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The Top Carrier!!

IIXxRaVeNxXII

Dec 7, 2003, 11:11 AM
Using coverage area, type/number of phones, customer service, roaming agreements, technology, etc. as a basis, what is the top carrier from the following:

Cingular
Sprint
T Mobile
Verizon Wireless


Nextel - Ruled out because a limited supply of phones, only Motorola...
AT&T Wireless - 'nuff said.
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Worf

Dec 7, 2003, 1:46 PM
Its a shame you ruled Nextel out just because of Motorola phones. The truth is other manufactures don't want to pay Motorola for the technology that runs the next el operation. To answer your question, I would select T mobile or cingular. Verizon is currently a larger market, but cingular is looking to merge within the year with another gsm company. That means either t mobile or att. Cingular is currently second in size to verizon, after the merger they will be equal to or larger than verizon. Verizon and nextel are currently tops in customer service. Sprint is one of the worst. The question that really comes to mind is what do you really want to know for. What do you want to do with your phone? Once you answer that, then you'll know wh...
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TDMA DUDE

Dec 9, 2003, 12:03 PM
check coverage maps pal. verizon beats us in coverage. and who gives a **** who carries more phones. you can only use one at a time. as for cust care believe me, some of us know what we are doing, but i sit here surrounded by morons who dont have a clue....
on to roaming agreements, dont even try to sit there and tell me about attws having superior roaming agreemnts becasue i went through months of escalated calls on account of attws cutting roaming agreements all over the counrty. and at first they were sticking people with the etf if they no longer had service and wanted to cancel. they changed that after a few weeks, but they really tried to hold people to the cancelation fee.as for technology. sure gsm is cool, but were not using the s...
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Screwball

Dec 10, 2003, 9:11 AM
Verizon is the best hands down. Do any comparison and check all the coverage maps and verizon has the largest coverage of any of the carriers.
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Phonedude61

Dec 10, 2003, 12:41 PM
The bad thing about Verizon is that they have the biggest debt load....to the tune of 45 BILLION and just offered early retirement to over 15 thousand employees. Wouldn't take much to push them over the financial edge.
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vzwpro

Dec 10, 2003, 2:04 PM
That is typical of the telecom industry as whole in the current state of the industry. The parent companies of Cingular combine for a total debt load of 36 BILLION and both are planning early retirement buy outs. And an anticipated purchase of one of the other GSM carriers will grow that debt load.

Bottom line is, if you compare coverage and reliability VerizonWireless is tops hands down.
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Phonedude61

Dec 10, 2003, 2:32 PM
One of the parent companies of Cingular, BellSouth, has in access of 20 billion in cash reserves and they are in major preditor mode to buy out someone in the first or second qtr of 2004. Alltel as well has a large cash reserve so not everyone in the industry is typical of the rest of the industry.
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Skins56

Dec 12, 2003, 12:24 PM
You can not judge Verizon Wireless by the Parent Company. Verizon Wireless makes so much money each quarter it is plain ridiculous. If Verizon Wireless thought they were in that much trouble they would go public, but they don't need to because they make so much money.
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moobak

Dec 16, 2003, 12:46 AM
Belive me, Verzion Wireless ain't going out of business anytime soon. Nor is any of the major providers. If anything happens we'll know well in advance here in Phonescoop anyway!

If any carrier is strugglign it'd be Cingular and their ARPU which took a plunge - $48 dollars now, compared to Verizons 50 something, AT&T Wireless's 60, etc... mostly because of their awsome offer of 9.99 per new line for family plans, which everyone else quickly went in line with. We'll see a plunge in profit over the next year, with LNP and all the new technologies coming out.
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TomZ

Dec 17, 2003, 3:39 PM
This guy hates Cingular. They must be doing something right. My store is on pace to double last year's December numbers. Cingular is #2 and is not in any danger of going lower. Once they buy T-Mobile or ATTW it'll be a done deal and Cingular will be on top. Stop denying the inevitable.

tz
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vega

Dec 17, 2003, 8:58 PM
TomZ said:
This guy hates Cingular. They must be doing something right. My store is on pace to double last year's December numbers. Cingular is #2 and is not in any danger of going lower. Once they buy T-Mobile or ATTW it'll be a done deal and Cingular will be on top. Stop denying the inevitable.

tz


just thought i'd mention that cingular is # 2 in total customers... but # 3 in amount of income earned. attws has less customer's, yet makes more money than cingular. that's nothing to be proud of... and in case you haven't noticed, it's cingular that's desperate to merge... not attws or t-mobile. 🙄
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Chaotic19

