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  1. #1
    Dave Schreiber
    Guest
    I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Mountain View, specifically), and am
    currently a Verizon subscriber. My contract just ended, and I'm trying to
    decide if I want to stick with Verizon, or move to Cingular. I really
    like Cingular's choice of phones, and I despise the way Verizon cripples
    Bluetooth, but in the end, the most important thing for me is coverage.
    And in the Bay Area, Verizon has had better coverage than Cingular for
    years.

    But, when AT&T and Cingular merged, there was talk about Cingular moving
    all their customers to 850MHz GSM from 1900MHz which would, in theory,
    greatly improve coverage. What'd I like to know is: has this migration
    happened in the Bay Area? If not, is Cingular planning on doing this
    switch in the near future?

    I'd also appreciate hearing any general comments on how Cingular's
    coverage has improved (if at all) in the Bay Area since the merged was
    completed.

    Thanks very much.

    --
    Dave Schreiber
    [email protected]
    [email protected]



    See More: Cingular using 850MHz GSM in SF Bay Area?




  2. #2
    Jerome Zelinske
    Guest

    Re: Cingular using 850MHz GSM in SF Bay Area?

    Changing frequency would not necessarily mean an increase in coverage.
    Being able to utilize both sets of antenna sites might help fill in
    "holes" and might add large areas, so in that way coverage could
    increase. Where they have licenses for both frequencies, they are
    probably adding 800 MHz equipment to all their 1900 MHz antenna sites,
    and 1900 MHz equipment to all their 800 MHz sites, there by maximizing
    both coverage and capacity.


    Dave Schreiber wrote:
    > I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Mountain View, specifically), and am
    > currently a Verizon subscriber. My contract just ended, and I'm trying to
    > decide if I want to stick with Verizon, or move to Cingular. I really
    > like Cingular's choice of phones, and I despise the way Verizon cripples
    > Bluetooth, but in the end, the most important thing for me is coverage.
    > And in the Bay Area, Verizon has had better coverage than Cingular for
    > years.
    >
    > But, when AT&T and Cingular merged, there was talk about Cingular moving
    > all their customers to 850MHz GSM from 1900MHz which would, in theory,
    > greatly improve coverage. What'd I like to know is: has this migration
    > happened in the Bay Area? If not, is Cingular planning on doing this
    > switch in the near future?
    >
    > I'd also appreciate hearing any general comments on how Cingular's
    > coverage has improved (if at all) in the Bay Area since the merged was
    > completed.
    >
    > Thanks very much.
    >




  3. #3
    Miles
    Guest

    Re: Cingular using 850MHz GSM in SF Bay Area?

    Dave Schreiber wrote:
    > I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Mountain View, specifically), and am
    > currently a Verizon subscriber. My contract just ended, and I'm trying to
    > decide if I want to stick with Verizon, or move to Cingular. I really
    > like Cingular's choice of phones, and I despise the way Verizon cripples
    > Bluetooth, but in the end, the most important thing for me is coverage.
    > And in the Bay Area, Verizon has had better coverage than Cingular for
    > years.
    >
    > But, when AT&T and Cingular merged, there was talk about Cingular moving
    > all their customers to 850MHz GSM from 1900MHz which would, in theory,
    > greatly improve coverage. What'd I like to know is: has this migration
    > happened in the Bay Area? If not, is Cingular planning on doing this
    > switch in the near future?
    >
    > I'd also appreciate hearing any general comments on how Cingular's
    > coverage has improved (if at all) in the Bay Area since the merged was
    > completed.
    >
    > Thanks very much.
    >


    Not certain what they are doing, but whatever it is it is working great!
    A few days ago I asked in the Cingular store in San Rafael as to their
    frequencies and speaking with two reps they didn't know! I do know that
    it works fine in San Rafael, Fairfax, Woodacre, Lagunitas, Olema, Point
    Reyes Station, Inverness and believe it or not even Camp Taylor. I'm
    using a Nokia 6250 900/1800/1900, and I tried the same route with a moto
    850 plus I don't recall, but it was not a quad band. Prior to acquiring
    AT&T Cingular did not work at all west of San Anselmo. Obviously they
    have now upgraded AT&T's towers, at least in this area. Best you ask a
    few Cingular customers -- friends or just walk into a few stores and ask
    the customers.

    Incidentally, it works fine with BT, but that is Nokia -- voice dialing
    via BT is a great advent for me. A few people have told me that during
    peak hours they cannot make connection -- Cingular is becoming too
    popular for their current abilities. One lady told me that in talking
    with Cingular in San Francisco that if someone is closer to the tower
    than you, you can me thrown off, and they get on!

    Miles



  4. #4

    Re: Cingular using 850MHz GSM in SF Bay Area?

    On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 06:38:32 GMT, Miles
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >Dave Schreiber wrote:
    >> I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Mountain View, specifically), and am
    >> currently a Verizon subscriber. My contract just ended, and I'm trying to
    >> decide if I want to stick with Verizon, or move to Cingular. I really
    >> like Cingular's choice of phones, and I despise the way Verizon cripples
    >> Bluetooth, but in the end, the most important thing for me is coverage.
    >> And in the Bay Area, Verizon has had better coverage than Cingular for
    >> years.
    >>
    >> But, when AT&T and Cingular merged, there was talk about Cingular moving
    >> all their customers to 850MHz GSM from 1900MHz which would, in theory,
    >> greatly improve coverage. What'd I like to know is: has this migration
    >> happened in the Bay Area? If not, is Cingular planning on doing this
    >> switch in the near future?
    >>
    >> I'd also appreciate hearing any general comments on how Cingular's
    >> coverage has improved (if at all) in the Bay Area since the merged was
    >> completed.
    >>
    >> Thanks very much.
    >>

