AT&T/Cingular Customers Call Free to AT&T Landline Customers

On Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:49:27 -0700, Todd Allcock
<[email protected]> wrote in <[email protected]>:

>At 27 Jan 2007 23:10:19 +0000 John Navas wrote:
>
>> >Apparently the complex functions of three different companies spit out
>> >exactly the same results.
>>
>> Exactly?
>
>Yes- I mentioned the "three largest carriers" and then also by name-
>Verizon, Cingular and Sprint.

Sorry, but I fail to see the significance of that. Lots of things can
be "proven" if you artificially constrain the alternatives.

>> T-Mobile offers 600 minutes for that price.
>
>True. Although, in fairness, they are not one of the three largest
>carriers, nor are they named either "Verizon," "Cingular" or "Sprint."

Nonetheless a major player.

>If we were discussing that McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's were all
>selling Happy Meals for the same price, I doubt the lower price of meals
>at Carl's Jr. would have much of an effect on their marketing plans!

I respectfully disagree. Competition is competition.

>T-Mo is essentially in a different category due to lesser nationwide
>coverage, and half the customers of the big three (making it harder to
>pitch "free in-network calling" as a perk.)

Again, I respectfully disagree. To most cellular users, T-Mobile is in
the same category.

>> MetroPCS is unlimited for that price.
>
>Correct. See definition of "three largest carriers" and even a list of
>their names repeated above. (Boy, we've moved from Carl's Jr. to "Joe's
>Hamburger Stand" now!)

Hardly -- MetroPCS is doing quite well in the markets it serves.

>> Prepaid plans are all over the place.
>
>> It's not so simple even when features and packages are ignored.
>
>Agreed. What this says to me, mostly, is that T-Mobile still, despite
>the best efforts of Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Jamie Lee Curtis before
>her, has not yet established themselves as a major player in people's
>minds, since they compete by "giving away" their service as compared to
>the major nationwide carriers.

I think the reasons are much more the relative amount of investment and
longevity.

>Personally I'm content for it to stay
>that way. If T-Mo had the market share and network of the big boys,
>they'd charge what the big boys charge as well.

Maybe. Maybe not.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

---

› See More: AT&T/Cingular Customers Call Free to AT&T Landline Customers

On Sat, 27 Jan 2007 20:37:13 UTC, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> They don't even offer the 450 minutes anymore--but I got 450 minutes
> with Rollover on a company discount.
>
>

Their web page still shows it offered.

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 01:05:31 GMT, "Kevin K" <[email protected]> wrote in
<KIRoJuEXw9g9-pn2-FmRQ2881Mu1D@localhost>:

>On Sat, 27 Jan 2007 20:37:13 UTC, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> They don't even offer the 450 minutes anymore--but I got 450 minutes
>> with Rollover on a company discount.
>
>Their web page still shows it offered.

Amazing how many people rant without actually checking.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

John Navas wrote:

> Lots of things can
> be "proven" if you artificially constrain the alternatives.

Including one's self as a credible citation when no other credible evidence
can be found.

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 07:25:25 GMT, decaturtxcowboy
<[email protected]> wrote in
<[email protected]>:

>John Navas wrote:
>
>> Lots of things can
>> be "proven" if you artificially constrain the alternatives.
>
>Including one's self as a credible citation when no other credible evidence
>can be found.

Or how to make yourself look childish and nasty.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

"decaturtxcowboy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> John Navas wrote:
>
>> Lots of things can
>> be "proven" if you artificially constrain the alternatives.
>
> Including one's self as a credible citation when no other credible
> evidence can be found.

That was definitely the funniest post I've seen from Navas in 2006.

His reply to Todd's "three largest carriers" post is the current leader for
2007. Don't like someone's argument? Change it!

I have to wonder if he's actually serious, or if this is some sort of "dry"
humor.


--
Mike

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 01:58:29 UTC, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>,
> John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > >> They don't even offer the 450 minutes anymore--but I got 450 minutes
> > >> with Rollover on a company discount.
> > >
> > >Their web page still shows it offered.
> >
> > Amazing how many people rant without actually checking.
>
> They used to offer it for family--but not anymore.
>

I didn't see that we were talking about family plans.

