I've been with AT&T/Cingular/The New AT&T for over 6 years. Lately the coverage has been going downhill and customer service refuses to admit they have a problem. Keep blaming it on my phone. Odd since my wife and I have different phones made by different manufacturers yet we are both having the same problems.
Anyway I am thinking of moving to Verizon and was wondering if anyone here used them and how their service was here?
Their service is VERY, VERY new.
Verizon does not share other towers, they use only their own. You can probably imagine what all that means. They have Tulsa metro covered very well but their data rates are pretty slow.
At this point verizon is not really competing in Tulsa, they are merely in the process of getting here.
Sprint has done a lot of work on their local network. You might try them.
In their defense (sorta) phones can be an issue. close to 75% of the phones made should never be made. The razr is a prime example. sleek case, but the internals were over a year out of date before they hit the shelves, not to mention the internal antenna is shoddy. So phone CAN be as much of an issue as the service is.
Research your phone model as much as you do your service. Try phonescoop.com
If you want to try a phone, you can by a cingular "pay as you go" gophone from here (//%22http://www.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/get-started/index.jsp?q_returnUrl=/cell-phone-service/cell-phones/prepaid-phones.jsp%22)
and simply put your existing sim card in it. Cheap way to replace your phone without signing any contracts.
My girlfriends brother just got Verizon and seems to like it. Verizon new here though, so they are probably still working out the kinks in their network. I suggest T-mobile!
We use T-mobile. No complaints.
Just last week, my Motorola PEBL quit working and after troubleshooting with customer service they determined that a replacement would be needed. They said I could get another PEBL, or a RAZR if I'd like to change to a different model. They offered me a magenta or black regular RAZR, OR I could get the fancy-schmancy Dolce & Gabbana RAZR. I went for the D&G and it sure is purrrrty.
My free PEBL exchanged for a $300+ RAZR. Shipped for free no less.
And I've never had any trouble with service in the area. No dropped calls, good signal everywhere I go. Good website, easy to pay the bill online. Highly recommended.
I had t-mobile when it was voicestream and customer service was horrible. Haven't tried since then.
I use Cingular and while they have been suffering a bit lately due to increased demand... I havent had any real problems.
Verizon is well established in other markets and my family up north uses them with no complaints. When we looked into their services their coverage was not adequate in this area nor areas I travel.
That said. The inside scope is that Verizon is pumping TONS of money into new towers and services for this market. So it might be a good bet for the future. Also, their prices may be lower to get a foothold in the market.
We are moving from up north to T-town this summer and current Sprint customers.
Like them up here, and would like to keep them in Tulsa.
Saw one comment about it, but anybody else have experience with Sprint?
Thanks.
I had Verizon in California after Cingular, T-Mobile, and Nextel. Verizon was the best, hands down. Moved here, no Verizon. So we went back to T-Mobile. Had the service about a month and was noticing I couldn't get a strong signal at my house. I looked at their coverage map and they showed this tiny little hole in their coverage. Yep, that was me. My neighborhood is so dense with trees that I had a significant loss in signal. The bastards wouldn't do anything about it in the way of canceling my contract. They said it was up to me to install an antenna at my house if I wanted better service there. Switched to Cingular last year. Not much better. I was excited to learn about Verizon coming here, but I don't want to pay $400 right now to get out of my existing contract for 2 lines.
I have both Verizon and Cingular. When I went home to Tulsa four months ago, my coverage was better with Verizon. Customer service is better as well. It was rated at the top in a recent poll, with T-Mobile following at a close second. And the idea that Verizon doesn't share towers seems odd to me. Verizon (according to the FCC and JD Power & Associates) has the largest coverage map in the lower 48 states. Sure, some states have better coverage with Cingular, but far more do with Verizon. The only issue you may run into is the network. Unless you have a lot of family members or friends who already have Verizon, you will be using up a lot of your anytime minutes. Still, I would go for Verizon, if you were sure you wouldn't go over your minutes.
quote:
Originally posted by Johnboy976
I have both Verizon and Cingular. When I went home to Tulsa four months ago, my coverage was better with Verizon. Customer service is better as well. It was rated at the top in a recent poll, with T-Mobile following at a close second. And the idea that Verizon doesn't share towers seems odd to me. Verizon (according to the FCC and JD Power & Associates) has the largest coverage map in the lower 48 states. Sure, some states have better coverage with Cingular, but far more do with Verizon. The only issue you may run into is the network. Unless you have a lot of family members or friends who already have Verizon, you will be using up a lot of your anytime minutes. Still, I would go for Verizon, if you were sure you wouldn't go over your minutes.
I know for a fact dozens of verizon customers have come to town and found their blackberries to be completely useless up until this year. Sprint and cingular are both offering broadband data speeds in the Tulsa market and verizon's new towers are merely "adequate."
