know which tower to bounce off of. It would get stuck because there was too many options to bounce and interupt your call to bounce somewhere else.

Maybe, it will be constructed better. But, I quit the biz. And just saying what I heard. Now, I am just sitting around learning.

Cheers all!