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Posted: 10/12/2004 4:39:04 PM EDT
OK boys, and you too CombatJack
 ; I'm looking into shit canning my dialup connection and the home telephone and upgrading to cable access and a cellphone, what I need to know is which cell phone providers to stay the hell away from and which ones are worth looking at. I'd like to try to stay in the $50(or less) total monthly cell phone fee if I can. Let's hear who you like and who you hate. |
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Posted: 10/12/2004 4:54:32 PM EDT
[#1]
I use AT&T, but it's not for you. You probably want Sprint. Verizon seems to have some better coverage in out of the way locations, but I hear Sprint is pretty good too.
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Posted: 10/12/2004 5:25:54 PM EDT
[#3]
AT&T just got bought out by Cingular. So if you're an AT&T cellular customer, you'll be a Cingular customer before long, and their networks are all going to be upgraded to GSM.
I'm (now) a Cingular customer and I'm pleased with the service, the plan, the prices, and this cool little cell phone I got is just flat out wicked cool. Samsung E317, camera phone, with TWO full color LCD displays on it. One's on the FRONT of the flip open cover! Even the little blinking light that tells you if you're on the network or not can be changed to ANY color. It's SICK. CJ |
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Posted: 10/12/2004 5:29:48 PM EDT
[#4]
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Posted: 10/12/2004 5:41:27 PM EDT
[#5]
With my shopping around so far (about 30 minutes) it looks like At&T and Verizon have the lead.
One silly question, is Canada included in free domestic long distance? |
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Posted: 10/12/2004 8:10:01 PM EDT
[#6]
i had verizon for two years and now i have T-Mobile. The difference is night and day. verizon has shitty service and there cell coverage was kind of spotty. I switched up to T-mobile and havnt looked back yet. GSM works way better then cdma for the type of service. try hitting up all the booths you can to see how they provide serviec and the deal you can get.
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Posted: 10/12/2004 8:12:28 PM EDT
[#7]
I have had the same Sprint account for 6.5 years, 'nuff said.
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Posted: 10/12/2004 8:21:41 PM EDT
[#8]
I have used AT&T since about 1995, but only because then they had better national coverage than the others. Their cheapest national plan is $39.99 (GSM) and it only includes 450 minutes. It also includes free night and weekends (9PM). If you talk to the right person they can probably give you the 7PM nights and weekends with a new contract. I needed that because a lot of my calling is in the eastern time zone, and 9 PM would be midnight there. 450 minutes really isn't a whole lot of minutes though, especially if you are switching to ONLY wireless. The charge over the 450 minutes is $.45/min. That can add up quick. Canada is charged at the roaming rate (from reading plan info, not experience). Not sure if they have add-on plans or not for Canada, but they might. If you call them, they are usually very helpful. Also, if you use the data features on some of the GSM phones you will be charged extra if you don't get a plan that includes data.
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Posted: 10/12/2004 9:10:15 PM EDT
[#9]
Been with AT&T (Originally CellularOne) for about 13 years. For you Seattle folks I am sure coverage is not really an issue but, for me while I am out in the LCR areas and in Eastern Washington hunting it has seemed to have the best coverage. I would like to go to the GSM plan but, we still have plenty of analog towers out here that won't work with the new GSM phones. My phone bill runs $100 a month and it is my only line. On a side note I wish I had the ability to get something other than dialup
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Posted: 10/12/2004 9:37:04 PM EDT
[#10]
T-mobile has the best air time rates, and just won the #1 rating for customer service according to JD Powers.
In 3 days, I won't be working my contract job at T-mobile, but will be getting a T-mobile Cellphone. |
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Posted: 10/12/2004 9:59:56 PM EDT
[#11]
Verizon has good coverage from Centralia to the border. Nextel cuts out just outside the I5 corridor. Of all the phones we've tried, they had the most dead spots. Verizon also offers the "in" plan, which works well for us.
Phil, even YOU never spell my name right 
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Posted: 10/12/2004 10:09:50 PM EDT
[#12]
You must not be familiar with how that stuff works. For the right dollar figure I could have the #1 rating on Arfcom for customer service according to JD Powers. |
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Posted: 10/12/2004 10:24:30 PM EDT
[#13]
Yes I did, _ isn't a letter thus it's not part of the spelling. T-Mobile= poor coverage area, it actually looks a lot like my current prepaid VirginWireless (Sprint) coverage, AKA leave I-5 and die. Cingular as it exists today has similar crappy coverage. Nextel isn't as crappy coverage wise but their plans stink. It still looks like I'll be calling AT&T and Verizon to see what they have to offer. |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 3:45:19 AM EDT
[#14]
My sister works for TMobile, its ashamed when we are at my parents house in San JOse she has to use my Verizon to get a signal.
I have been with Verizon (and the 2 companies before them) since 91. I have great service, reception damn near anywhere (I was able to get out when we had the LCR, I dont recall anyone else being able to). Sprint has dead spots all over Seattle. BTW, when I got Broadband I too dropped my house phone. Never had one regret. No telemarketers. And yes 2WP, pay attention here |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 5:56:09 AM EDT
[#15]
WTF is a cell phone?
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Posted: 10/13/2004 9:13:23 AM EDT
[#16]
Man get fire, man stays warm.............. 2WP get cell phone, 2WP can be contacted............ It is not that frickin' hard. |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 10:03:19 AM EDT
[#17]
I second that. I get shitty reception in my basement, and lately, if I do connect, it sounds like I'm talking to Kermit the Frog, who just gave Fozzy a bj and hasn't swallowed yet. Lovely visual, huh? |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 10:24:09 AM EDT
[#18]
I've had Verizon (originally US West, then something else) for 6 or 7 years now. Compared to the different cell phone services co-workers have, it seems like Verizon has the best coverage in Washington, at least western Washington.