Verizon currently only serves tulsa metro and lawton. When I try to buy a plan, it gives me a coverage map of texas. According to their site, they do offer voice-only on other carrier's towers.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
Their service is VERY, VERY new.
Verizon does not share other towers, they use only their own. You can probably imagine what all that means. They have Tulsa metro covered very well but their data rates are pretty slow.
At this point verizon is not really competing in Tulsa, they are merely in the process of getting here.
Sprint has done a lot of work on their local network. You might try them.
In their defense (sorta) phones can be an issue. close to 75% of the phones made should never be made. The razr is a prime example. sleek case, but the internals were over a year out of date before they hit the shelves, not to mention the internal antenna is shoddy. So phone CAN be as much of an issue as the service is.
Research your phone model as much as you do your service. Try phonescoop.com
If you want to try a phone, you can by a cingular "pay as you go" gophone from here (//%22http://www.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/get-started/index.jsp?q_returnUrl=/cell-phone-service/cell-phones/prepaid-phones.jsp%22)
and simply put your existing sim card in it. Cheap way to replace your phone without signing any contracts.
Where do you get your information from? Verizon utilizes the new, Rev A EVDO technology that Sprint uses so to say Sprint is faster is ridiculous. Every site in Tulsa has Rev A EVDO. How can Verizon be in the process of getting to Tulsa when they are already here? Sites are going up each and every month and they are building out quite vigorously.
Take a look at a Sprint or US Cellular cellsite and then take a look at a Verizon cellsite. One of the main differences is the fact that almost every Verizon cellsite has a generator on site that holds enough fuel to run a cellsite without power for long periods of time. Carriers like US Cellular and Cingular have to haul around portable generators every time there is an outage that lasts for more than 4-5 hours. It isn't just a marketing tool to state that they are the most reliable network. They are investing an appreciable amount of money into it each year to maintain and improve on their quality.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by Johnboy976
I have both Verizon and Cingular. When I went home to Tulsa four months ago, my coverage was better with Verizon. Customer service is better as well. It was rated at the top in a recent poll, with T-Mobile following at a close second. And the idea that Verizon doesn't share towers seems odd to me. Verizon (according to the FCC and JD Power & Associates) has the largest coverage map in the lower 48 states. Sure, some states have better coverage with Cingular, but far more do with Verizon. The only issue you may run into is the network. Unless you have a lot of family members or friends who already have Verizon, you will be using up a lot of your anytime minutes. Still, I would go for Verizon, if you were sure you wouldn't go over your minutes.
I know for a fact dozens of verizon customers have come to town and found their blackberries to be completely useless up until this year. Sprint and cingular are both offering broadband data speeds in the Tulsa market and verizon's new towers are merely "adequate."
Verizon currently only serves tulsa metro and lawton. When I try to buy a plan, it gives me a coverage map of texas. According to their site, they do offer voice-only on other carrier's towers.
That's because there wasn't a rollout of the network until then. How could their Blackberries work if there wasn't a Verizon tower on the air at that time? Verizon serves many areas like HWY 75 to Okmulgee or the Turnpike all the way up to Vinita and even at Grand Lake. Then there's Mannford-Terlton-Hallett-Bristow-Sand Springs-Sapulpa are just a few others that are not Tulsa Metro.
Here is some more info on Verizon Wireless:
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/electronics/cell-phone-plans/index.html
In my line of work it is imperative that I can be reached any time of day no matter where I am.
quote:
Originally posted by Rowdy
Where do you get your information from? Verizon utilizes the new, Rev A EVDO technology that Sprint uses so to say Sprint is faster is ridiculous. Every site in Tulsa has Rev A EVDO. How can Verizon be in the process of getting to Tulsa when they are already here? Sites are going up each and every month and they are building out quite vigorously.
Take a look at a Sprint or US Cellular cellsite and then take a look at a Verizon cellsite. One of the main differences is the fact that almost every Verizon cellsite has a generator on site that holds enough fuel to run a cellsite without power for long periods of time. Carriers like US Cellular and Cingular have to haul around portable generators every time there is an outage that lasts for more than 4-5 hours. It isn't just a marketing tool to state that they are the most reliable network. They are investing an appreciable amount of money into it each year to maintain and improve on their quality.
I get my information from side-by-side personal comparison. Yes, verizon uses evdo just like sprint, but verizon is only using evdo on their towers. My guess is they are either congested or limiting bandwidth during the buildout. I would tend to go with the later because I was consistently hitting the exact same speeds everytime.
Lots of cell sites use generators, verizon didn't invent them.
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
I am proud to say I have never owned or used a cell phone in my entire 50 year life. Prior to 1990, 250,000,000+ Americans didn't have cell phones and managed to live their lives quite nicely, thank you. In my opinion, the cell phone is the MOST obnoxious invention of the past 100 years.
Just another example of technology and corporate marketers convincing people of some new thing that they can't live without and sucking money from their purses. I can live without it. What I have never had, I surely can't miss.
