From The Ground Up?
I just have to ask, because this has been perplexing me for some time. What benefit is there to a customer to having a network that's "built from the ground up" as opposed to one created over time from building up towers as well as the additions of others through mergers and acquisitions? I understand that Sprint can't claim the largest network without qualifying it with "all digital," "all PCS," and "built from the ground up." As an aside, I think it's the most specious advertising claim in wireless, but that's beside the point.
I want to know what the benefit to a customer is. I don't see any personally. It doesn't matter if you build them, acquire them through a merger or buyout, or sacrifice puppies to Cthulhu to get them. They ...
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I want to know what the benefit to a customer is. I don't see any personally. It doesn't matter if you build them, acquire them through a merger or buyout, or sacrifice puppies to Cthulhu to get them. They ...
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I think what they might be trying to do is to say that they are the only "pure" cell phone company...they haven't had their merger cherry....nevermind you get the point...anyway I would have to agree with you that it doesn't really offer anything additional for their customer base
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let's look at this book, entitled common sense 101. you and phonepimp need to take a seat. building a network from the ground up keeps costs down for customers because the company doesn't have to make its clientelle pay for what they have bought from other companies. you follow? i feel that's straight-forward, but please do tell me if that doesn't make sense, or if you need further clarification on this easy to understand concept.
also, any company who soley owns and operates what they have built themselves is much more rich in equity due to the fact that they have others asking to utilize their assets... and paying them for it (ever heard of Quest... or better yet, Virgin Mobile??). it's kind of like owning an aparment building vs. renting...
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also, any company who soley owns and operates what they have built themselves is much more rich in equity due to the fact that they have others asking to utilize their assets... and paying them for it (ever heard of Quest... or better yet, Virgin Mobile??). it's kind of like owning an aparment building vs. renting...
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But in that effect Ash you along with every other cell phone company have roaming agreements with other carriers, so with that being the case:
#1 you have to pay addition money for said roaming agreements
#2 the technology that you use is developed my Qualcomm, therefore you have to pay them a subsidy for every tower you build...Same with us here at VZW...so you really don't solely own it, you had to pay for it just like the rest of us
#3 Why are you so hateful and degrating to everyone...no need for name calling, it only a cell phone and we're merely debating...
#1 you have to pay addition money for said roaming agreements
#2 the technology that you use is developed my Qualcomm, therefore you have to pay them a subsidy for every tower you build...Same with us here at VZW...so you really don't solely own it, you had to pay for it just like the rest of us
#3 Why are you so hateful and degrating to everyone...no need for name calling, it only a cell phone and we're merely debating...
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i'm sorry, i wasn't trying to be hateful...
i just think it's smart to be able to pay for using other's towers based on your own assets via the companies who pay you to use them vs. having to charge the consumer directly for purchases the company made inorder to serve them. that's like saying, "thanks for letting me go shopping with your twenty dollars... here is what i bought for you- with your money. however, that actually cost $35, so i'll need $15 from you, plus a $5 convenience charge for doing your shopping for you..."
my wording is bad, and i am sorry for that. but it does make sense.
i just think it's smart to be able to pay for using other's towers based on your own assets via the companies who pay you to use them vs. having to charge the consumer directly for purchases the company made inorder to serve them. that's like saying, "thanks for letting me go shopping with your twenty dollars... here is what i bought for you- with your money. however, that actually cost $35, so i'll need $15 from you, plus a $5 convenience charge for doing your shopping for you..."
my wording is bad, and i am sorry for that. but it does make sense.
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And how does Sprint get its assets to build towers? By exploiting the workers! By hanging on to outdated imperialistic dogma that perpetuates the differences in our society! Oops, sorry. This isn't Monty Python.
Sprint does, however, get its assets to build its towers by charging customers for its services and making a profit. Either that or getting subsidies from the long distance division of Sprint and therefore charging people, Sprint LD customers, a little more money in order to turn a profit to spawn off a wireless division. This is something that, according to your posts, you see as wrong or evil. However, I don't. The money to start a company has to come from somewhere and there's nothing wrong with turning business profits...
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Sprint does, however, get its assets to build its towers by charging customers for its services and making a profit. Either that or getting subsidies from the long distance division of Sprint and therefore charging people, Sprint LD customers, a little more money in order to turn a profit to spawn off a wireless division. This is something that, according to your posts, you see as wrong or evil. However, I don't. The money to start a company has to come from somewhere and there's nothing wrong with turning business profits...
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Lord_Gawkerbane said:...
And how does Sprint get its assets to build towers? By exploiting the workers! By hanging on to outdated imperialistic dogma that perpetuates the differences in our society! Oops, sorry. This isn't Monty Python.