Dec 17, 2003, 10:07 PM
Isn't AT&T Wireless the most profitable of the wireless providers? I know they don't have the most customers(not that it matters, as wireless companies do not offer service to primarily have customers, they do it to make money just like any other profitable company), and everyone thinks that Verizon is the best just because they do. They are not. What you think of a company depends on many factors such as: how good their reception is in your area, your customer service experience (which if I'm not mistaken the last survey I saw had ATTWS at the top of customer service satisfaction), their ability to meet your wireless needs, so on and so forth. As a rep for ATTWS, I here customers complaining about other wireless carriers that they just swit...
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Skins56

Dec 18, 2003, 10:18 AM
Actually VZW is the most profitable company, hence why we have not gone public. Our quarterly profit is in the billions. And we also won the JD award for best customer service. Actually there ares polls taken that show VZW is tops in all areas you mentioned above based on what the customer says, and that is all that matters. Please make sure you have all your facts straight before posting a message like this. Just this morning word cam from the President of VZW Philadelphia region that we are nationally 13 million customers above the closest carrier. And our ARPU is now over 50.00. It will not be long now before the other carriers have to merge just to keep up with us.
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95mike

Dec 18, 2003, 12:27 PM
Since you work for Verizon, any truth to the rumors that they are ditching analog in the somewhat near future?
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Skins56

Dec 18, 2003, 12:36 PM
Yes. We are coverting our entire network to digital. The only time you will use analog is if you are using another carriers tower. Most of the larger companies are getting rid of analog because is just not useful anymore. Granted it will take a while to convert everything but it is happening.
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Big Poppa

Dec 18, 2003, 2:18 PM
And to add to this the reason WHY Verizon is replacing the analog with digital, is becuz the FCC had made some amendments to it's rules which now does NOT require carrier to keep analog service available.. Wich means that Sprint could one day cut all analog roaming if it wanting too, and only provide digital roaming.
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moobak

Dec 21, 2003, 9:04 PM
Lets quit thinking this is my vendetta. What they said is true, previously... you saying Verizon is the most profitable provider is completely out of the topic, we're talking about AT&T Wireless's profitability over top of Cingulars, in which AT&T Wireless is the more profitable one, and only has a million or so less customers (which really is alot i agree, compared to the next competitor VZW, thats 13 million more then us, and Sprint has about 10 million less.)

It will be a merger, not a buy-out if anything at all. TZ is blind and arrogant.
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AL09

Dec 31, 2003, 6:11 PM
The company making the most money is Next-el because of there high churn rate. They have more customers keeping their service more then any company because of the walkie talkie. I don't like Nextel phone service at all. But when a person get use to the wakie talkie is hard to let go because all of the friends have it already. Most of the customer that they have is paying average $70.00 per month.
I read something online about the JD. They rated service in 5 major cities in the U.S. Verizon was rate number 1 in all of the city. Less drop calls and bigger range of services. AT$T, Cingular, and Sprint was off and on in second place. In customer service I think AT&T was 1ST. But combining C.S. service & phone service Verizon is 1ST. Cing...
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poohgirl

Dec 31, 2003, 6:54 PM
Sprint also has the walkie talkies, which they call Ready Link. And I believe that AT&T will be coming out with that service soon.
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leaps19

Dec 31, 2003, 8:34 PM
1st quarter 2004
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leaps19

Dec 31, 2003, 8:34 PM
First, we don't use satellites (you should know this selling our service) we use radio frequency towers. The amount of towers for ATTWS GSM service is proportionate to the amount of time ATTWS has been selling GSM svs (about 2 - 2 1/2 years in some markets) & with the largest 3G service provider in the world (NTT DO CO MO Japan) backing us on the monetary aspect ($5 Billion to be exact), preparing ATTWS to become the first provider in the US to come out with the true, advanced 3G technology that they have in Japan (who is at the top of the cellular industry if you did not know) with the phones that you can look at the person who you are talking to & at the same time voice navigate the internet. How many wireless companies have a future 3G pl...
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Chaotic19

Dec 25, 2003, 4:51 PM
Do you know why the polls you've seen have VZW at the top of the polls. Because VZW has the most customers. If you have the most customers, of course you are going to be at the top of the polls because you have more people putting in surveys. Duh. Kind of like the more people that vote in an election the more votes you will have!!!
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cellphfrk

Dec 18, 2003, 1:48 PM
😁 well done moobak, I don't have attws as my service, but you are right on about your statement and instead of "putting down" other carriers like some other people....you point out the obvious facts. thank you
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Big Poppa

Dec 18, 2003, 3:05 PM
Which survey was this from that had AT&T wireless at the top for Customer Service??

