Cingular GSM Network

[LGAPilot]

I currently have AT&T TDMA service on a Digital One Rate plan. It's $79.99 for 650 anytime minutes, plus 200 bonus anytime minutes and 1000 N&W minutes. With this plan, you can never be charged roaming, regardless of who's network you're using. It's good, but it's expensive and I want one of those cool phones that only GSM service provides. AT&T's GSM plans cost the same as the TDMA plans.

I'm very interested in Cingular. Their 450 National plan is only $39.99 and includes 5000 NW and 1000 mobile to mobile. Plus, the unused anytime minutes roll over to the next cycle. The limiting factor is that you only get no roaming and long distance when you're ON THE CINGULAR NETWORK. The Cingular rep said that you can configure the phone (I'm interested in the Motorola V400) so that it will not allow you to roam.

Considering that we all travel to every corner of the country (and some beyond) does anyone who has Cingular GSM service have their phone configured to prevent roaming, and if so, are you happy with the coverage? I'm sure it works well in domicile cities, but what about the Fargo's and Kalamazoo's etc, of the country?

Are you happy with Cingular GSM in general?

TIA.

LGAPliot

 

[U-I pilot]

Had cingular GSM now for about 3-4 months. Switched from t-mobile. First off, coverage area is bigger with cingular. Also noticed that coverage inside buildings and basements is superior with cingular. I use my phone from lower peninsula michigan to central illinois to louisville ky including highways in between and have enjoyed it thus far.
Kalamazoo had little if any service when i was there in december however cingular had claimed they were expanding with towers in that area by end of 03....(i think that was late if it has expanded yet....)
Its better than ATT GSM for sure as I have relatives with it who have been forced to switch back to the T/CDMA (cant remember which system they use)
good luck

 

[enigma]

Cingular recently changed from 900megahertz to 1500 (the exact freqs could be a little different) in my hometown. I wasn't at all happy because my old nokia was not capable of working with 1500 and I was forced to buy a new phone.

I can't really respond to your question, because I still have a no roaming, no long distance, anywhere in the US Cingular plan. The reason I respond is to tip you off the the continued existance of the plan I mention. Cingular doesn't want to sell it, but I'm pretty certain that they still have it. It does cost slightly more than the Cingular cell only plan, and you don't get as many free minutes, but it is still a better deal than the AT&T plan, plus you get the features of the GSM phone that you want.

In general, I'm happy with Cingular except for making me buy a new phone just because they changed their freq in my hometown. To their credit, I did manage to badger on of their CSA's to give me a bill credit that almost amounted to the cost of the new phone.

regards,
enigma

 

[juventus]

does the cingular gsm work with that little card(sim card) placed under the battery like in europe?

 

[LGAPilot]

does the cingular gsm work with that little card(sim card) placed under the battery like in europe?

Yes, the Cingular GSM phones have a SIM card.

LGAPilot

 

[Nolife]

Cingular

I just switched from AT&T Nation Plan- $49.99 to Cingular 850 GSM- $59.99, no long distance, no roaming. AT&T roaming was killing me. Check it out, I get 150 more minutes, rollover, 5000 N&W, 5000 phone to phone. IMO Cingular is a much better deal.

 

[LGAPilot]

Re: Cingular

I just switched from AT&T Nation Plan- $49.99 to Cingular 850 GSM- $59.99, no long distance, no roaming. AT&T roaming was killing me. Check it out, I get 150 more minutes, rollover, 5000 N&W, 5000 phone to phone. IMO Cingular is a much better deal.

You can still roam on the Cingular Nation Plan. Read my original post and the small print on your Cingular plan. It only provides no roaming and LD while on the Cingular network.

If you travel off the Cingular network, your phone will roam automatically unless you configure it accept only the Cingular network.

LGAPilot

 

[U-I pilot]

Yes, the Cingular GSM phones have a SIM card.

Im pretty sure any GSM phone has a SIM card since it virtually is the brain of a GSM phone.

 

[sweptback]

LGAPilot, on the old plans they talked about roaming being something like 79c/minute, but with the GSM nation plans you shouldn't ever have to worry about roaming. As long as you get a signal on the phone you should be able to use it. They cover their bases by saying that they allow you to roam on Cingular preferred providers or something along those lines, but basically Cingular contracts with every GSM carrier in America so that point is moot.

About 30 minutes East of where I live Cingular has no native coverage, but I'm allowed to roam on AT&T for free there. If it was a deal where the only coverage was T-Mobile that would work too, but honestly their network isn't all that great so there's probably few places where they have a signal but Cingular doesn't.

In and around the Atlanta area though their coverage is good enough that they bar you from roaming on any other company. So basically you don't have to worry about anything, if you get a signal you can use it, and if they don't want you using somebody else's network they program your phone not to let you.

 

[U-I pilot]

forgot to mention this...maybe someone can figure it out....SOMETIMES in building i lose signal but when it starts coming back, i get signal bars but no cingular text. If i try to make a call like this it says "emergency calls only"...so what gives?
do i have service or not?

 

[banned username 2]

I just got Cingular GSM and a Motorola V400 Quad-Band GSM phone. Cingular coverage is about the best GSM coverage in the US, plus having the V400 Quad-Band gives me the most versatile phone available. Most of the other GSM phones are only Dual Band or Tri-Band.