I don't think the standard plans from any of the carriers cover Canada. You have to get an upgraded plan (read: more $$$). Also, sometimes I wish they would deactivate the Active Topics button. No offense, but who in WA really cares what cell phone service is like in Florida? Could you get any further way from here in the continental US? |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 10:24:46 AM EDT
[#19]
Sounds like you need to spend less time watching Sesame Street in the basement. |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 10:30:55 AM EDT
[#20]
Since I work for one of the companies in question, I guess any advice I give might be a little biased.
 Woody |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 10:32:24 AM EDT
[#21]
I have Qwest
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Posted: 10/13/2004 3:53:01 PM EDT
[#22]
I got a plan with Verizon since some guys at work that have had everything around said it seemed to be the best and I haven't had any complaints except when the phone died after I got every number under the sun in it and couldn't be gotten out.
(nice run on sentence there huh?)Motorola t730 fro anyone interested. Oh and I do have to say I was a cell phone naysayer for years until I got this one and I dont know how on God's green earth I lived without one until now. I always figured it would be a leash and I didn't want anything to do with that. It's handiness has outweighed any leash effect by far. |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 3:57:01 PM EDT
[#23]
Come on, lighten up on the guy, last I heard he didnt even have a PC! |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 4:30:22 PM EDT
[#24]
Canada?
 I have been happy with Verizon. If you get Verizon, you can talk to C/J for free all you want. |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 4:31:20 PM EDT
[#25]
He has a PC, but he has to get a horse out there on the walker because that generates his electricity. 
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Posted: 10/13/2004 5:01:32 PM EDT
[#26]
I RECENTLY CONDUCTED MY OWN SURVEY ON THIS SAME QUESTION. INTERESTING RESULTS.
I recently polled everyone I knew on email about which service they use because I was thinking of switching. I didn't even ask people what they thought of their service... just which one they had. What was interesting to note was that nearly everyone responded back to me with just the name of their service (ie. "Sprint", "AT&T", "Nextel", etc.) except for a few. Overall, there was a pretty even distribution of service among those I surveyed. Only the people with Verizon responded back with comments like "I have Verizon and I love it!", or "I have Verizon and it's the best!", or "I love my Verizon phone!" It was a very strange distinction. I got to thinking that maybe Verizon puts some sort of digital drugs in their signal to make people so elated about their service, but I realize that their customers are just plain happy with the service. I have AT&T MLife and it completely SUCKS. I love my phone (Motorola MPX-200), but I HATE the service. I used to have AT&T Digital which I still think is the best. I used to take that phone snowboarding way up in the mountains (East coast, West Coast, Canada) and never a signal problem. MLife sucks bad. |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 9:32:34 PM EDT
[#27]
 Some of us have legitimate needs for cellular service in Canada. Verizon used to have an add on package for like $10 a month that offered service in the greater Vancouver, BC area, that could be added on to any existing plan. But now you have to buy one of a couple of expensive plans that have limited minutes. |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 9:39:25 PM EDT
[#28]
I have a T-Mobile brought from Atlanta and it works better here than there. That is, here signal is almost perfect and I was even surprised to receive a phone call in a ferry in the middle of Pudget. The ferrys probably have a repeater antenna. Cannot imagine the signal so good in the middle of nowhere.
Got an AT&T from company that also works fine. But I like T-Mobile better becausde I can use its GPRS network to browse Internet using my PDA. |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 9:40:08 PM EDT
[#29]
I've got AT&T GSM service. I've been with them since the old Cellular One days (about 11 years now.) I never changed in the past because I wanted to keep my same phone number. Now that number portability is here, I'm still with AT&T. Their GSM coverage is improving everyday, and I think they have the best nationwide coverage.
Oh yeah, my phone also worked when I was on vacation last month in London, Hamburg, Kiel, Berlin, Dresden and Prague (CZ.) Now that's what I call ROAMING! |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 10:18:05 PM EDT
[#30]
Been with Verizon since 1996.
Service is excellent way up even Greenwater and Mt. Rainier. Service is excellent in Snoqualmie and ALL Forrest Service Roads, I never had a no signal with my phone anywhere I've gone I've had signal. |
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Posted: 10/13/2004 10:54:46 PM EDT
[#31]
I had ATT for running 48 states and the coverage was great but my bill was $300 a month but I
 was on it all the time chasing women all over the country. Went to nextel ruining the 48 and had a signal half the time. But my bill went to $100 a month. And did not even work in some states or up and down I5 for that matter. When I went local with nextel is when I had problems on a monthly bases and their customer service and polices suck!!! I have T-Mobil now and live in Edgewood and don't have a signal at home 1/2 the time (WTF)...I think you were looking for a Internet provider? We just got hooked up with Comcast and its Fast. With good service. |
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Posted: 10/15/2004 8:47:34 AM EDT
[#32]
If you don't have coverage at home, call your carrier and complain. Complaints help them determine where to put towers....
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Posted: 10/16/2004 1:23:59 PM EDT
[#33]
Verizon, I haven't found a huge dead spot anywhere, it's what my old survey company was using when I started and we got all over the state and even into UT once. Don't have any complaints about the service, they've always been on top of it.
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