--

"SMS" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> My mom was telling me about her friend that was spending 13¢/minute on
> AT&T to call her son that had moved to Israel, plus a monthly fee. I
> hooked her up with TalkLoop which is less than 3¢/minute, 1/5 the cost.

Is TalkLoop the best prepaid phone service to make international calls from
Cingular phone?
Thanks a lot...

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 01:17:15 GMT, "Kevin K" <[email protected]> wrote in
<KIRoJuEXw9g9-pn2-wdywJo7XsZy3@localhost>:

>On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 01:58:29 UTC, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> > >> They don't even offer the 450 minutes anymore--but I got 450 minutes
>> > >> with Rollover on a company discount.
>> > >
>> > >Their web page still shows it offered.
>> >
>> > Amazing how many people rant without actually checking.
>>
>> They used to offer it for family--but not anymore.
>
>I didn't see that we were talking about family plans.

That was of course a scramble.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

hj wrote:
> "SMS" <[email protected]> wrote
>> My mom was telling me about her friend that was spending 13¢/minute on
>> AT&T to call her son that had moved to Israel, plus a monthly fee. I
>> hooked her up with TalkLoop which is less than 3¢/minute, 1/5 the cost.
>
> Is TalkLoop the best prepaid phone service to make international calls from
> Cingular phone?

Depends on the country. You can get really cheap calling cards for China
and Hong Kong in Chinatowns, though they often are only less expensive
when you make long calls, because there is a connection fee. The prices
are negotiable at the shops selling these, and you pay less if you can
bargain in Cantonese (San Francisco) or Mandarin (Silicon Valley).

TalkLoop and OneSuite are the ones to check out. They are less of a pain
to use than calling cards, due to their pinless operation (you can
program in several originating phone numbers that they recognize).

At 12 Feb 2007 16:57:44 -0800 SMS wrote:


> TalkLoop and OneSuite are the ones to check out. They are less of a
pain to use than calling cards, due to their pinless operation (you can
program in several originating phone numbers that they recognize).

You might also check out Voicestick. While they're actually a prepaid
VoIP provider with a free incoming number, they double as a pinless
calling card. You can setup three numbers (i.e. home, cell, work) that,
when they call your Voicestick number, instead of ringing it, get a dial
tone and let you call out using your Voicestick account balance and rates.

Todd Allcock wrote:
> At 12 Feb 2007 16:57:44 -0800 SMS wrote:
>
>
>> TalkLoop and OneSuite are the ones to check out. They are less of a
> pain to use than calling cards, due to their pinless operation (you can
> program in several originating phone numbers that they recognize).
>
> You might also check out Voicestick. While they're actually a prepaid
> VoIP provider with a free incoming number, they double as a pinless
> calling card. You can setup three numbers (i.e. home, cell, work) that,
> when they call your Voicestick number, instead of ringing it, get a dial
> tone and let you call out using your Voicestick account balance and rates.

Good point. I also use Voicestick's incoming call and forwarding service
for my consulting business. I dropped the second landline, and now all
calls are forwarded to my cell phone, and the caller ID lets me know
that it's a business call. If I'm out of the country, I can forward it
to a number there, as I'll usually be using a prepaid cell phone.

For a while, you could combine unlimited Voicestick ($20) with the $30
Sprint calling plan, plus a $5 Sprint option for unlimited incoming and
outgoing calls to and from your "home" number, and essentially have
unlimited wireless calling for $55 + fees and taxes. You'd use your
Voicestick number as your "home" number (as far as Sprint was
concerned), and give out the Voicestick number as your cellular number,
and have all calls forwarded to your Sprint phone at no cost. For
outgoing, you'd call your Voicestick "Home" number at no cost and get a
dial tone. Alas, Sprint recently worsened their calling plans, and the
$5 option for unlimited calls to and from home also seems to have
disappeared. I guess that this would still work with T-Mobile's and
Alltel's Circle plans.

[Copied to alt.cellular.attws. Please post all alt.cellular.cingular
posts to alt.cellular.attws as well. The Cingular name is going away,
and alt.cellular.attws is the proper venue for posts regarding AT&T's
Wireless Service.]