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  1. #1
    cernus
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    Greetings to you all,

    I am a new member here and wanted to ask the age old question of which provider is best. Then I realized that that has probably gotten enough airtime so I will be more specific in my inquiry.

    Is there anywhere that a person can get reviews/ratings on the the quality of service provided by the cariers in your local area?

    I can go to the indiviual carrier sites and look at their pretty lame attempts at showing coverage but that does nto tell me how they stack up to the competition. I have been searching all over to see if there is this kind of reference / resource.

    So here is my delima, I live in the Chicao area and when I ask the folks I know who they use and if they like them I get different answers for them all.

    TYIA for your help.


    See More: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused




  2. #2
    aepple
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    I would guess that verizon provides the best service, especially in city areas. I was going to tell you to ask friends about their carriers but I see that didn't resolve any conclusive opinions. Next step would be to ask co-workers or strangers in conversations about theirs providers, people seem to like talking about their computers or cell phones as critics, the worse move would to be getting a cell phone and having poor connections/service.

    When you sign on the bottom line your lock in so make it count, do your homework; hopefully someone on this board is from your area



  3. #3
    cernus
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    Thanks for the feedback -- True about the LOCK in unless you want to pay a ETF.

    I have been doing just as you mentioned polling everyone I know... (friends / work/ strangers) and there is an incredible amount of loyalty in each camp.

    I know that each persons perception of a provider is based on thier primary dealing with the copmany. That each ones experience has more to do with the customer service and hardware handset they use along with their location of the towers in proximity to location. I know these factors will change your experience with the company and thus are so varried that it is difficult to gauge which is better.

    I am primarily focusing in on the big red "V" or the strange looking 'Orange Splat" as the possible direction. (not sure which inetwork s better CDMA or GSM) Given their plans are competive in price.

    What I was really looking for was if there is an online place to get the kind of information that will weed out the loyalty issues and be more factual based on industry statistics rather than consumer bias.



  4. #4
    n1ckel5
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    2 cents...

    I live NW of Chi-town. I use Cingular, and am pretty happy with the coverage (in Chicagoland).

    However, when I go into SW WI, I have a lot of coverage problems. The GSM coverage just hasn't made it into dairyland.

    If you do rural traveling, the CDMA route may be the way to go. In fact, I'm looking to leave Cingular for that very reason after the contract is up.

    In Chicago, Cingular is pretty good. And the phone availability, imo, surpasses all the CDMA carriers. Not to mention, you can bundle up the Cingular/ATT service onto one bill and save a couple bucks. So if price becomes a deciding factor, that may give you an edge.



  5. #5
    cernus
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    Thanks again for the feedback -- (thats the last time i will say that I promise.)

    Yeah Live out in the sticks (Algonquin area) and travel in to Buffalo Grove daily and withthe sprint phone I have now (VGA1000) i get such terrible performance. I would say that 50% of the time the phone does not ring and goes directy into VM and there are times (like yesterday where i did not even get a VM notify until 3.5 hours later. Grrrr.



  6. #6
    secrecyguy
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    If you want the best coverage, Verizon and Cingular provides the best coverage. But it still varies depending where you are at. Sometimes one or the other works better.

    If you want the best prices, I will say go for T-mobile.



  7. #7
    roberts1953
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    What I would do is research a plan and coverage you like and go for it. You are not immediately locked into a contract. Each provider offers a 2-4 week "buyer's remorse" period where you can try out the service. Take it everywhere where it is important for you to have coverage in that period. If it doesn't work for you then you can cancel and move on to another provider without paying the ETF as long as you are in that window. There is nothing better then first hand experience. If keeping your old number and porting it is important for you then keep the old account alive until you've tried out and decided on a carrier that works for you.



  8. #8
    spum
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    I have used Verizon in the Chicago area and had great service, but someone above also said that Cingular is good in that area. I would follow roberts1953's advice and use the trial period with both companies to see which one will work best for you. You'll have to pay for the airtime that you use, but the ETF will not yet apply.



  9. #9
    cernus
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    Cool, I appreciated the input. I went with Verizon as it was the response that got the most positive remarkes about and since that more of my family has it (yea "In-Calls"). So far, the connection is good and the places that I have had "Dead spots" with my past provider are no longer an issue. I do have other questions now though but i will post them in the appropriate area instead of here.

    A



  10. #10
    esvanr
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    Is it correct that if you have T-Mobile service, it can roam (and provide voice service) onto the Cingular network anywhere that Cingular has service?

    If that's the case, why not just go with T-Mobile (and supposedly better customer service) and roam onto Cingular's network when needed?



  11. #11
    Bourn Identity
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    Quote Originally Posted by esvanr
    Is it correct that if you have T-Mobile service, it can roam (and provide voice service) onto the Cingular network anywhere that Cingular has service?
    No, you can't roam anywhere Cingular has service. They do have roaming agreements with Cingular and other companies, but not on their entire networks.



  12. #12
    Ace587
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    Guys, dont hate me for this. Go to wirelessadvisor.com and go to the top page, it will say put your zip code on it and it will display the providers in your area, and which bands they use. Cingular uses both 1900 and 850 here in Miami. Its great for reference.
    Last edited by Ace587; 08-12-2006 at 06:06 PM.
    Philippine Commandos......Still kicking terrorist butt in the ruthless jungles of southern Philippines



  13. #13
    dude222
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    Be careful during the trial period. Make sure that whatever service(s) you try out, find out from whatever store you get your phone from, how many minutes you're alotted with the phone itself. Certain places only give you so many minutes on/with the phone, before they consider it 'used' where they can no longer sell the phone as new, should you decide to not go forward with the provider you just tried out.



  14. #14
    char777
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    Quote Originally Posted by cernus
    Thanks again for the feedback -- (thats the last time i will say that I promise.)

    Yeah Live out in the sticks (Algonquin area) and travel in to Buffalo Grove daily and withthe sprint phone I have now (VGA1000) i get such terrible performance. I would say that 50% of the time the phone does not ring and goes directy into VM and there are times (like yesterday where i did not even get a VM notify until 3.5 hours later. Grrrr.
    Yeah, the VGA1000 is a rubbish phone! My mom had it for a while and it would do that, and my sister had it for a few days and couldn't live with it!

    Go pick up a Sanyo. They rock!



  15. #15
    olivi6787
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    Re: Service Provider?? I am sooooo confused

    I would search around your city and see which service providers are available. Then see what type of plans they offer. I have Rogers and I am happy with them.



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