Foo - Cell Phone Service

I currently have a dirt cheap cell phone service I got through work. It is SPRINT PCS and it is $7.50 per month. Each "peak" minute, 7AM to 7PM is 25 cents and off peak is 10 cents. It has all the usual features, voice mail, etc. I have two lines and between my wife and I we rarerly paid more than $25 per month.

Since my daughter started driving she coopted my wife's phone and uses it quite bit. Out bills have been running $50 a month and up. So, we are in the market for a new plan.

The Sprint PCS doesn't work in my house, and that is a major drawback.

So, we are looking at, Verizon, AT&T and Cingular. Verizon is the most expensive at over $70 per month for three lines and AT&T and Cingular are about the same, $60 per month for more minutes (400 versus 600).

The question is who has any of these three and what do you think about the service?

I currently have Nextel on an employee plan that you would not be able to get. I have had AT&T (sucks), Sprint (sucks worse), Cellular One (see AT&T) and Verizon. If I was to lose my deal at Nextel I would go back to Verizon in a heartbeat. Good nationwide service and reasonable rate plans. ;)

It is not on your list, but, I have Alltel, two phones, $60, 360 minutes. Base model motorola phones(the little black ones) They work everywhere, you would get service in a coal mine, and are almost indestructible.

I have a plan with Cingular where I pay $39.95/month for 400 rollover anytime minutes and 5000 nites and weekends minutes. My plan is a state-wide plan where you can call from anywhere in Texas and not be charged roaming charges. You can add lines to share your minutes for $9.95 a line right now. I think you also get free phones when you sign a contract with Cingular.

Thanks, everyone.

My son has Verizon and loves it, but he has trouble getting reception in my house. It works upstairs most of the time and downstairs hardly at all.

I'll probably try Cingular and stipulate that if it doesn't work in my house, I can cancel. If they don't want to do that, I'll try something else. There are a lot of smaller providers in the D.C. area that I could try.

I have AT&T, and if weren't for the fact they use Pansonic phones.. I'd call them, find out where they live, and play a game with them.

Any time I got a dropped call, I'd kick them in the nuts.

This would continue until either

A) Service improved or
B) I couldn't kick that high.

I Have AT&T and use a Nokia phone. No problems here in Cincinnati. Great service and never had a dropped call. I do get the occasional "No Service" even at my house.

I can call on the Verizon Net or extended net just about anywhere in the US I have been all within my local call rates/allotment. Hardly ever a "roaming" chargeI especially like that all long distance calls that are within my monthly allotment (450 minutes) are at no extra charge.

My long distance home phone carrier is not getting a cent from me, and I make about 400 minutes of long distance all within my $39.95 per month.

It won't be too terribly long before I get rid of my home phone service entirely, and use the cell phones exclusively - except fot a need for dialup.

Any ideas on using cell phones for dialup?

I think a great invention would be to be able to connect my cell phone into my home phone line circuit (and disconnect it from QWest - those crooks), so I can answer the cell phone from anywhere in the house just as if I had regular service. Some sort of plug in. I have about 6 phones throughout my house.

It varies state to state, in ny AT&T and Verizon are the best.

The only thing that you could all technically compare about the providers is the quality of their customer service, the plans, and the phones. Everything else, such as coverage, is going to vary from county to county. I, myself, would be considered a cell phone expert. I know pretty much everything there is to know... yes I'm a nerd. If I may suggest.... visit www.howardforums.com It is a cell phone forum with over 10 times the members of our own forum. I guarantee you can search for or ask you question and you will get an answer. Good luck :)

The only thing that you could all technically compare about the providers is the quality of their customer service, the plans, and the phones. Everything else, such as coverage, is going to vary from county to county. I, myself, would be considered a cell phone expert. I know pretty much everything there is to know... yes I'm a nerd. If I may suggest.... visit www.howardforums.com It is a cell phone forum with over 10 times the members of our own forum. I guarantee you can search for or ask you question and you will get an answer. Good luck :)

Brian, thank you very much. I never thought - why I don't know - that there would be a forum for cell phone users!

Thanks again!

Yup,

There are sections for each and every North American provider and a section for international providers. There are sections for every phone manufacturer. There is also a B/S/T for cell phones, and other stuff too. Enjoy all :)

DnvrFox you can use your cell phone as dialup if you want, take a look at most phones now they either have a option to plug a anologue phone line into them to use it with a modem or it can work as a modem itself with you're computer. Now the quality normaly is not as high as a ground line so you're speed will go down. Just get cable modem and you can drop the local phone service. I have a few freinds that only have cell phones now and no true home phon.

A lot of companies are beginning to offer service that includes your home phone. Which might take the issue of normal Cell coverage at home off the table.

Regarding dial-up, at least one local service is offering portable broadband (http://www.ntelos.net/residential/portbro1.html). It's more than just a regular dial-up service, but it looks like it includes the ISP account, etc., that are often not included in high speed service plans. 'Course it would put the coverage at home issue *back* on the table. :rolleyes:

I have a Cingular family plan - 3 phones (Nokia 5165 free) - with free calling amongst phones in our region plus 250 anytime LD minutes in the region. My subscription is about to expire and I'm going to start looking at Verizon. I am considering making the cell phone my primary phone and eliminating land lines. Depends on the deals I find.

At&T and Cingular merged....they are same company now.

STOP! :crash:

Ahhhh! Zombie thread!
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