The Motorola V400 phone is awesome, huge color display and a VGA camera. The sound quality is great, battery life is excellent and the coverage has been very good so far, even beating my Verizon coverage in my home area. Cingular is migrating to 100% GSM within 12 months so all existing customers will switch to GSM, this means they will also be rapidly expanding their GSM network. Cingular might be buying AT&T Wireless which will instantly expand it's network.

Here is the most up to date National map I can find, they should be coming out with a new, updated map in the next couple weeks: Cingular Nationwide GSM Coverage

 

[NuGuy]

Hi all,

Watch out for those GSM phones and roaming. On occation they will lock on to the strongest signal if you don't have them locked out. Saw a lady the other day crying over her $2300 cell bill because it started roaming without her noticing it.

If you travel to the boonies, GSM coverage sucks.

Bad thing about AT&T is that they do not allow data calls over their voice system (say to dial into your ISP). They want to extort you for their very expensive data plans. Meanwhile, my buddies on Verizon and Sprint can surf from between 80k and 144k for not much extra a month.

Best,
Nu

 

[sweptback]

Hi all,

Watch out for those GSM phones and roaming. On occation they will lock on to the strongest signal if you don't have them locked out.

Not if you have a GSM nation plan on Cingular. Plain and simple, there is no roaming.

Bad thing about AT&T is that they do not allow data calls over their voice system (say to dial into your ISP). They want to extort you for their very expensive data plans. Meanwhile, my buddies on Verizon and Sprint can surf from between 80k and 144k for not much extra a month.

If you ask nicely Cingular will give you the free dialup internet (I have it) but it sucks. It's 9600 bps on a good day... so it's pretty much useless.

 

[kevdog]

I have Cingular GSM with a V400 and love it! It's about time GSM kicked in in this country, we are only about 6-8 years behind Europian systems. If you travel to Mexico and Canada often, Cingular just started a plan for the 3 countries that is ~ $59 a month all inclusive, but I believe the nights goes down to 1000 mins a month and there is no mobile to mobile minutes.

 

[Pondscum]

Ok, I'll be the goofball that has to ask........... what is GSM? How does it compare to Tri-Band?

 

[kevdog]

Ok, I'll be the goofball that has to ask........... what is GSM? How does it compare to Tri-Band?

Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)

I think tri-band is GSM.

 

[banned username 2]

Ok, I'll be the goofball that has to ask........... what is GSM? How does it compare to Tri-Band?

Well "Tri-Band" when in reference to GSM means it will cover 3 of the 4 GSM Bands. There are currently 4 GSM bands, 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz... Typically "Tri-Band" covers 900/1800/1900... Cingular and AT&T use the new 850 band because they are migrating to GSM from TDMA and are using GSM technology in the regular cell phone spectrum (850)... T-Mobile uses the 1900 band, so when you buy a T-Mobile phone you will get a Tri-Band phone and it will not have 850, so you can't even roam onto Cingular or AT&T's systems.... Which will greatly reduce your domestic GSM coverage.

The moral of the story is if you can get a Quad-Band GSM phone for the price you like, grab it... It will give you the most comprehensive GSM coverage available. The only Quad-Band phone that Cingular offers (to my knowledge) is the Motorola V400, AT&T offers the Quad-Band Motorola V600...

Hope this helps... I did a lot of research into this before getting my phone...

 

[kevdog]

Quad band phones are also necessary if you are going abroad to places like Europe. You can buy prepaid sim cards and you then have cheap usage with your existing phone.

 

[Timebuilder]

I was on the AT&T 1200 minute plan for $119 a month.

I switched to Verizon wireless, and also signed up for their DSL and unlimited home long distance plan. I couldn't be happier.

First, I get 800 peak time minutes for $59.95 a month. I don't have to use any of them when I call another Verizon phone in area because I also have 1,000 mobile to moblile minutes. Finally, I have unlimited night and weekend use. At my current rates of peak use, I will probably opt to change down to the basic plan of $39.95 a month, which will probably have more peak minutes than I need.

A saving of almost $80 a month, and better customer service, better coverage, and a free phone after two years. And those CDMA towers are everywhere.

GSM is the wave of the future, and I have to agree with kevdog (a first, for me) that you want the GSM phone for Europe, and the prepaid sim cards. GSM is spreading here, but a Verizon engineer told me that it will be five years before the US has really good coverage here for GSM.

So, in December '05 I'll get a new LG phone free from Verizon, and down the road a GSM phone when Verizon has substantial coverage.

When I sent AT&T their last check, I wrote "goodbye from" next to my name on the check.

 

[kevdog]

GSM is the wave of the future, and I have to agree with kevdog (a first, for me) that you want the GSM phone for Europe, and the prepaid sim cards. GSM is spreading here, but a Verizon engineer told me that it will be five years before the US has really good coverage here for GSM.
[/B]

Timebuilder, I love you!

Cingular has pretty good GSM coverage already in place. Basically, anywhere there are larger amounts of people, they have coverage. Some places like Vermont and Montana do not. Any city in the country has coverage.

GSM towers used to cost around a million bucks to install but are now closer to 300K. If verizon is really going to need another 5 years to become GSM compliant...

TB, it's nice to hear that you like something those commie/socialist/freesex loving/Eurotrash have been enjoying for more than 6 years. They have it even better, they only pay if they make the call, receiving is free. And they have live video phones that are pretty cool. I knew we would agree on something sometime down the road. Hell (no pun intended), I want to fly with you now!