Cell phones are a way in which companies can get extra work hours out of their employers for no extra pay. If not for that, I doubt they would be as popular as they are.
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
I am proud to say I have never owned or used a cell phone in my entire 50 year life. Prior to 1990, 250,000,000+ Americans didn't have cell phones and managed to live their lives quite nicely, thank you. In my opinion, the cell phone is the MOST obnoxious invention of the past 100 years.
Just another example of technology and corporate marketers convincing people of some new thing that they can't live without and sucking money from their purses. I can live without it. What I have never had, I surely can't miss.
yeah... and to hell with them flushin' toilets, refrigerators and antibiotics; give me my good ol' fashioned drop lolly, ice chest and poultices and i'll be just fine...
funny thing is my great grandmother used to say the same crap about landline phones...
luddites
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by Rowdy
Where do you get your information from? Verizon utilizes the new, Rev A EVDO technology that Sprint uses so to say Sprint is faster is ridiculous. Every site in Tulsa has Rev A EVDO. How can Verizon be in the process of getting to Tulsa when they are already here? Sites are going up each and every month and they are building out quite vigorously.
Take a look at a Sprint or US Cellular cellsite and then take a look at a Verizon cellsite. One of the main differences is the fact that almost every Verizon cellsite has a generator on site that holds enough fuel to run a cellsite without power for long periods of time. Carriers like US Cellular and Cingular have to haul around portable generators every time there is an outage that lasts for more than 4-5 hours. It isn't just a marketing tool to state that they are the most reliable network. They are investing an appreciable amount of money into it each year to maintain and improve on their quality.
I get my information from side-by-side personal comparison. Yes, verizon uses evdo just like sprint, but verizon is only using evdo on their towers. My guess is they are either congested or limiting bandwidth during the buildout. I would tend to go with the later because I was consistently hitting the exact same speeds everytime.
Lots of cell sites use generators, verizon didn't invent them.
Incorrect on the assumption of how Verizon utilizes their Rev A technology. I am sure it would be more than safe to say that the fact that Verizon utilizes generators at almost every site compared to everyone else's percentage is quite large and makes a big difference during outages. By the way, cellsite outages happen more than you know.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by Rowdy
Where do you get your information from? Verizon utilizes the new, Rev A EVDO technology that Sprint uses so to say Sprint is faster is ridiculous. Every site in Tulsa has Rev A EVDO. How can Verizon be in the process of getting to Tulsa when they are already here? Sites are going up each and every month and they are building out quite vigorously.
Take a look at a Sprint or US Cellular cellsite and then take a look at a Verizon cellsite. One of the main differences is the fact that almost every Verizon cellsite has a generator on site that holds enough fuel to run a cellsite without power for long periods of time. Carriers like US Cellular and Cingular have to haul around portable generators every time there is an outage that lasts for more than 4-5 hours. It isn't just a marketing tool to state that they are the most reliable network. They are investing an appreciable amount of money into it each year to maintain and improve on their quality.
My guess is they are either congested or limiting bandwidth during the buildout. I would tend to go with the later because I was consistently hitting the exact same speeds everytime.
Interesting assumption considering earlier you stated....
"Their service is VERY, VERY new."
"At this point verizon is not really competing in Tulsa, they are merely in the process of getting here."
If that's the case, then how could they be congested to where they have poor bandwidth? That's because what you state does not make sense. From what you state, Verizon is so new and is not competing, therefore their customer base wouldn't be affecting their bandwidth due to low to zero congestion.
I have Cingular and have been pretty happy with the coverage, it's been from here to Phoenix, Austin, OKC, etc and I get good coverage with rare black-outs. The only place locally there seems to be a "black hole" is driving south on Hwy 75 between W. 41st St. and 61st St. It's also sometimes patchy between 71st & 91st on Yale, but w/ those hills, whaddya expect?
My wife's company went to Blackberries a year or so back via T-Mobile. Her coverage has always sucked, especially at our house around 15th & Harvard. When we go on trips, we rely on my phone as the primary one. The first two "crackberries" she had were ruled defective by her IT guy at work. The third one was fine for awhile. They finally gave her an older one and the coverage is acceptible.
We've also had some seriously pathetic customer service issues with my step-daughter's phone account at T-Mobile before. I can also say that U.S. Cellular's local customer service (from prev. experience) is very lacking which always made me laugh at their commercials touting their superior cutomer service.
I have used US Cellular with a giant tall heavy phone, SW Bell with those small Erickson phones, Sprint with a Sanyo full Internet capable and Cricket NOKIA first then Motorola.
Of all the hand sets, the NOKIA was by far the most dependable and withstood abuse better than any of the others. You could buy an addtional battery and a stand to charge it while it was OUT Of the Phone. Imagine that, what a concept. Phones today seem to require being connected to the Pensacola Dam Turbine for life support and may go dead even while attached to their umbilical cord. My largest complaint is the cheap batteries going dead...
