US Cellular 2Q hit by cost of smartphones

**freibrauer** · 08-09-2012, 02:18 AM

My friend had one but it was resolved by removing and re inserting his SIM card.

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**cdodge04** · 08-09-2012, 07:04 AM

Originally Posted by ilvla2

I haven't heard of any reception problems with the Galaxy S III.

check out the USCC FB page and the Galaxy SIII page that was created on there...lots of problems with reception - lots of dropped calls and dropped data

**ilvla2** · 08-09-2012, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by cdodge04

check out the USCC FB page and the Galaxy SIII page that was created on there...lots of problems with reception - lots of dropped calls and dropped data

Well, that's a small minority though, there are far more that have it on other carriers. I wouldn't be so fast to blame Samsung, sometimes the carriers screw up too.

**ace3166** · 08-09-2012, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by ilvla2

Well, that's a small minority though, there are far more that have it on other carriers. I wouldn't be so fast to blame Samsung, sometimes the carriers screw up too.

Look down in threads on here "GS3 signal issues".
Many complaints on USCC FB page every day.
Teamuscellular there are many complaints.
Some members on there have discovered that the phone will not hold a tower/tower panel.
It is hopping towers/panels. Problems is more common in metro areas where there are more towers.
This is in addition to the lousy 4G reception. Dba numbers will vary from 3G and 4G. I have seen -25dBa less signal between the two.One mile by air from tower and I can't even pick up 4g signal at my house.
There will be a whole lot more complaints when 2nd phase of 4G is implemented.

Overheard a conversation at the store the other day,US cellular and Samsung are working on a fix, according to a store tech.

**silver_bacon** · 08-09-2012, 03:52 PM

US Cellular's problem is the fact that they charge big-boy prices and offer little-guy service. Slower phone releases, worse phone selection, and slower data networks while charging high costs. You can't run a company that way and expect to make it.

US Cellular needs a key selling point that is still relevant today. Currently they use coverage as their selling point. That was a good selling point 10-20 years ago, not so much anymore. I live in a rural area and have solid coverage from 4 carriers. US Cellular had a decent advantage with their 5GB for $30, but they nuked that. So really they have nothing.

**tigerwolf** · 08-09-2012, 03:58 PM

I think that's true from a PERCEPTION standpoint. They charge more than Verizon and AT&T now, last I checked, and people are going to go with those. Phones are decent if you want Android, but of course no iPhone.

But coverage...here at least USCC and Verizon are the only ones that offer what I'd consider acceptable coverage. Sprint is solid, not a complete joke, but really not good enough, and T-Mobile is worse, AT&T a joke.

**AndThenScottSays...** · 08-09-2012, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by silver_bacon

US Cellular's problem is the fact that they charge big-boy prices and off little-guy service. Slower phone releases, worse phone selection, and slower data networks while charging high costs. You can't run a company that way and expect to make it.

^ this

US Cellular's future lies in being the local "discount" carrier. The problem is, management sees that as beneath them and they just don't want to accept that.

They got where they are by offering hyperlocal/regional plans at a significant discount (relative to VZW and Cingular/ATT). They stopped offering local plans and now people are going across the street to Verizon where there's actually an inventory to browse. There truly is no reason to be a USCC customer anymore other than it making you feel warm and fuzzy.

**tigerwolf** · 08-09-2012, 07:11 PM

Better coverage! That's the reason. Everyone but USCC and Verizon is a joke with coverage. And honestly I guess they have all US support? So I'd pick them just for that if everything else is equal, or not too much more. ($50 more, well...I'm poor lol)

But...yeah, I thought a couple of years ago they desperately needed to do something, and they hinted at these great new plans, and I'm thinking "FINALLY". And then they're released...and they just raised the prices and added a ridiculous "rewards" program. It's like does anyone LIKE those? Or think it makes sense to pay more so you get points? The only rewards program I like is Discover, because it's basically cash, and straight forward.

Back with the 1000 minutes + free incoming or 7pm nights/weekends, THOSE were good deals versus Verizon/AT&T, and then it was a hard sell I think because it seems like people just go with the bigger name, even though in the case of AT&T, they're actually a joke network, that shouldn't even be legal if I had my way.