Sprint does, however, get its assets to build its towers by charging customers for its services and making a profit. Either that or getting subsidies from the long distance division of Sprint and therefore charging people, Sprint LD customers, a little more money in order to turn a profit to spawn off a wireless division. This is something that, according to your posts, you see as wrong or evil. However, I don't. The money to start a company has to come from somewhere and there's n
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Other companies buy from ALL wireless companies with the possible exception of Nextel, ash.
Cingular, for example, sells to TracFone and some others.
Almost all cartriers help other carriers through roaming agreements, which they pay for and pass on to the customer. Sprint passes on the cost of building new towers to its customers by offering less minutes for the most part than other carriers. They pay VZW a lot to roam onto their network as well. Sprint's network is not expanding nearly as fast as most other carriers, is it?
So by refusing to expand by purchasing other resources, Sprint really does a disservice to its customers.
Cingular, for example, sells to TracFone and some others.
Almost all cartriers help other carriers through roaming agreements, which they pay for and pass on to the customer. Sprint passes on the cost of building new towers to its customers by offering less minutes for the most part than other carriers. They pay VZW a lot to roam onto their network as well. Sprint's network is not expanding nearly as fast as most other carriers, is it?
So by refusing to expand by purchasing other resources, Sprint really does a disservice to its customers.
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I believe there is a misunderstanding. Maybe I can help. building your network rather than buying or merging it means that the network is built to your specs always. Ask Verizon, they just bought Qwest's licenses and infrastructure and now they need to rebuild it because Qwest's network is not built to their standards. Therefore in Longview, WA they can't just flip a switch and go live and must pay roaming to Sprint and USCC until they can.
Following a merger the networks aren't always cohesive. It sometimes takes a while for all of the features to work the way you want them to. From a customers's point of view this can be frustrating because SMS, MMS, MWI and other features don't follow immediately following a merger or a buyout.
On the...
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Following a merger the networks aren't always cohesive. It sometimes takes a while for all of the features to work the way you want them to. From a customers's point of view this can be frustrating because SMS, MMS, MWI and other features don't follow immediately following a merger or a buyout.
On the...
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That is one of the benefits of GSM. Its a lot easier to upgrade than CDMA.
Look at the fact that a CDMA phone on Sprint can ROAM on VZW, but can't be ACTIVATED on VZW. With some limitations, any GSM phone with the proper band can be activated on any GSM carrier, and at the very least be used to make and recieve calls.
So while a customer from say, Sprint can PORT to VZW, they will HAVE to buy new equipment. Not so with GSM.
Cingular's network and ATTWS are so similar already, that little will need to be done to bring them in line.
Look at the fact that a CDMA phone on Sprint can ROAM on VZW, but can't be ACTIVATED on VZW. With some limitations, any GSM phone with the proper band can be activated on any GSM carrier, and at the very least be used to make and recieve calls.
So while a customer from say, Sprint can PORT to VZW, they will HAVE to buy new equipment. Not so with GSM.
Cingular's network and ATTWS are so similar already, that little will need to be done to bring them in line.
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CDMA verses GSM has nothing to do with locked phones.
Cingular, ATTWS and T-Mobile lock their phones so they cannot be used with other carriers. We see this in their respective forums all of the time.
What's the difference between Verizon locking their phones software and Cingular doing the same?
There is no difference. CDMA phones could be universal if the carriers wanted them to be. When IS-95 first came out the phones were universal. At USCC we reprogrammed Airtouch and Bell Atlantic phones all of the time.
In reality you are doing the customer a favor when you sell them a new phone to change carriers with. After a couple of years the phones just don't work as well as they did when they were new.
Also it is illegal to sell a non G...
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Cingular, ATTWS and T-Mobile lock their phones so they cannot be used with other carriers. We see this in their respective forums all of the time.
What's the difference between Verizon locking their phones software and Cingular doing the same?
There is no difference. CDMA phones could be universal if the carriers wanted them to be. When IS-95 first came out the phones were universal. At USCC we reprogrammed Airtouch and Bell Atlantic phones all of the time.
In reality you are doing the customer a favor when you sell them a new phone to change carriers with. After a couple of years the phones just don't work as well as they did when they were new.
Also it is illegal to sell a non G...
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Lord Gawkerbane actually it is the other way around
you said
"Either that or getting subsidies from the long distance division of Sprint and therefore charging people, Sprint LD customers, a little more money in order to turn a profit to spawn off a wireless division."
that is about as wrong as you can get. in fact the pcs devision of asprint is the most profitable and consumer long distance the least profitable. i mean obviously you have no idea what all the sprint corperation does. it has wireless as well as local service, high speed data services (we handel all the goverment data trafic) sprint also offeres business internet, threw t1,t2,t3 vop, dsl there it also manufactures telecuminacations compnits. and yes phone pimp we ev...
