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T-mobiles plans look mighty attractive, but early feedback is that the service is not improved over cingular at all. I don't mind paying more for a service that works, but when is it going to be here???
Duh....I have done the searches. Hence the title of my post "Any Updates?". Looking for NEW information on rollout in the bay area. I would appreciate anyone that can HELP to respond.
as of yesterday ATT GSM shows up in network searches in the LA area. Try it on your phone. It might be up in the bay too...which means commercial rollout is very soon
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1: Apple iPhone 3G, BB Bold, Pearl, Storm
2: LG Dare, MOTOROKR Z6m, Nokia 5310, 5610, 5800, 6301, 8801, N75, N82, N95
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Provider(s):
AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Metro PCS
Joined: Oct 2001
From: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 5,308
Usually the month before the network launches is when AT&T will show up in network searches. For Bay area it should be sometime around 8/12 when it will show up in network search if not already.
Just too bad, Cingular does not have a roaming agreement with AT&T GSM in L.A. & T-Mobile does not either. My T-Mobile phone displays Emergency Calls Only when at home, while my AT&T GSM has 5 bars on my Ericsson T68m -> i
i'd guess it's out in the bay too on network searches because i recall an announcement that Bay and LA rollout would be at the same time.....Last week when I wasup in the bay, i noticed that GSM does not seem to be very popular there. Most people I saw had Sprint or ATT...even the asians which is unusual....In chinese magazines here in LA all ads are for Cingular and soon will be for Tmobile too....but I picked up a chinese mag in Milpitas last week and all the stores were selling ATT TDMA service......just an observation.....
Phone(s):
1: Sony Ericsson T68i
2: Ericsson R289lx (retired)
3: Ericsson T61lz (retired)
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 48
8/6 ?
I talked to some AT&T CSR (Yeah yeah, they're probably the last to know) in Stockton last week and he seemed pretty confident that GSM was going to launch for the San Francisco Bay Area on August 6. He did mention that it was supposed to be the 20th but he said they speeded it up. If he's telling the truth maybe they speeded it up to compete better w/ T-Mobile?
ALSO - FOR ANYONE WHO HAS AT*T GSM IN NORTHERN CALI.
Have you tried using it in San Francisco lately? And if so, are you able to detect and use the AT&T GSM network (even if it hasn't been launched yet?). I heard powertoburn was able to use L.A.'s signal even though it's not yet launched so I'm thinking SF may be the same. If so I'll activate it in Stockton or something
Originally posted by ethune Duh....I have done the searches. Hence the title of my post "Any Updates?". Looking for NEW information on rollout in the bay area. I would appreciate anyone that can HELP to respond.
Check out my Reno Area Wireless Information & Cellular Guide website for more pictures, cell site location maps, carrier reviews & more http://renowirelessinfo.com
Phone(s):
1: iPhone (16GB white)
2: Waaaaay too many
3:
Provider(s):
AT&T
Joined: Nov 2001
From: Near Los Angeles
Posts: 1,709
I usually go to San Jose every week from Modesto in the summer and live in San Jose during the school year. I was there last week and was forced to roam onto Cingular's GSM from the Altamont on 580 all the way to San Jose. I know that parts of the AT&T GSM network are ready to go since I was able to pick up their signal in Fremont on 680 and in San Mateo Co on the 280. I'll expect the network to be uncellbarred by mid-August.
Originally posted by ethune Unfortunately I don't have a GSM phone (yet). Anyone in the South Bay do a network search lately?
Eric
Eric, AT&T has their network powered on. However, since AT&T has not officially launched yet, their network is barred. Barred? That means a network search from a T-Mobile or Cingular phone will not find AT&T Wireless.
With a Nokia phone, there is a method to search for barred networks. That would be achieved via test 19 of Nokia's netmonitor. By default, Nokia is set to exclude barred networks for searches. However...
SIM cards have the ability to store values for preferred and forbidden networks--test screen 6. On my Cingular SIM card, AT&T Wireless is a forbidden network. Even though I toggle my Nokia to reveal AT&T's barred network, I cannot use their network for calls other than emergency numbers.
This explains how a phone locks into AT&T's signal in areas where Cingular has weak or no signal, yet only emergency numbers are allowed.
Originally posted by skytrack ... and was forced to roam onto Cingular's GSM from the Altamont on 580 all the way to San Jose.
You've been able to roam on Cingular with your AT&T phone/SIM ??? I've tried that several times and have been unable to do so. I consistently get "No Access" when I select Cingular on a network search.
Originally posted by powertoburn The multiband expanded local plan forbids roaming on another GSM carrier, because AT&T rather have the phone default to their TDMA service
That makes sense but... I was using my 5190 to try to access Cingular, not my s46. Unless it's preprogrammed in the SIM - and AT&T uses different preprogrammed SIM's for the s46 vs. GSM only phones ?
Phone(s):
1: Sony Ericsson T68i
2: Ericsson R289lx (retired)
3: Ericsson T61lz (retired)
Provider(s):
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 48
hey skytrack,
Interesting reply, thanks.
So basically then, I *could* convert to GSM over in Stockton/Modesto, and should be able to use AT&T's GSM (for free since I'd be an AT&T user anyway) in those places where you detected a signal?
07-16-2002, 14:25
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