Mobitex data service - prices & availablity?

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jeff - 22 Feb 2004 06:09 GMT

Does anybody have a clue what the prices are for the Cingular Mobitex data
service? Or how to order it?

Their stupid idiotic website says that there is "excellent" coverage in
Caro, MI (48723), but there is nowhere to order the service anywhere on the
site. When you try to get to rate plans and such it asks for a zip code and
then says they do not offer service in the area...

I KNOW they don't offer VOICE, that is why I am specifically looking for the
data service. Or do they only offer that in combination with a voice plan?
Because that would be highly stupid considering they have gone through the
trouble of putting towers up outside of their cellular market areas.

-Jeff

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Jer - 22 Feb 2004 07:28 GMT

> Does anybody have a clue what the prices are for the Cingular Mobitex data
> service? Or how to order it?
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> -Jeff

Jeff, nobody's gonna offer data service in any area that doesn't have
voice service.

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jeff - 22 Feb 2004 13:34 GMT

> Jeff, nobody's gonna offer data service in any area that doesn't have
> voice service.

Check the map and coverage database! They do! See for yourself at:

Cingular's cellular service consists of South-east michigan. However, they
have Mobitex data-only towers in the Thumb area. (Tuscola, Sanilac and Huron
counties).

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jeff - 22 Feb 2004 13:41 GMT

> Jeff, nobody's gonna offer data service in any area that doesn't have
> voice service.

Sorry for the incomplete post there. I was trying to paste in the URL and I
must have hit an incorrect key or something and accidentally sent the
message.

Anyway, I was saying that Cingular does indeed offer Mobitex data service in
areas they do NOT offer voice serivce. If you don't believe me, check the
coverage maps on their website:

http://alliance.cingularinteractive.com/dev/cda/zip

If you type in Tuscola, Sanilac, or Huron counties there, you'll see that
they have a very detailed listing of which local communities have excellent
outdoor coverage, or limited indoor coverage, etc. However, if you take any
zip code from any of these counties that it says there is "excellent"
Mobitex data service coverage and try to use it from the main page to select
a rate plan, it says that there is no Cingular service in the area. That's
because Cingular roams onto a local cellular network here. (I think it's
Dobson Cellular Systems, since Thumb Cellular just switched to CDMA.)

So, they own these Mobitex-only towers up here, but I can't seem to figure
out how to order service on them because it keeps nagging me about not
having a voice plan which they won't sell out here. How incredibly stupid!

-Jeff

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Todd Allcock - 23 Feb 2004 06:02 GMT

> Anyway, I was saying that Cingular does indeed offer Mobitex data service in
> areas they do NOT offer voice serivce. If you don't believe me, check the
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> out how to order service on them because it keeps nagging me about not
> having a voice plan which they won't sell out here. How incredibly stupid!

Just a crazy idea here, but have you tried _calling_ them? Sounds
like the website has a glitch ordering this data service, but a real
live CSR might be able to handle it!

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jeff - 24 Feb 2004 02:47 GMT

> > Anyway, I was saying that Cingular does indeed offer Mobitex data service in
> > areas they do NOT offer voice serivce. If you don't believe me, check the
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> like the website has a glitch ordering this data service, but a real
> live CSR might be able to handle it!

I just got off the phone with a customer service. Amazingly the rep I got
just happened to be orignally from Saginaw Michigan, so he knew exactly
where Caro was. Considering the call center he works in now is in Tennessee,
that was quite a coincidence.

Unfortunately he's having the exact same problem I'm having when he puches
my zip code into the computer he uses to enter orders on. Excellent
coverage, zero service. Figure that one out. The best we could figure was
that Cingular lost track of the Thumb area whenever they aquired the system
from whatever company previously operated it, since it is completely
unrelated to their cellular service and extends beyond their own cellular
market area.

Anyway, he tells me they are having a training meeting tomorrow on the
blackberry services and he is going to put my question to good use by
bringing it up in the meeting. Hopefully tomorrow I'll hear back from them
as to whether or not it is possible to order their Mobitex service well
within the 'coverage' area even though I'm not within their cellular
'service' area.

-Jeff

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jeff - 26 Feb 2004 02:46 GMT

> I just got off the phone with a customer service. Amazingly the rep I got
> just happened to be orignally from Saginaw Michigan, so he knew exactly
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> -Jeff

Wouldn't you know it, the CSR didn't bother to call me back like he said he
would. Just more lameness from Cingular. Sheesh.

-Jeff

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PDA Man - 23 Feb 2004 03:58 GMT

First question is do you know what Mobitex is and what device are you going
to use it with? MOBITEX is a specialized DATA only service .For specialized
equipment

> Does anybody have a clue what the prices are for the Cingular Mobitex data
> service? Or how to order it?
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> -Jeff

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jeff - 24 Feb 2004 02:07 GMT

> First question is do you know what Mobitex is and what device are you going
> to use it with? MOBITEX is a specialized DATA only service .For specialized
> equipment

I know it's a data-only service... I don't have any equipment yet, but I
will buy whatever equipment is necessary to use any data service I can get
out here. It seems that Cingular Mobitex, and Nextel Online are the only
providers available, and of course they are completely different and use
different equipment.

-Jeff

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