TDMA for Cingular

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Matt - 23 Aug 2003 00:06 GMT

well so far i think ive given up with gsm for cingular until it expands
more. now im looking to get a new tdma phone in the mean time. i have 3
questions:

1) what network is cingular on for tdma (i think its 800/900/1900 TDMA but
im not sure)

2) would the new phone have to be a 800/900/1900 (if thats really the
correct frequency) or could it just be an 800 TDMA/800AMPS

3) will cingular activate phones bought on ebay?

thanks in advance for help... btw im in massachusetts.. not sure if that
might change the frequencies of anything, but who knows.

Reply to this Message

John Navas - 23 Aug 2003 01:23 GMT

>well so far i think ive given up with gsm for cingular until it expands
>more. now im looking to get a new tdma phone in the mean time. i have 3
>questions:
>
>1) what network is cingular on for tdma (i think its 800/900/1900 TDMA but
>im not sure)

If you mean band -- the network is Cingular -- it's 800 MHz.

>2) would the new phone have to be a 800/900/1900 (if thats really the
>correct frequency) or could it just be an 800 TDMA/800AMPS

800 TDMA/800AMPS.

>3) will cingular activate phones bought on ebay?

I believe so *if* the phone is either (a) a Cingular phone or (b) unlocked.

The alternative is GAIT (e.g., Sony Ericsson T62u), which combines GSM with
TDMA(IS-136)/AMPS.

Signature

Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular

Reply to this Message

XFF - 25 Aug 2003 06:33 GMT

> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> 800 TDMA/800AMPS.

Actually, Cingular also has some TDMA 1900 areas, for instance

* Cleveland, OH
* Tampa/Ft. Myers, FL
* Killeen/Temple/Waco, TX
* Longview/Marshall/Tyler, TX
* Shreveport, LA
* Biloxi/Gulfport, MS
* Montgomery, AL

to name but a few. Supposedly, a dual-band TDMA 800/1900 handset is
required to obtain new service on a TDMA plan, but you might luck out
and get activated on a single-band TDMA handset.

Reply to this Message

Todd Allcock - 26 Aug 2003 03:48 GMT

> >1) what network is cingular on for tdma (i think its 800/900/1900 TDMA but
> >im not sure)
>
> If you mean band -- the network is Cingular -- it's 800 MHz.

Cingular doesave a few scattered 1900MHz TDMA markets, but more
importantly, they rely heavily on AT&T as a roaming partner and much
of AT&T's TDMA network is 1900MHz.

> >2) would the new phone have to be a 800/900/1900 (if thats really the
> >correct frequency) or could it just be an 800 TDMA/800AMPS
>
> 800 TDMA/800AMPS.

Sort of. Cingular allows 800MHz-only phones on "local" plans in 800
markets. To sign up for a Preferred Nation plan the phone must be an
800/1900 "tri-mode".

> >3) will cingular activate phones bought on ebay?
>
> I believe so *if* the phone is either (a) a Cingular phone or (b) unlocked.

Cingular will generally activate any TDMA phone. They override the
SOC lock upon activation.

> The alternative is GAIT (e.g., Sony Ericsson T62u), which combines GSM with
> TDMA(IS-136)/AMPS.

That will allow the use of the new GAIT-only roam-free Nation plans.

Reply to this Message

gareth - 23 Aug 2003 03:07 GMT

> well so far i think ive given up with gsm for cingular until it expands
> more. now im looking to get a new tdma phone in the mean time. i have 3
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> thanks in advance for help... btw im in massachusetts.. not sure if that
> might change the frequencies of anything, but who knows.

Glad I kept my old Nok 6120. What a great little phone - it's six
years old and still works like a champ!

Gary

Reply to this Message