Cricket so far for my use has exceeded my needs far beyond any other portable wireless voice phone/service I have used or owned.
And the annoying "Not Charging" nag screen that pops up occasionally when it is an emergency or a most important call is occuring. Similar to Bill Gates Blue Screen thing.
One bill, consistent pricing and it works most anywhere in the US I travel. Arkansas, Tennessee, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Illinois.
Number one thing I like about Cricket is the bill is always the same no matter how many local or long distance calls I make from a Cricket calling area. And I control the travel time minutes by using my Voice Mail.
Most times I do not answer my cell phone, but allow voice mail and caller ID to handle incoming calls. I digest the callers needs, then call them back on my time where I can control the call.
Cell phones are nothing more than a wireless portable phone that goes further distance than a 900 Mhz home unit. They all use a Land Line in a Central Office of the phone company, thus the standard xxx-xxx-xxxx phone numbering system.
Largest difference is the ability of your hand held to communicate with the signal provided by your cell carrier.
Believe I have had my cricket service for 5 or 6 years, or maybe even longer. I got mine at Office Depot before the service was available in Tulsa. It was around December the first roll out year.
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by brunoflipper
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
I am proud to say I have never owned or used a cell phone in my entire 50 year life. Prior to 1990, 250,000,000+ Americans didn't have cell phones and managed to live their lives quite nicely, thank you. In my opinion, the cell phone is the MOST obnoxious invention of the past 100 years.
Just another example of technology and corporate marketers convincing people of some new thing that they can't live without and sucking money from their purses. I can live without it. What I have never had, I surely can't miss.
yeah... and to hell with them flushin' toilets, refrigerators and antibiotics; give me my good ol' fashioned drop lolly, ice chest and poultices and i'll be just fine...
funny thing is my great grandmother used to say the same crap about landline phones...
We all have to make personal choices about technology and its impact on our lives. I choose certain routes, you may choose others. I prefer to keep my life as simple as possible, but that is my choice, not yours. To each his own.
i provided you with an historical example that might help you to understand why younger generations would scoff at you...
"What I have never had, I surely can't miss." well then why even bother with the interwebs and computers at all?... based upon your use of the internet and this forum, you are rather selective about your technological utilization... for many people, technology and information access are a continuum across portals... eventually, integration will occur... "computer vs. television vs. telephone" will become a debate in semantics...
it is pretty obvious that everything out here is an "opinion" and involves "personal choices"...
and that is why your haughtiness is so unpalatable...
quote:
Originally posted by AMP
I have used US Cellular with a giant tall heavy phone, SW Bell with those small Erickson phones, Sprint with a Sanyo full Internet capable and Cricket NOKIA first then Motorola.
Of all the hand sets, the NOKIA was by far the most dependable and withstood abuse better than any of the others. You could buy an addtional battery and a stand to charge it while it was OUT Of the Phone. Imagine that, what a concept. Phones today seem to require being connected to the Pensacola Dam Turbine for life support and may go dead even while attached to their umbilical cord. My largest complaint is the cheap batteries going dead...
Cricket so far for my use has exceeded my needs far beyond any other portable wireless voice phone/service I have used or owned.
And the annoying "Not Charging" nag screen that pops up occasionally when it is an emergency or a most important call is occuring. Similar to Bill Gates Blue Screen thing.
One bill, consistent pricing and it works most anywhere in the US I travel. Arkansas, Tennessee, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Illinois.
Number one thing I like about Cricket is the bill is always the same no matter how many local or long distance calls I make from a Cricket calling area. And I control the travel time minutes by using my Voice Mail.
Most times I do not answer my cell phone, but allow voice mail and caller ID to handle incoming calls. I digest the callers needs, then call them back on my time where I can control the call.
Cell phones are nothing more than a wireless portable phone that goes further distance than a 900 Mhz home unit. They all use a Land Line in a Central Office of the phone company, thus the standard xxx-xxx-xxxx phone numbering system.
Largest difference is the ability of your hand held to communicate with the signal provided by your cell carrier.
Believe I have had my cricket service for 5 or 6 years, or maybe even longer. I got mine at Office Depot before the service was available in Tulsa. It was around December the first roll out year.
I used to have Cricket and love the no-brainer plan on useage. However, there IAs (inaffective attempts) were unreal. It took on the average 2-3 tries just to dial a number and have it ring on the other end. When I called about this problem, I was told that they were going to upgrade their network in six months. I cancelled.
It has been a few years so I don't know how they are now and if they did indeed improve.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
The razr is a prime example. sleek case, but the internals were over a year out of date before they hit the shelves, not to mention the internal antenna is shoddy.
I have a razr (on Cingular though) and I can't complain. The voice quality is good and reception is good. I hardly ever have a dropped call. However, I am in the DFW area, if that makes a difference.
quote:
Originally posted by Rowdy
I used to have Cricket and love the no-brainer plan on useage. However, there IAs (inaffective attempts) were unreal. It took on the average 2-3 tries just to dial a number and have it ring on the other end. When I called about this problem, I was told that they were going to upgrade their network in six months. I cancelled.