JD powers has consistantly ranked Verizon Wireless as the Best in Customer Service, Best Network, etc..

And just as you hearing more people complain about thier previous carrier, of course that is trues, just as I hear all the horror stories from people porting to VZW from AT&T, Sprint, etc.. Thats they WHOLE reason they are porting is becuz they were not satisfied. Why would people who are satisfied with thier current service port to another carrier.. DUH!

AT&T may have a high ARPU (Average Revenu per user) Than Verizon, buts thats becuz the prices are so high.. But Verizon brings in MORE money Annually per year, for one big reason, when have MORE c...
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moobak

Dec 21, 2003, 9:13 PM
JD Power is a crock, dude. They're paid out under the table to spew bs. The customer service is nearly impossible to differentiate, unless you talk about hold times and the like... no self respecting CS rep is going to treat anyone bad without having a pink slip wish.

You don't know the psycology behind complaints either do you? If someone has a good experience, they might tell one or two people about it.
If they get a bad experience, they'll be more likely to tell a DOZEN people about it.

Verizon is the most profitable, of course! I mean, they have THIRTEEN MILLION more customers then us. Thats more people then alot of carriers have IN ALL. Thats because they MERGED between three large carriers, as well have high cost plans with lowe...
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Screwball

Dec 31, 2003, 10:02 AM
I have a Verizon phone and can tell you they have a wonderful service and a very good customer service. ATT uses tdma or Gsm in the states which is not as fast or reliable as Verizon's CDMA digital technology.

Hope you have success finding a great carrier but definitely try Verizon they do give you a 15 day trial on their service.
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TMOPro

Dec 31, 2003, 3:10 PM
You should research GSM, it is the most widely used standard WORLDWIDE. The U.S. is the only country that uses so many different standards. Just FYI 😉
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leaps19

Dec 31, 2003, 4:11 PM
Your opinion is your own, but my opinion is ATTWS has faster & more reliable svs than Verizon & ATTWS has a 30 day trial period as opposed to Verizon's 15.
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Skins56

Dec 31, 2003, 5:58 PM
I guess it depends on where you live. But Nationally VZW has the faster of the two services and is more reliable. ANd yes the 30 day policy is better, but you would hope they would not want to leave in the first place.
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leaps19

Dec 31, 2003, 6:45 PM
Naturally Verizon is not faster & ATTWS has much more reliable svs than they ever will & giving customers less time in the buyers remorse period just shows how insecure Verizon is with their products & svs or they would let you try it out for a decent amount of time to make sure it works everywhere for the customer before binding you to contract. 😛
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leaps19

Dec 24, 2003, 6:54 PM
Keep dreaming, the reason why Cingular wants to merge so bad is because they have such shortcomings that they can only be remedied by merging with another wireless carrirer with better coverage, etc. Cingular has a long way to come before being close to #1 & that is a fact. By the way ATTWS is not for sale & if Tmobile's parent company want's to sell / merge, that's their business. Oh yeah, & just because 2 customers came in this December as opposed to last year's 1 doesn't impress anyone that your #'s have doubled in one year. Cingular & Verizon have big corporate giants to back them & take blame for their mistakes, but ATTWS is the largest indipendant wireless provider in North America BAR NONE! Taking that into perspective, ATTWS is #1 &...
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Worf

Dec 24, 2003, 11:38 PM
Nextel= Done!
Enough said.
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baybegyrl

Jan 6, 2004, 1:11 PM
but if cingular spreaded to the east coast they would fop your just basing this off of west coast which sbc is their parent company if they buy att they in trouble if they buy t moblie wow they in more trouble you get what you pay for and that is verizonwireless all the way.
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acdaleco

Dec 10, 2003, 2:57 PM
In louisville, verizon's service is absolutely the worst!!!!...Way too many dropped calls!!!
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golfather

Dec 18, 2003, 11:55 PM
With their Free & Clear America plans, I beleive SprintPCS has the most coverage. You can roam on every other network, on every cell tower in the country, and not be charged roaming. Only five more dollars a month which is nothing compared to the jacked up prices of other carriers. 😁
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moobak

Dec 21, 2003, 9:15 PM
Sure but if you use your service off their network for more then a few weeks suddenly they'll just up and terminate your contract. 🙂
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95mike

Dec 22, 2003, 12:34 PM
You are almost correct. (I had a customer go through this first hand) You have to use at least 50% of your minutes in sprint digital or else they will kick you off the plan (start paying roaming in analog) and still hold you to the contract.
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AL09