**freibrauer** · 08-10-2012, 03:57 AM

Originally Posted by AndThenScottSays...

^ this

US Cellular's future lies in being the local "discount" carrier. The problem is, management sees that as beneath them and they just don't want to accept that.

They got where they are by offering hyperlocal/regional plans at a significant discount (relative to VZW and Cingular/ATT). They stopped offering local plans and now people are going across the street to Verizon where there's actually an inventory to browse. There truly is no reason to be a USCC customer anymore other than it making you feel warm and fuzzy.

From 2008-early 2011 uscc had cheaper prices and wasn't doing any better. They needed to improve their phone lineup. They increased prices and while still behind are not as bad they use to in the phone lineup. I doubt they can afford to be cheap and have expensive phones. USCC can't afford to get high end phones and be cheaper. You could argue sprint does but here is the thing. Sprint has the advantage of economies of scale which uscc doesn't have and sprint has been losing money and post pay customers longer that uscc has. Sprint may turn that around some day but they will still have a huge economies of scale advantage.

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**ilvla2** · 08-10-2012, 04:28 AM

Originally Posted by tigerwolf

Better coverage! That's the reason. Everyone but USCC and Verizon is a joke with coverage. .

That's just not true, coverage varies from area to area, there is no "one size fits all" in wireless. USCC is at a turning point, they need to decide what they want to be and where they want to go, and ultimately it's up to the Carlson Family as to whether to keep on keepin' on, or to jump ship and find safer waters.

**hotstud19us** · 08-10-2012, 07:39 AM

I love how everyone is forecasting doom and gloom for USCC. Guess what they have no debt. The other carriers have a bunch of debt. They also have more customers to justify there debt.

Look at how Alltel was before Verizon bought them. They had close to 30 million in debt. And barely twice as many customers as USCC. I'd say USCC is doing fine, yes they could be doing better. But oh well.

Another decent way to judge a company is by there stock price. USCC is hanging toe to toe with the big boys (except Sprint, there on the precipice and about to go under one of these years).

USCC 38.02
Verizon 44.34
at&t 37.23
Sprint 4.80
T-mobile 12.66

**ilvla2** · 08-10-2012, 07:41 AM

Well, you can certainly spin things any way you want to, but to me it looks like USCC is having trouble. If they want to stay in business, they need to recognize that and do something about it, denying the facts isn't the way to move forward.

**timeofday** · 08-10-2012, 07:49 AM

Consider this...

This could be USCC plan. Continue to have losses be taken over by Verizon, then take over Verizon from with in..

**ilvla2** · 08-10-2012, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by timeofday

Consider this...

This could be USCC plan. Continue to have losses be taken over by Verizon, then take over Verizon from with in..

Lol Aha, that must be it!

**tigerwolf** · 08-10-2012, 08:55 AM

Huh...didn't know Alltell was bought by Verizon! So does that mean UPrepaid is actually a joint Verizon/US Cellular thing? Actually that would probably make some sense, but I do wonder if that's a first tiny step to them being bought out. (I can't remember if on U Prepaid you can pay by credit card online or not...)

Originally Posted by ilvla2

That's just not true, coverage varies from area to area, there is no "one size fits all" in wireless. USCC is at a turning point, they need to decide what they want to be and where they want to go, and ultimately it's up to the Carlson Family as to whether to keep on keepin' on, or to jump ship and find safer waters.

No, there's not, BUT by and large it's always US Cellular and Verizon that have coverage, and AT&T is always a joke. That's not universally true, but you look at any set of reviews in Consumer Reports, Verizon is always first or second, AT&T is always last. AT&T gets laughed at/booed by press when say a Sony announces that's how's providing coverage for the cell version of Vita, etc. I mean AT&T is a joke where I am, and it's a joke everywhere I hear about, save for I remember someone saying along one of the great lakes in one area they had the best coverage.

They're so bad where I am that it's laughable to consider it an actual network. It's more like you're paying for some wifi towers set up a few locations in the area, while US Cellular you can literally be in a metal building in the middle of a field somewhere and have far better coverage than AT&T gives you downtown.