It has been a few years so I don't know how they are now and if they did indeed improve.
I had the exact same experiences. Plus I had one overpass that would kill my call everytime I passed under it.
I never experienced that problem. All cell services have dropped calls and calls that don't go through and hit your voice mail box if you have voice mail. And there are specific geographic areas that have no or llitle signal, but that is with all cell phones, some may work in a specific place while others do not.
I have several friends that run their business on Cricket phones and none of them complain.
Many Cricket exchange numbers are listed in Yellow Page phone book ads.
Well all I can say is that Verizon's entry into the market is spanking the 'new AT&T' badly, with sales down 30%. In fact, the company believes that the iPhone is going to basically take them through the next year. I use reviews from phonescoop, cnet, and letstalk (.com all) to determine which handsets have the best reviews. JD Powers rated Sanyo #1, LG #2 and Samsung #3 in terms of overall customer satisfaction.
***disclaimer-- former employee of VZW***
A couple of years ago, Verizon Wireless touted that it offered its services in 97 of the country's top 100 markets. The missing markets? Little Rock, Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Little Rock was added (w/o wireless broadband) 12/2005... Tulsa's towers were brought online in late 2006- but local prefixes and store services weren't avail. until 1/2007-- however Tulsa's towers started out as EVDO wireless broadband (same basic technology as Sprint's) from day one... this leaves OKC as the only top 100 market in which VZW doesn't offer local prefixes or VZW cell towers.
Last year, my mobile web worked at broadband speeds in the Chicago and St Louis metro areas and the slower "1X" speed (verizonwireless.com website has this listed on its map as "Natl Access & Enhanced Services") until I was about halfway between St Louis and Springfield, MO... then the phone read "extended network" until I got to Joplin...
Last fall, I couldn't even check my yahoo email on VZW's mobile web once in Tulsa...... waaah, waaah!.... thumbody call a waaaaahmbulance... [xx(]
But once VZW wireless broadband came online in Tulsa (EVDO towers came online in December), it was actually quite a bit faster than my same VZW service in Chicago. Why? Because there's currently little traffic on the towers due to the lack of subscribers in the new Tulsa market.
Verizon Wireless's current price plans are all "no roam" and "national."
Bottom line: the VZW broadband areas in the Tulsa metro area appear to be comparable to the area Cingular currently offers... but if you're not in a broadband or VZW area in Oklahoma, you'll be using the "extended network" which is US Cellular... in Arkansas I assume the "extended network" is Alltel but could be wrong...
VZW's equipment for data services is "backward compatible," meaning the phones/pda's can go from broadband speed to the slower 1X and back without dropping your data session... what happens in the extended network, I couldn't tell you...
A big question to ask if you're a Blackberry/Treo user is how/if the data services will function in the "extended network" (Example: Muskogee or OKC) which requires data roaming agreements with other service providers... when I worked for VZW, there was nothing like that in place in Oklahoma... now, looking at the website, it appears that has changed so you could still use your data services in these areas...
For all you cutting-edge cell phone users (you know who you are!)... if you're not already doing this, look at the un-advertised one year pricing on phones (usually around $50 to $100 more than the 2 year price)... the technology and styles change so quick that you could upgrade to another phone in 10-12 months and keep a nice phone that's only a year old in a drawer as a spare... for a cheapskate like me, it means I'd drop the insurance (industry standard $6 per mo. plus $50 deductible) and use the savings to get a new phone every year instead of every other year...
And if you try anybody else's service, see how long you can try the service (I think VZW recently extended their worry free guarantee to 30 days). Mark that date on your calendar.
If you do lots of business in OKC or Fayetteville, you may want to hold off on looking at VZW. Otherwise, it's just another option for cell phone service... competition is usually a good thing for consumers, no?
Cricket now has a National Plan, and you Cricket phone works with unlimited local and long distance in areas where Cricket is Local, such as Ft Smith, Houston, Tulsa etc.
Check their plans, no contract, no mystery charges, one monthly rate period dot.
When they started it was $29.95 and I don't recall it having any FEES attached. There was a minimal tax, but nothing like is tagged on the bill like today.
Still is the smartest buy out there for Cell Phones Service in my book. But I only travel out of state two to three times a month on weekends.
Well, here is something interesting: Sonopia (//%22http://www.sonopia.com/mvc/network/main.html?html=/mvc/network/start.html#%22), which re-sells V service, allows for smallish groups to creat their own wireless plans etc.(brief discussion from HowardForums here.) (//%22http://www.howardforums.com/archive/topic/1137524-1.html%22)]
If one is a current 'new at&t' customer out of contract, PUT THE SCREWS TO THE COMPANY. Sales are WAY DOWN and the company's churn will be a major issue. Demand free phones, waived 'upgrade' fees, you name it. And be sure to ask for your account number, which is a sure sign you are looking at moving your phone number to another company.
oh for ****s sake... please, read your first paragraph again and look up the definition of "haughty"...
nonetheless, nice threadcrapping... i'm sure wavoka appreciated your contribution, bravo...