Dec 31, 2003, 8:58 PM
Verizon is the best service because it have a bigger range of coverage. Great customer service. JD rate #1 in U.S.
Cingular is getting better with service and customer service. JD rate #2.
AT&T use to be good with TDMA. GSM sucks. Customer service is getting worst. Need to wait 10-30 mins. to call to customer service to talk to a rep. JD rate #3.
Sprint is forth. Worst service and customer service. Service is getting better. But customer service still sucks.
Nextel is not rate. Phone service is fair. Getting better. Good customer service. Once you get hook in the walkie-talkie is hard to leave this company. Highest churn rate. Average customer pay $70.00 a month. Don't like Nextel, but they are making a lot of money...
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LordGreyWolf

Dec 31, 2003, 9:49 PM
ok so rate it like this who has the most coverage in NORTH AMERICA let me help you AT&T has the most coverage in NORTH AMERICA and before you reply, check the facts,
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Worf

Jan 1, 2004, 12:11 PM
The facts, gsm has more providers in the nation, but until AT&T merges with either t mobile or cingular, Verizon is the largest network, with the most subscribers.
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LordGreyWolf

Jan 1, 2004, 1:36 PM
Let me highlight what i said again the most coverage in NORTH AMERICA , not just the nation NOETH AMERICA is AT&T verizon can't say that AT&T can.
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Skins56

Jan 1, 2004, 1:52 PM
Oh get off it. We also offer a roaming plan for Canada as well as on the America's Choice you can Roam in Puerto Rico. Mexico has pretty limited coverage and what is there is mostly AMPS. But we have a roam agreement in Mexico City. So quit trying to one up by getting technical and saying N.America. Most people using service live in the US and stay in the US, and VZW has the most coverage, Period.
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sprinthater

Jan 1, 2004, 2:10 PM
I just would like to add a comment in regards to Verizon. With almost any other carrier once you are off their network you can't use your phone so coverage aside. You can use a verizon phone anywhere (in the us) cellular service is available as long as you have a tri-mode phone and no other carrier can say the same verizon spends billions of dollars a year adding to their network. the "can you hear me now" guy is not a gimic! Verizon has a department to specializes in going around and locating dead areas. So hands down relaiblity of network verizon has it all.
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Worf

Jan 1, 2004, 8:03 PM
I personnally never had decent customer service when I phone company was bought by verizon, but you're coverage area is right. I'll stick with my Nextel. I know it doesn't yet have the best coverage, but I think it has the features at the moment, for WHAT I USE. Something people forget is not one company meets all needs.
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annetagonist

Jan 7, 2004, 6:58 PM
sprinthater said:
I just would like to add a comment in regards to Verizon. With almost any other carrier once you are off their network you can't use your phone so coverage aside. You can use a verizon phone anywhere (in the us) cellular service is available as long as you have a tri-mode phone and no other carrier can say the same verizon spends billions of dollars a year adding to their network. the "can you hear me now" guy is not a gimic! Verizon has a department to specializes in going around and locating dead areas. So hands down relaiblity of network verizon has it all.

...except for roaming agreements. Verizon can't use ATT towers, ATT can't use Verizon's. AWS has more coverage in North Ameri...
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Worf

Jan 1, 2004, 7:59 PM
spell check, you misspelled North America the second time around dude.
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cellularguro

Jan 1, 2004, 3:13 PM
Must agree with everything aol9 has said about cellular service
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TheBoots

Jan 1, 2004, 3:41 PM
reply to AL09's message. Much appreciated although I'd add the following:
1) You are comparing Apple's and oranges.
2) Verizon has widest network so it appears that their call coverage etc is good BUT they have NO GSM phones; hence the choices of phones with advanced functionality is absent. No bluetooth phones for example.
3) Soon, when the other networks roll out of GSM comes to completion (ATT GSM used to be bad but it is cuz they are in process of rolling out them towers etc), and with number portability a low cost option, Verizon will see increasing churns.
4) Drive across 48 states just to prove which network is best? Interesting proposition although I figured that by the time I am finished, some carriers would have added a lot ...
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sprinthater

Jan 1, 2004, 4:41 PM
theboots look for a phone if you want but when your sitting there playing with all your cool features because your waiting in line to use the tower that supporting three carriers, I bet you'll wish you had a plain jane verizon phone. All I know is when we had that blackout on the eastcoast Verizon was the only carrier that was never down. I have had all the carriers and I could care less if it made me breakfast in the morning if I can't use whenever I want to use, it serves no purpose as a cellular phone.

