vB Easy Archive - Any update on Bay Area, CA Rollout of GSM??

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Any update on Bay Area, CA Rollout of GSM??
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Posted by: ivwshane

You should try them all out and go with what ever gives you the best coverage.

While the t616 doesn't have horrible rf it isn't that great either when compared to other phones. If coverage is the most important thing to you then I wouldn't recomend it.

Posted by: gfunkdave

If coverage is the most important thing to you you should stay away from GSM in the first place.

Quote:

Originally posted by ivwshane
You should try them all out and go with what ever gives you the best coverage.

While the t616 doesn't have horrible rf it isn't that great either when compared to other phones. If coverage is the most important thing to you then I wouldn't recomend it.

Posted by: mikethaler

Quote:

Originally posted by seat
I'm looking to switch to a GSM-based service. Currently, I'm still with Sprint with an old but friendly Sanyo 5400.

Q1: Should I go with ATT, Cingular or TMobile for best coverage?
Q2: One more quickie (i'm mixing topics). How bad is the RF for SE t616?

Thanks, s/e

Cingular and T-M share the same system (towers), so coverage would be identical. ATT has its own GSM system. There are some areas where ATT provides a better signal, other areas where Cingular/T-M is better. T-M does have much better plans, especially the 3000 anytime minutes for $50. This plan does not incl. LD or roaming outside Ca/Nv.
Make use of the trial period all carriers offer. GSM coverage in Ca. is fine unless you go to really rural areas.

...mike

Posted by: nothinfrequency

if you are in the bay area do not go with cingular. i am warning you. there are dead spots everywhere and the signals almost never penetrate walls. Verizon will have coverage everywhere but has ugly phone selection. ATT gsm is ok, but you will experience dead spots and places with very bad reception. If you only care about reception and sound quality, go with verizon. If you want cool phones, go with att. If you want bad reception, go with cingular(but you might as well go with tmobile since they use the same towers. -tmobile has better plan rates). So whatever you do, dont go with cingular in the bay area. Cingular isnt that bad, for example theyre the number 1 service in MA, but they are pretty damn horrible in the bay area.

Posted by: brockley

I havent had any problems with Cingular or T-Mobile in the North Bay (Napa) or in any of my travels through the Bay Area (San Jose, Oakland, Santa Cruz). Yes I have mainly stayed on major freeways (80s) but I still have not got stuck with no service anywhere. On a side not, does anyone know when/if T-Mobile customers will be able to troam on AT&T again?

Posted by: Ymmy

Quote:

Yes I have mainly stayed on major freeways (80s) but I still have not got stuck with no service anywhere

Try 101->156->1 toward Monterey. There're few dead spots at least 5ml long and i don't even talk about call dropouts...

Posted by: drake2

I talked with a sales rep today in Oakland and he said that 850 will be out before the years' end here in the Bay Area. Anybody know if this may be true?

Posted by: nothinfrequency

im not sure, but i doubt it. That would be sweet if it really is true though.

Posted by: fearlessflyer

850 GSM is already hot in parts of the Napa Valley. It has been for about the last four months. From what I have been told, The Napa Valley was chosen as the first test area up here because of two reasons: one of which being that there was available bandwidth from TDMA in that area and two, AT&T saw the winery and vineyard owners as a good client base and the poor building penetration of GSM 1900 in those thick walled wineries. The area of the Napa Valley that I have verified as on os the lower Silverado Trail over to the Country Club.

Posted by: brockley

Which phone are you using to test the 850 gsm? I am in Napa right now for the summer and would love to try the 850 band.

Posted by: fearlessflyer

Nokia 6800, and Siemens S46. I was doing a project for the Silverado Country Club. Always little or no GSM 1900 on the Siemens. After visiting the local AT&T store and wondering why everyone (CSR's) that day was sporting T-720's that day I was informed that Napa was the first area to get 850. Did some field testing along the Silverado Trail and was getting full bars on the 6800 but calls could not be completed. The Siemens was showing one bar. Finally a few days later back on the project I guess they heated it up. The Nokia was pinned with solid signal, the Siemens 1 or 2 bars with inconsistent coverage. According to the local CSR's it is active but things are still set so in order to use the signal, 1900 has to be virtually non existent otherwise the phone will stay at 1900 even though reception is less than adequate.

Posted by: brockley

Looks like I need to find myself an 850 phone since I live close to Silverado Trail and should be in the coverage area and I only get 1 to 2 bars (out of 7) on my 6590.

Posted by: ec31hbk

i use to work for Cellular One which is now known as AT&T for the Bay Area market... i was there till GSM came out for the first time and quit to go finish school and i still know ppl that works there... anyways... ATT gsm is not as good as Cingular/T-Mobile's network...ATT gsm still has way more dead zone...AT&T gsm has no signal at my house while Cingular/T-Mobile has full bars, and i heard from a friend that works for AT&T that they promise to have the same coverage as Cingular/T-Mobile by March of 2004 because they signed an agreement for AT&T to use Cingular's Network while they build their own network...

this is what I heard from my friend that worked for AT&T Bay Area.. but not really sure if this info is 100% correct... but i do know that Cingular's Network is better that AT&T's gsm just for the plain fact that AT&T is still new to the gsm game...and i have experience the 2 side by side...having Cingular phone and AT&T gsm phone at the same time....

Posted by: fearlessflyer

I would'nt be surprised! But things are changing so quickly that it looks like eventually there will be just two service networks GSM and CDMA and each carrier will just provide the phones and billing. We saw it with our landline service and utilities here in California. Take a look at thes latest roaming agreements, take a look at the phones offered by the GSM carriers, things cerainly are beginning to look alike. It seams that for an industry that provides service to so many that there are some extra players that will not be around for the duration. Just a thought and not meant to offend anyone.

Posted by: brockley

I just wish that AT&T and T-Mobile wouls sign a roaming agreement here in CA because there are come palces like Lake Berryessa where there is no T-Mobile/Cingular service but there is AT&T. I can see the number of bars and quality of service but I cant register on the network because there is no agreement. It pains me to see service there but not be able to use it. Youve already paid for the initial service from one company so whats the harm in using another companiy's tower as long as the deal is reciprocal. I know they had a deal for a bit earlier this year but then AT&T said it wasnt feasible or something and shut it down. Once of the many reasons I have just cancelled my service with AT&T, effective at the end of this billing cycle (two more weeks).

brockley

Posted by: JakiChan

I am getting a T616 shortly (ordered today)...is there any easy way to find out if it's seeing an 850 signal?

Posted by: kitkit201

Quote:

Originally posted by JakiChan
I am getting a T616 shortly (ordered today)...is there any easy way to find out if it's seeing an 850 signal?

TTT,,, hows the gsm now?

Posted by: Nthach

I just signed on to GSM, it's almost the same coverage as TDMA in most areas, not to mention clear calls. Much better than my experience with Cingular.

Posted by: kitkit201

Quote:

Originally posted by Nthach
I just signed on to GSM, it's almost the same coverage as TDMA in most areas, not to mention clear calls. Much better than my experience with Cingular.

where exactly in the bay area do you live in Ntach?

I'm at San Lorenzo, a bit above Hayward and below San Leandro and it's alright, .. getting 1 bar or so, with my S56, but I'm going in and exchanging it for a T616 this weekend,...