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
Exactly. I am selective about my utilization of technology. I choose to use a home computer and the internet, I choose not to use cell phones, cable or satellite TV. It is not "haughtiness" at all, just my personal choice. Come down off your high horse brunoflipper. The use of cell phones are a matter of personal choice or employer necessity. Just because I find them obnoxious and boorish does not make me any more "correct" than you. It is just my opinion, but apparently you can not leave it at that.
Problem is, the question Wavoka asked was not.... "Should I have a cell phone at all?"Here's the question:"I've been with AT&T/Cingular/The New AT&T for over 6 years. Lately the coverage has been going downhill and customer service refuses to admit they have a problem. Keep blaming it on my phone. Odd since my wife and I have different phones made by different manufacturers yet we are both having the same problems.
Anyway I am thinking of moving to Verizon and was wondering if anyone here used them and how their service was here?"Here's my opinion:
I like cheese. [:P]
Much like in Eastern Kentucky, Verizon had some problems getting proper licensing in Oklahoma. Their late entry was due to an out-of-date cell phone law that forced Verizon to wait longer than they had hoped for. Many of the towers for in and around Tulsa were there for a couple years. This was at least what I was told by one of the supervisors for Verizon in Kentucky. She was actually on the money. I would take my Verizon phone to Tulsa, right around 2005, and find no indication that I was in someone else's network.
Bandwidth was auctioned off in the 90's, with winners given a BTA (basic trading area) and a mandate to expand service to certain percentages of the population of those areas in certain time frames. Those carriers could sub-lease their bandwidth, sell it, trade it, whatever. Evidently Verizon has acquired bandwidth finally from an existing carrier, or snatched up licenses let go by a carrier looking for cash.
The CDMA (Alltel, Sprint, Cricket, USHellular) network handles roaming clumsily on other CDMA networks, and data roaming ain't happening. GSM networks are smoother that way.
Verizon got to where it is by building its customer base, the 'new at&t' got to where it is by buying out companies. F'rinstance, when Cingular bought the old at&t wireless, it paid about $5000 per customer, while the going rate for acquiring new customers was about $400.
Once Clingular bought the old at&t, Tulsans' prices for phones went up and adminstrative fees (upgrade charges) were non-negotiable. Now that Verizon is in town, prices have gone down and those fees are negotiable.
competition os good, but verizon, sprint, and all CDMA companies suck. Untill they get rid of the ESN method of provisioning phones and go to something like a SIM card, I'll never use CDMA again. Not being able to use what phone I want, whenever I want by just popping in a SIM card is unacceptable. They further this mentality with their trinket system of selling content and limiting what content you can put on your phone. GSM carriers are much more lax with this. Verizon is the one that used to disable bluetooth functionality on their phones so you couldnt copy files to them. That company is run like the Nazi party.
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
That company is run like the Nazi party.
Griz, look: Godwin's Law strikes again! Picture the V guy, 'Can yu hear me now, frauhline?'
quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
Exactly. I am selective about my utilization of technology. I choose to use a home computer and the internet, I choose not to use cell phones, cable or satellite TV. It is not "haughtiness" at all, just my personal choice. Come down off your high horse brunoflipper. The use of cell phones are a matter of personal choice or employer necessity. Just because I find them obnoxious and boorish does not make me any more "correct" than you. It is just my opinion, but apparently you can not leave it at that.
Problem is, the question Wavoka asked was not.... "Should I have a cell phone at all?"
Here's the question:
"I've been with AT&T/Cingular/The New AT&T for over 6 years. Lately the coverage has been going downhill and customer service refuses to admit they have a problem. Keep blaming it on my phone. Odd since my wife and I have different phones made by different manufacturers yet we are both having the same problems.
Anyway I am thinking of moving to Verizon and was wondering if anyone here used them and how their service was here?"
Here's my opinion:
I like cheese. [:P]
Forgetting all the hate from some here towards various companies, you want decent phone service correct? This is what I believe is the best bet for someone living in the Tulsa area.
Get with Verizon. Verizon DOES have the best network as far as how solid their cellsites are. Why do I say that? Several reasons. First of all, I have seen better experience with Lucent technology than with Nortel. I believe Lucent systems respond better on recovering when taking a T1 hit or a hit from our usual severe weather. Like I mentioned before, some think other carriers have generators and this is partly true. However, I do know that during this last Ice Storm we had, Cingular and US Cellular were busy running around taking portable generators to various cellsites trying to keep them on the air. US Cellular mainly has generators that serve their switch and various Microwave hubs. Other than that, the majority have no backup for power except for 6-8 hours on batteries. This isn't good if you need to use 911.