    >
    >Not certain what they are doing, but whatever it is it is working great!
    >A few days ago I asked in the Cingular store in San Rafael as to their
    >frequencies and speaking with two reps they didn't know! I do know that
    >it works fine in San Rafael, Fairfax, Woodacre, Lagunitas, Olema, Point
    >Reyes Station, Inverness and believe it or not even Camp Taylor. I'm
    >using a Nokia 6250 900/1800/1900, and I tried the same route with a moto
    >850 plus I don't recall, but it was not a quad band. Prior to acquiring
    >AT&T Cingular did not work at all west of San Anselmo. Obviously they
    >have now upgraded AT&T's towers, at least in this area. Best you ask a
    >few Cingular customers -- friends or just walk into a few stores and ask
    >the customers.
    >
    >Incidentally, it works fine with BT, but that is Nokia -- voice dialing
    >via BT is a great advent for me. A few people have told me that during
    >peak hours they cannot make connection -- Cingular is becoming too
    >popular for their current abilities. One lady told me that in talking
    >with Cingular in San Francisco that if someone is closer to the tower
    >than you, you can me thrown off, and they get on!
    >
    >Miles


    I don't think so. It's pretty much whoever is using the channel first
    keeps it with GSM. Your call could drop if your call tries to move to
    a tower that is busy but the only way you can get bumped is with that
    newly implemented law enforcement priority I believe.

    It may work differently with CDMA.



  5. #5
    Tropical Haven
    Guest

    Re: Cingular using 850MHz GSM in SF Bay Area?

    > >Incidentally, it works fine with BT, but that is Nokia -- voice dialing
    > >via BT is a great advent for me. A few people have told me that during
    > >peak hours they cannot make connection -- Cingular is becoming too
    > >popular for their current abilities. One lady told me that in talking
    > >with Cingular in San Francisco that if someone is closer to the tower
    > >than you, you can me thrown off, and they get on!
    > >
    > >Miles

    >
    > I don't think so. It's pretty much whoever is using the channel first
    > keeps it with GSM. Your call could drop if your call tries to move to
    > a tower that is busy but the only way you can get bumped is with that
    > newly implemented law enforcement priority I believe.
    >
    > It may work differently with CDMA.


    I think I have heard that CDMA suffers from the "shrinking cell effect", which
    means when a tower reaches capacity, the people closest to the tower are the ones
    the system keeps on. It would explain while I was in Chicago 2 years ago why the
    Verizon phone I used would sometimes have "full" signal in one place, and minutes
    later have no signal at all (Verizon was terrible overloaded when I was there.)

    TH




  6. #6

    Re: Cingular using 850MHz GSM in SF Bay Area?

    On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 12:07:38 -0400, Tropical Haven <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    >> >Incidentally, it works fine with BT, but that is Nokia -- voice dialing
    >> >via BT is a great advent for me. A few people have told me that during
    >> >peak hours they cannot make connection -- Cingular is becoming too
    >> >popular for their current abilities. One lady told me that in talking
    >> >with Cingular in San Francisco that if someone is closer to the tower
    >> >than you, you can me thrown off, and they get on!
    >> >
    >> >Miles

    >>
    >> I don't think so. It's pretty much whoever is using the channel first
    >> keeps it with GSM. Your call could drop if your call tries to move to
    >> a tower that is busy but the only way you can get bumped is with that
    >> newly implemented law enforcement priority I believe.
    >>
    >> It may work differently with CDMA.

    >
    >I think I have heard that CDMA suffers from the "shrinking cell effect", which
    >means when a tower reaches capacity, the people closest to the tower are the ones
    >the system keeps on. It would explain while I was in Chicago 2 years ago why the
    >Verizon phone I used would sometimes have "full" signal in one place, and minutes
    >later have no signal at all (Verizon was terrible overloaded when I was there.)
    >
    >TH


    That's it. And I think weaker users will actually get dropped.




  7. #7
    Tropical Haven
    Guest

    Re: Cingular using 850MHz GSM in SF Bay Area?



    [email protected] wrote:

    > On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 12:07:38 -0400, Tropical Haven <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    >
    > >> >Incidentally, it works fine with BT, but that is Nokia -- voice dialing
    > >> >via BT is a great advent for me. A few people have told me that during
    > >> >peak hours they cannot make connection -- Cingular is becoming too
    > >> >popular for their current abilities. One lady told me that in talking
    > >> >with Cingular in San Francisco that if someone is closer to the tower
    > >> >than you, you can me thrown off, and they get on!
    > >> >
    > >> >Miles
    > >>
    > >> I don't think so. It's pretty much whoever is using the channel first
    > >> keeps it with GSM. Your call could drop if your call tries to move to
    > >> a tower that is busy but the only way you can get bumped is with that
    > >> newly implemented law enforcement priority I believe.
    > >>
    > >> It may work differently with CDMA.

    > >
    > >I think I have heard that CDMA suffers from the "shrinking cell effect", which
    > >means when a tower reaches capacity, the people closest to the tower are the ones
    > >the system keeps on. It would explain while I was in Chicago 2 years ago why the
    > >Verizon phone I used would sometimes have "full" signal in one place, and minutes
    > >later have no signal at all (Verizon was terrible overloaded when I was there.)
    > >
    > >TH

    >
    > That's it. And I think weaker users will actually get dropped.


    Not to mention the normal voice quality with CDMA...I don't think I will ever go back.

    TH




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