ATT GSM vs. other GSM carriers

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Chris S - 24 Nov 2003 06:50 GMT

I've been very loyal (and happy) with ATT on their TDMA network;
regardless of what others say, I've traveled all over the US and
always get a signal. That's just my experience, fwiw.

Now I want to go GSM for various reasons. Is there any compelling
reason to stay with ATT? Is ATT's GSM network any better than T-Mo's
or Cingulars? If not, is it expected to be soon? If not, why stay
with ATT? T-Mo seem to be offering terrific deals (especially via
Amazon). Anyone got a good reason not to go T-Mo for GSM?

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Ted Miller - 24 Nov 2003 21:41 GMT

I just switched to T-Mobile from AT&T. I was an AT&T customer since before
they were AT&T.

It's like night and day. When you call T-Mobile, you get through within a
couple of minutes, the support people seem cheery and well-trained and
genuinely happy to have me as a customer. My recent experiences with AT&T
were the opposite: every time you talked to them you get a different answer,
it takes forever to get through, etc.

I also like the T-Mobile plans better. For example on T-Mobile I get 300
minutes plus free weekends. On AT&T at the same price point it was 200
minutes plus free nights and weekends (well, it turns out I wasn't actually
getting the free weekends, due to some kind of customer service glitch or
miscommunication, see my statement above). I like having more minutes more
than having free nights, because many of the people I want to call are in a
different time zone and once it hits 9PM in Seattle it's too late to call
them in NY or Denver.

Also, and I could be imagining this, the sound quality seems better on
T-Mobile. Coverage seems marginally better with T-Mobile around here
(Bellevue/Kirkland/Redmond, WA) with fewer dead spots.

I have no experience with Cingular.

> I've been very loyal (and happy) with ATT on their TDMA network;
> regardless of what others say, I've traveled all over the US and
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Reply to cschofie at domain dot com
> Change domain to attbi - Thanks

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John S. - 27 Nov 2003 13:08 GMT

>Now I want to go GSM for various reasons. Is there any compelling
>reason to stay with ATT? Is ATT's GSM network any better than T-Mo's
>or Cingulars?

You have been happy with AT&T stick with them. You didn't say where you are.

AT&T's GSM is better than T-Mobile & Cingular where they all compete.
T-Mobiile has a slight edge in native coverage as they have been at it longer.

I am a consultant and do work for virtually all the carriers. Right now I am
in the NYC/NJ/CT market for AT&T Wireless and we are adding approximatly 30 NEW
1900MHz GSM sites a day with some 15 to 20 850 overlays each night. This market
in not the only one this is happening in. We also havee people in
Chicago/Central Illinois, Minneapolis/St Paul, and Atlanta.

850MHz overlays will start at about this rate in Florida, Alabama, and
Louisiana January 1st. I don't know about other markets but expect that this
is happening in all markets with other contractors/consulting firms.

I still have my primary phone on the DOR TDMA plan with no immediate plans to
change it though.

--
John S.
e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

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Andy M --Tampa Bay-- - 28 Nov 2003 03:22 GMT

| >Now I want to go GSM for various reasons. Is there any compelling
| >reason to stay with ATT? Is ATT's GSM network any better than T-Mo's
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
| AT&T's GSM is better than T-Mobile & Cingular where they all compete.
| T-Mobiile has a slight edge in native coverage as they have been at it longer.

eat your words, buddy. come down to tampa, florida and check it out for
yourself. the local ATTWS store is asking customers on TDMA not to switch to
GSM and telling new customers that they can't sign us for GSM. And this was
before the GSM software problems. cingular doesn't sell GSM service here.
yes, T-Mo/Vstream has better native coverage, but heard from the ATTWS store
rep that they've put their GSM network buildout on hold in the area. They're
pushing back the Jan 1st date. T-Mobile coverage is solid here. Have seen
and heard loads of people switching to Verizon and TMo.

| I am a consultant and do work for virtually all the carriers. Right now I am
| in the NYC/NJ/CT market for AT&T Wireless and we are adding approximatly 30 NEW
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
| John S.
| e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

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