AT&T/T-Mobile merger

[Ardy123]

Good to know.  Either way, Skuzzy will still have cell coverage.  

3g to 4g is all junk anyway...  It's just bandwidth.  
I used to deal with these systems every darn day (sprint blackberry enterprise servers and networks).  Before you ask...  Yes, Research In Motion sucks.

Here is the deal.. 4g == marketing term... Different carriers are selling different things.... I don't think there is a carrier in the US that is selling full on '4g' which is called 'LTE Advanced' and none of them I think are yet compliant with IMT Advanced 4G requirements.

1) T-Mobile: I believe is actually selling "HSDPA+" wich is more like 3.5g but branding it as 4g. 3g is also known as UMTS.
2) At&T: I believe is actually selling LTE GSM as '4g'.
3) Verizon: I believe is selling LTE and they are calling this '4g'.
4) Sprint: Is selling WiMax which is a totally different technology and is more akin to wide area wifi. They are branding this two ways, once as '4g' and once through a joint venture called "Clear Wire".

[Ripsnort]

(Verizon)There customer service is the worst.

Actually, you're wrong.

Just the opposite.

Here is just one example of many:
http://cell-phone-providers-review.toptenreviews.com/

In some cases, AT&T is the very worst in customer service:
http://www.jdpower.com/Telecom/ratings/wireless-customer-care-ratings-(volume-1)/

[Skuzzy]

Good to know.  Either way, Skuzzy will still have cell coverage.  

3g to 4g is all junk anyway...  It's just bandwidth.  
I used to deal with these systems every darn day (sprint blackberry enterprise servers and networks).  Before you ask...  Yes, Research In Motion sucks.

Maybe, maybe not.  If the sevice degrades, at all, I will terminate the service and simply do without cell service.  No big deal to me.  I have always voted with my wallet.  I will not do business with Verizon as the service was bad, and the customer service was worse.  We had Sprint for a short period of time.  Not any better.  We tried T-Mobile and have been with them for several years now.  No complaints at all.

I do not care how many G's any service has not or does not have.  I have an old Motorola flip phone.  No Internet, no email, no text messaging, just a phone.  It may the last phone I ever have, unless I can find a replacement which does not have a GPS chip in it.

It does what I need it to do.

[Shuffler]

No phone service has 4G. It is a marketing term only that all are trying to get away from as no one has that speed.

When I changed to AT&T I got the HTC Inspire the before it was to go on sale. I was actually looking to see if the Atrix was out yet. They set me up and said when the Atrix comes out I could switch to it, no charge. Well the Atric came out and I was not impressed. While it is dual core it was no faster than the Inspire and smaller with a cheap feel and look. I kept the Inspire and am very happy with it.

[Babalonian]

I MAY JUST HAVE to switch to verizon now......i like t-mobile.....but i can only see them going down hill from this.....at&t sucks

That's my take on this.  Verizon ain't cheap (over priced out here IMO, especialy if you want data just forget about it), AT&T sucks, goodbye T-mobile.... now what do I do?

[ROX]

That's my take on this.  Verizon ain't cheap (over priced out here IMO, especialy if you want data just forget about it), AT&T sucks, goodbye T-mobile.... now what do I do?

You can get your ham ticket and have your friends do the same.  Except for the $ spent on study book, exam, and radio & antenna (both of which you could build yourself if you wanted) it has zero "time" charges.  Talk with Australia, UK, Canada, or across town all you want.  I know boatloads of husband/wife hams who keep in touch locally on 145-147 mHz FM.  No minutes.

[Babalonian]

You can get your ham ticket and have your friends do the same.  Except for the $ spent on study book, exam, and radio & antenna (both of which you could build yourself if you wanted) it has zero "time" charges.  Talk with Australia, UK, Canada, or across town all you want.  I know boatloads of husband/wife hams who keep in touch locally on 145-147 mHz FM.  No minutes.

No thank you, I've done my share of rigging 50-100 foot "ladder" ham antennas from the top of the chimney and into our hillside during my youth for my often ungrateful and phsycodic-workaholic father.  I've spent way more time rigging, maintaining and repairing the antennas and equipment for him than he's taken the time to enjoy using it or ever taken any time to show me the operating ropes, so it's all there still and likely still working since last I checked, tempting, but just no.

[oakranger]

Actually, you're wrong.

Just the opposite.

Here is just one example of many:
http://cell-phone-providers-review.toptenreviews.com/

In some cases, AT&T is the very worst in customer service:
http://www.jdpower.com/Telecom/ratings/wireless-customer-care-ratings-(volume-1)/

You have not dealt with what we had to.  After canceling our contract the past summer, they are still charging us and had a collection agency after us. 

[Skuzzy]

Not a done deal yet.  Sprint is trying to block it.  GO SPRINT GO!

[Killer91]

Not a done deal yet.  Sprint is trying to block it.  GO SPRINT GO!

    

[CAP1]

Not a done deal yet.  Sprint is trying to block it.  GO SPRINT GO!

I HOPE THey succeed......was talking to mom last night on the phone. thought my borg implant was acting up..it did a funny ring, and there was a hum/whine in the background...so i hung up n called back. same thing. also heard other voices. i hung up, and called her on the house phone. all was ok now. she's on at&t.

[JunkyII]

Fact is Verizon is owning the cell phone world.....getting the Iphone probably is what made At&T decide to expand because that was their only up on Verizon, even though Droid > Iphone.

My facebook status from the other day...

"T-mobile and AT&T merging? Looks like boss dog Verizon might actually have to step their game up....oh and can you hear me now? Verizon for the win"

[Masherbrum]

I won't miss Sprint and their gaping coverage holes.

[Skuzzy]

I am not crazy about Sprint, but if this merger happens and the service degrades for T-Mobile customers, then Sprint will be my only option.

[Babalonian]

I am not crazy about Sprint, but if this merger happens and the service degrades for T-Mobile customers, then Sprint will be my only option.

When you walk into Sprint, ask them if they still are taking their Nextel friend's advice to have call centers in mexico that they're paying to call their paying customers and use up their their time while also trying to sell add-services and other such lovely aditional offers.  I'm serious, and spin it so you can get a deal if only to make me happy to know they squirmed a little.  Still the only company in the world to this day I have never settled my debt with (I refused and always will to pay them my last two months I had them, after being a loyal customer for years and for the BS that started happening after Nextel bought them).