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Serial origamist
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posted
I will no longer do business with AT&T. They repeatedly slammed my long-distance service on my landline even after promising they would never do so again. Then, when I first got a cell phone, it was on Cingular. When AT&T took them over, everything went downhill fast.

I have had my cell service through Sprint for the last 8 or 10 years. I've been happy with them. The price is steep, but I get a discount through my benevolent employer. International service is good... it has seamlessly connected all over Europe and last year in Ethiopia.

But, Sprint has now be bought by T-Mobile. I've never been a fan of T-Mobile, but I couldn't really say why. Now I can say definitely why... it seems that the acquisition was lubricated by connections in the I-1 administration and the day the deal was approved, the head of T-Mobile and his close buds were seen partying down at I-1's hotel in DC. Plus the anti-competitive measures are starting.

So, that strikes AT&T and Sprint/T-Mobile which leaves Verizon as the only other big-name carrier. Aside from the fact that I find their ads annoying, I don't know much about them.

When I got my wireless home alarm system, it wouldn't connect on T-Mobile, but it works fine on Verizon, so it seems there is coverage in my neighborhood. Sprint service here is always spotty.

Does anyone have their service with another company that I should consider?


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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

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Posts: 30038 | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pinta & the Santa Maria
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The fam uses T-Mobile and I've been pleased with them for decades. I didn't know about the latest T-mobile/Sprint thing.

Mr. Nina had Verizon through work for years and really liked them. Their international coverage is really good, if that's an issue for you. For years he had far better coverage with Verizon than we did with T-Mobile, though that's changing. But there are still weird gaps for T-mobile coverage, even in downtown PDX and in some areas on I-5 where Verizon remains connected.
 
Posts: 35377 | Location: West: North and South! | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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You can figure out where towers and antennas are:

http://www.antennasearch.com/


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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb

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Posts: 37873 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I think you've kinda hit the major ones. We use Xfinity Mobile, which is a MVNO that operates off of the Verizon network.

Each carrier has a way to look at where they provide coverage.

ATT : https://www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html

T-Mobile: https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-map

Sprint: https://coverage.sprint.com/IMPACT.jsp?kiosk

Verizon: https://www.verizon.com/coverage-map/

Tom's Guide has an overview of major carriers. I find their articles to be pretty helpful:

https://www.tomsguide.com/best...s/best-phone-carrier


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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb

Bazootiehead-in-training



 
Posts: 37873 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
(self-titled) semi-posting lurker
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quote:
They repeatedly slammed my long-distance service on my landline even after promising they would never do so again.


PJ, what does that mean (the bolded part)?

BTW we have our cell phones with ATT so I'm afraid I can't help you there.


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Posts: 18430 | Location: not in Japan any more | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Serial origamist
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quote:
Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
quote:
They repeatedly slammed my long-distance service on my landline even after promising they would never do so again.


PJ, what does that mean (the bolded part)?

Slamming:
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/...y-without-permission

I guess the second and third time they didn't technically slam me, but twice they changed my service to a plan that had a monthly charge even if I made no long-distance calls (which I never did on my landline). I notified my landline provider that I did not want AT&T on my service ever again and filed a complaint with the state utilities commission.

The sad thing was that after the second time, they sent a letter to all their customers saying they were sorry and would never do that again. Then a year later, they did it again and kept claiming that they did not offer a no-monthly-charge plan or that it was only available to seniors and low-income customers while the state said that was not true.

To hell with 'em.


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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

 
Posts: 30038 | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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PJ, do you have Spectrum wireless available in your area? It's a new-ish service I don't know much about, but I will say I've been very happy with Spectrum cable service. The advertised price is very low.

My experience is that ATT cell service is much better than I got when I had ATT cable and landline service. I've never had a problem with it.


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Life is short. Play with your dog.

 
Posts: 34917 | Location: Hooterville, OH | Registered: 23 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I will look into Spectrum.

The company phone that my benevolent employer provided to me is on AT&T. I haven't had any problem with the service here (I did have some data hiccups in the UK). I generally get more bars than I do with Sprint. I wonder, though it that is the phone: my personal phone on Sprint is an iPhone 5S; my company phone is an iPhone 7+.

I am about ready to get a new phone, but I'll wait until I decide whether to switch carriers. Sprint uses a different technology (CDMA?) than almost everyone else, so if I get a new phone now, I'll probably have to get another new one for a different carrier. (Ax? Did I get that right?)


When Clear was a going concern, they had very good service and coverage at a reasonable price.


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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

 
Posts: 30038 | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have never heard of Clear, but they still have a website:

https://www.clearcellular.org/

Spectrum's coverage map. They are an MVNO and use Verizon's network.

https://spectrum.cellmaps.com/mobile.html?search=


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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb

Bazootiehead-in-training



 
Posts: 37873 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I looked at Spectrum. They only offer cell service if you have their internet service. They don't offer internet in my area -- they flip you over to xfinity. That's a big nope.


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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

 
Posts: 30038 | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
(self-titled) semi-posting lurker
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Wow, I've never heard of slamming. Weird.


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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

 
Posts: 18430 | Location: not in Japan any more | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Serial origamist
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quote:
Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Wow, I've never heard of slamming. Weird.
Maybe you were living in Japan during the heyday of slamming. I can only guess that Japan doesn't stand for carp like that.


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pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

 
Posts: 30038 | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by pianojuggler:


I am about ready to get a new phone, but I'll wait until I decide whether to switch carriers. Sprint uses a different technology (CDMA?) than almost everyone else, so if I get a new phone now, I'll probably have to get another new one for a different carrier.


One thing you might want to check is what kind of free/discount phone offer you can get with various carriers. I got what I think is a smoking deal when I upgraded my (ATT) phone yesterday - so good that I stepped all the way up to an iPhone 12 Pro Max because it was only a few dollars more than an iPhone 10 or 11. The offers I see on TV for new customers look better yet.

From my experience, I'd say your best bet would be to go to an actual phone store. The best deal I could get on line (and then couldn't order) wasn't nearly as good as I got at the store. They also transfer data from phone to phone with Bluetooth now - very slick!

I just thought of another company - "Consumer Cellular." On TV they advertise the lowest rates of anyone around. They seem to be advertising to seniors (going by the actors in the ads) and talk a lot about how simple their plans are.


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Life is short. Play with your dog.

 
Posts: 34917 | Location: Hooterville, OH | Registered: 23 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Foregoing Practicing to Post
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We are good here with T Mobile because coverage is good and on their senior plan it’s $70/month for two phones and numbers, unlimited voice, text, data, everything. No problems.


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“It's hard to win an argument with a smart person. It's damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person." -- Bill Murray

 
Posts: 13811 | Location: The outer burrows | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Serial origamist
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A problem I had with Sprint was most of the "Sprint Stores" aren't actually Sprint, they are a franchise. I went to two places (owned by the same franchisee) that were exceptionally slimy. We were adding a line for Mrs pj onto my account. The place we went to didn't have the phone she wanted, so the guy activated the number on a cheap crappy phone -- "free with a two year contract" -- that was physically at the other franchise location. I never actually got the phone... but I did get the bill. I finally figured out what he had done, went to the actual Sprint Store and it took them a while to unwind the mess, they cancelled the contract (only because I never received the phone), and started over.

I purchased the phones outright. It's always seemed like a better deal, and with the prospect of moving out of the area after I retire, I didn't want to be stuck with a contract just to get a "free" phone.

Oh, and that franchise is no longer in business.


--------------------------------
pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

 
Posts: 30038 | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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