Verizon has generators at 99% of their cellsites that run for days on end for situations such as storms and various other reasons for outages. This alone is an important factor. Some may not see it that way. Verizon has a roaming agreement with US Celllular here in Tulsa and surrounding area. According to Telephia which is an independent company that tests the performance of various carriers, US Cellular ranked high in a low number of lost calls and inaffective attempts. They have their service pretty much covered everywhere save for a few dead spots which you will get with any company.
When you are not on a Verizon tower, you will go to the "EXTENDED NETWORK" on your phone which is US Cellular here in Tulsa. I believe when you are under US Cellular, you are not charged for being in an Extended Network when you have Verizon. I would say go with US Cellular if Verizon wasn't here but I question US Cellular's longevity concerning their independency in the business. Verizon will continue to build out aggressively and in my mind be better when they have their final buildout. At least if you go with them now, you have the best of both worlds with two carriers' coverage. I would check on the Extended Network policy and make sure it's free because I have been told that when you roam on the Extended, the customer doesn't pay anything additional for it.
quote:
Originally posted by tim huntzinger
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
That company is run like the Nazi party.
Griz, look: Godwin's Law strikes again! Picture the V guy, 'Can yu hear me now, frauhline?'
We need a hitler emoticon..
Ya know, like this:
(http://www.msnemotions.org/emoticons/War/hitler.gif)
sgrizzle-fo'shizzle
The "extended network" won't affect your calls... it's just that certain features may not work right on another company's towers (like #min to check minutes, #pmt to make a pmt, or mobile web)... there is no extra cost for using the phone while in extended network, which in OKC, Muskogee, etc will be US Cellular's network...
http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/pressrelease.aspx?id=2007040
Verizon Wireless performs particularly well in the study, ranking highest in four of the six U.S. regions examined, while tying with Qwest to rank highest in a fifth region. U.S. Cellular also ranks highest in one region. Study results by region are:
Northeast Region: Verizon Wireless ranks highest in the region, with fewer problems reported with interference/static, dropped/disconnected calls, initial connections and voice distortion.
Mid-Atlantic Region: Verizon Wireless ranks highest, with fewer problems experienced with voice distortion and echoes.
Southeast Region: Verizon Wireless ranks highest in the region, with fewer problems with interference/static and voice distortion.
North Central Region: U.S. Cellular ranks highest for a third consecutive time with fewer problems in interference/static, initial connection, dropped/disconnected calls and voice distortion.
Southwest Region: Verizon Wireless ranks highest in the region for the first time, with fewer problems with echoes.
West Region: Qwest and Verizon Wireless rank highest in a tie. Qwest customers report fewer problems in the area of voice distortion, and Verizon Wireless performs well in initial connections.
The 2007 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study—Volume 1 is based on responses from 29,346 wireless users. The results are from the two most recent reporting waves, September-October 2006 and January-February 2007. Volume 2 of the 2007 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study will be issued in September 2007.
Nazi's indeed. [}:)]
"Rankings are based on numerical scores and not necessarily on statistical signifigance"
wow, some survey. Who every gets the most votes wins.
The striking thing about that, then, is that even with fewer customers Verizon ranks higher than at&t or Sprint. One notable exception is the Catoosa call center for the 'new at&t,' actually spanking Verizon for customer service and increasing the number of customers and beating churn expectations.
quote:
Originally posted by tim huntzinger
The striking thing about that, then, is that even with fewer customers Verizon ranks higher than at&t or Sprint. One notable exception is the Catoosa call center for the 'new at&t,' actually spanking Verizon for customer service and increasing the number of customers and beating churn expectations.
I challenge you on AT&T or whatever their current name is of the month on spanking Verizon in any category. Please provide these details on customer churn to us where they are beating Verizon and customer service. AT&T does not rank at the top in Customer Service I guarantee you.
Churn and burn...
I was in telecommunications for a few years. With AT&T, SWB, Cox. They all have their gimmicks and downsides. Never found one, other than AT&T, that seemed much better than the others.
That was because AT&T and SWB were the Public Utility at record, and could disable your UNE-P clients phones with the snip of a pair of dykes at the pole. Not do an install of a new line, they were only contracted to drop the line at the exterior box.
Or forget to list the customer in the SWB phone book after the customer dropped them for a CLEC.
Larger firms using Trunks or T1 circuits found they had EVERY phone number listed the next year in the telephone director. For a large business that including all data and fax numbers in a random sequence in the white pages. The main nuber was hidden within 20+ other DID numbers. That was one of their favorite tricks.
Another inside problem they had was theft of the sales commissions generated by their outside sales reps. If a business had an existing Toll Free number(s) with AT&T and an outside rep wrote any business with that existing customer you could rest assured that your comission on your sale would be swept up by corporate in Overland Park once you provisioned the sale. Trick we learned was to write the change orders, leaving off the Toll Free Numbers, wait until you were credited with the sale and the comission was recorded, then come back a month later and add in the Toll Free number to the new order. That way you got paid for your work.