FYI- verizon has camera phones, pda phones, pc phones, downloadable ringtones & games, blackberry phones, push-to-talk phones, & plain jane phones.
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TheBoots

Jan 1, 2004, 5:42 PM
Cool. Points taken.

Unfortunately, I was overseas on August 15 so did not have the chance to check what it was like having a phone that worked during the blackout.
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Worf

Jan 1, 2004, 8:10 PM
VZW has all that and no real customer service. I don't care what you offer, if you treat me like crap, then you don't need my money.
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baybegyrl

Jan 6, 2004, 1:05 PM
you know its all how you present yourself when you call i doubt anyone is just going to jump down your throat because you were being nice.
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Worf

Jan 6, 2004, 7:17 PM
Not talking about calling them, I'm talking about going into a store owned by the company and being treated like I matter. When they cellular company I had been using for years switched to Verizon, I wasn't allowed to deal with my normal sales person. They wanted me to deal with whoever was available, who didn't know my needs from squat, let alone thier own product.
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baybegyrl

Jan 6, 2004, 1:13 PM
thank you now that is what i want to here when in doubt rule them out and when the nasty 9/11 went out only verizonwireless was their to help.. bless them and watch tv i bet you will see verizonwireless ever where not including their commericals.
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AL09

Jan 6, 2004, 2:40 PM
😢 Sorry last time I gave some wrong info. about some carrier. 🤭 Pls. take a look @ this web site. Might be interesting.


http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detailv2.jsp?CON ... » =299617


I work at a cell phone place that sells almost all of the service provider. Like you guys some people say Cingular is better, Verizon is better, and At&t, etc. When somebody ask me which carrier is better. I would say, I don't know. If I tell you Verizon is better would you believe me. Verizon has a bigger overall coverage, but what if it doesn't work at your home. If you went camping with your friends. On the camp site. If there is a place where your friends cell phone work and yours don't. And you guys walk 20 steps and your c...
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Worf

Jan 6, 2004, 7:20 PM
baybegyrl, have you noticed that most of the tv shows, have thier actors using Motorola Nextel phones. Now that's product placement. If you get what you pay for, then Nextel is the way to go. All of you that complain about the plan prices!
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baybegyrl

Jan 6, 2004, 10:27 PM
I was just with nextel and i had called in about my phone not being able to call 911 when i got ran off the road and the supervisor didnt even care nor so concern about my issues with the phone.he just brushed me off since i was upset and crying.
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AL09

Jan 6, 2004, 11:16 PM
The best plan I ever heard of is METRO PCS. Their service sucks. Customer service sucks. MetroPCS offers local wireless phone service to customers in and around the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco and Sacramento. $35 unlimited minutes. $40 unlimited long distance. The MetroPCS network was built from the ground up using third-generation CDMA2000 1xRTT technology.

😲
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cellularguro

Jan 1, 2004, 3:06 PM
all of you people want to fight for the company you work for and not tell the truth.
If you people that say to do your homework actually did your you would all know
A)Sprint is rated the absolute worst in customer service,dropped calls And among the top 5 worst service area's
B) T-mobile (what a joke)Good service and fewer dropped calls as long as your within 3-7 miles (depending on weather and other issues) from an major roadway or intersate. Nation wide No Roaming Correct This was one of the greatest marketing scams. You will never be charged roaming just hope you never have a emergancy 8 miles from an interstate because your phone will not work.Ranked last overall in coverage.
C) Verizon was ranked the best in nationwide coverage and...
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Worf

Jan 1, 2004, 8:06 PM
Nextel at least tells people that when you're off thier network, it won't work. Nextel has its high credit standards for a reason. THEY don't want to have to send an account into collections.
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coowguy

Jan 6, 2004, 7:22 PM
IIXxRaVeNxXII said:
Using coverage area, type/number of phones, customer service, roaming agreements, technology, etc. as a basis, what is the top carrier from the following:

Cingular
Sprint
T Mobile
Verizon Wireless

I work for Tmobile and here is my opinion...
There is no "best" carrier. It is in where and how you use it. Best minutes for money-Tmobile. Largest area of coverage-Verizon. Roaming Agreements-Verizon. Technology-any of the current GSM carriers (ATT, Cingular, TMob-with Tmob having best quality of calls according to JD Power), customer service-I'm biased-Tmobile but the only other carrier I can state for sure sucks is Sprint. I had Sprint and you couldn't pay me enough to sign up with them aga
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