Then of course they sent out their sales reps to get as many business ownwer on a 48 month or longer contract. Poinging out all the horror stories of their neighbors that had attempted to switch to a CELEC. LOL
There is alot of dasterdly deeds among the ILECs CWA Union and the Non-Union CLECs, carriers and the public utilities at record phone companies. At one time it was taking over 4 months to get an install of a T1 circuit in Tulsa/Broken Arrow.
Judge Green apparently did not do the consumers much of a favor with his rulings.
quote:
Originally posted by Rowdy
quote:
Originally posted by tim huntzinger
The striking thing about that, then, is that even with fewer customers Verizon ranks higher than at&t or Sprint. One notable exception is the Catoosa call center for the 'new at&t,' actually spanking Verizon for customer service and increasing the number of customers and beating churn expectations.
I challenge you on AT&T or whatever their current name is of the month on spanking Verizon in any category. Please provide these details on customer churn to us where they are beating Verizon and customer service. AT&T does not rank at the top in Customer Service I guarantee you.
what is funny is looking back through the earlier year studies its almost a different carrier each time. sounds like the same group of customers are moving from carrier to carrier.
Many existing cell phone customers moved to SWB with the introduction of the Erickson phone and towers up in the Grand Lake area. Back then there was no service there, and afluent folks that could afford to change services did so at the drop of a hat if it ment having service at their lake houses and while out on their boats.
There were few competitors then also.
Seems many people started out with US Cellular then switched to SWB, then moved to the other carriers as they started to open in the market.
I still enjoy my Cricket service, it has been the best value for my use for the past as many years as they have been here.
quote:
Originally posted by AMP
Many existing cell phone customers moved to SWB with the introduction of the Erickson phone and towers up in the Grand Lake area. Back then there was no service there, and afluent folks that could afford to change services did so at the drop of a hat if it ment having service at their lake houses and while out on their boats.
There were few competitors then also.
Seems many people started out with US Cellular then switched to SWB, then moved to the other carriers as they started to open in the market.
I still enjoy my Cricket service, it has been the best value for my use for the past as many years as they have been here.
Verizon has built out Grand Lake which US Cellular has yet to do I believe.
SWB was there quite a long time ago. Have to grab my records on the 40 SWB cell phones we had at our business at that time. Seems it was around 10 years ago.
We serviced the manufacture and installation firms that built the towers and did the installs.
Towers and buildings were made in two separate locations. Buildings were assembled over on Charles Page Blvd near the Knotty Pine, some of the towers were made at the Hemphill Corporation off of East Pine. Installs were handled by a company located East of Garnett on Pine just east of the old Otasco Warehouse building.
That was a fairly large project at the time.
When I worked with AT&T we sold a Broad Band antenna device that mounted on the side of a house. It handled TV, Data, Phone and Music all wireless.
The signal came from the lower panels on several cell towers around the area. About six months into the project, AT&T discoverd the vendor of the units had some major service issues and pulled them off the market. Great idea, just the roll out seemed premature to market testing of the device.
We were not allowed to install the device in homes that had Med Alerts or Alarm systems that relied on the hard wired phones, without keeping the hard wired lines to run the Med Alert and the Alarm signals. Seemed Trees and Leaves were an enemy to the system, also Ice.
I thought it was a neat easy upgrade to the clumsy cable wires running all over town. Europe had Broad Band wireless long before the US. Never understood that?
Neighborhood I grew up in had all underground wiring and the homes were total electric. Wireless Broad Band TV, DATA and Music seems like the near future, just waiting for the next roll out.
quote:
Originally posted by Rowdy
QuoteOriginally posted by tim huntzinger
I challenge you on AT&T or whatever their current name is of the month on spanking Verizon in any category. Please provide these details on customer churn to us where they are beating Verizon and customer service. AT&T does not rank at the top in Customer Service I guarantee you.
In the New York market it did. I will try to get something firmer than that. In New York, the old Clingular was dealing with rampant customer abuse, and when suckers in Tulsa were paying out the wazzoo for phones New Yorkers were getting free everything to not cancel service. I am talking free V3 'razors' when they were still $400 here, free PDA's, the whole shooting match. Any disputed credits immediately handled. That and Tulsans' laid-back attitude helped stop the bleeding and then some.
Slightly O/T, but speaking to the competitiveness of advertising and brand recognition:
When Nextel bought the series title rights to NASCAR's premiere series under a ten year agreement, they grand-fathered in any existing car sponsorships from other cellular companies (Alltel and Cingular).
Nextel (Sprint) with the backing of NASCAR brass is trying to block AT&T from changing the Cingular signage to AT&T on the RCR car driven by Jeff Burton. The claim is that AT&T's subsequent ownership of Cingular doesn't fall into the GF part of their contract.