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you said
"Either that or getting subsidies from the long distance division of Sprint and therefore charging people, Sprint LD customers, a little more money in order to turn a profit to spawn off a wireless division."
that is about as wrong as you can get. in fact the pcs devision of asprint is the most profitable and consumer long distance the least profitable. i mean obviously you have no idea what all the sprint corperation does. it has wireless as well as local service, high speed data services (we handel all the goverment data trafic) sprint also offeres business internet, threw t1,t2,t3 vop, dsl there it also manufactures telecuminacations compnits. and yes phone pimp we ev...
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acctually you are how shal i say it wrong. ground up does acctually mean things. for example take cingular who is perhaps one of the largest conglomerations out there some of there origional customers who have never upgraded phones or plans are on old billing systems. because they were on a regional carrier that was bought by cingular. as a result they can not just walk into any cingular store and have there bill pulled up it has to be from there own "SID" (although i doubt you k now what means because it is a term used in the industry and it is obvious that you do not have much experiance in the industry) patch work networks often times will not have the one billing system.
now inparticular with virizon they have what is called a patch w...
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now inparticular with virizon they have what is called a patch w...
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FYI our "enhanced services" area is larger than your digital "PCSVision" area. There is very little AMPS areas, which are mostly in the desert areas of the country. There is also areas that Alltel has that we have a roaming agreement with that is digital. Oh, and let's not forget in those areas where we have roaming agreements with you too.
So technically you are wrong.
So technically you are wrong.
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This is so wrong I decided to log in from home to correct it. Any Cingular customer can walk into any store in their market and upgrade their phones. Data from old, obsolete or other billing systems that for some reason someone decides to abandon can be exported from the old one and imported into a new one. Granted it takes the work of a bunch of IT people to do, but it happens. Both Cingular and Verizon have come together from numerous companies and neither company to my knowledge has a dozen or more billing systems. I know it for a fact for Cingular, and am pretty sure about Verizon because it would make no sense for it to be otherwise. If I'm wrong about Verizon, someone who works for them please correct me.
At any rate. Custome...
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At any rate. Custome...
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So true... I actually upgraded a customer with an Audiovox BAG PHONE a week or so ago, with no issues at all. Should have seen their face when they saw that the NE Region GSM map had MORE coverage than their old analog map (it was in the bag!)
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When they asked you what they should do with it, did you tell them they should donate it to a museum instead of the more standard donation or recycling suggestions? 🤣
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Steve... put down the pipe. Our GAIT network is a specialized network, and has use of our entire GSM network in addition to TDMA and AMPS. It is not a main product offering. Our GSM network is just that... GSM, no TDMA, no AMPS.
GAIT uses a specialized type of phone. It also was never meant to be a permanent addition to our lineup of plans.
Please remove your foot from your mouth before trying to explain something you don't understand.
GAIT uses a specialized type of phone. It also was never meant to be a permanent addition to our lineup of plans.
Please remove your foot from your mouth before trying to explain something you don't understand.
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let attempt to pout this into words you can understand pp
cingular currently offeres 3 seperate networks gsm,tdma, and amps
yes your gait phone works on all three. but why have 3 networks?! if gasm is so gread why not just take down all the old tdma and amps towers and just to gsm? i mean not all of your phones work on all your network. you have what is called a patch work network. that is why edge only works on 2/3 of your network.
at&t is the absolute worst when it comes to this. have you ever seen there coverage maps?! green blue yelow purple it look slike splatter painting. it is so confuseing most of the reps i talk to in at&t don't even understand it. they just want to sell me a gsm phone which i would not be able to getr ser...
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cingular currently offeres 3 seperate networks gsm,tdma, and amps
yes your gait phone works on all three. but why have 3 networks?! if gasm is so gread why not just take down all the old tdma and amps towers and just to gsm? i mean not all of your phones work on all your network. you have what is called a patch work network. that is why edge only works on 2/3 of your network.
at&t is the absolute worst when it comes to this. have you ever seen there coverage maps?! green blue yelow purple it look slike splatter painting. it is so confuseing most of the reps i talk to in at&t don't even understand it. they just want to sell me a gsm phone which i would not be able to getr ser...
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Steve -
Let me put this in words YOU can understand... Cingular offers SUPPORT for TDMA and AMPS because we have customers ON them, and must support them until all or most go to GSM. GSM conversion was completed less than 6 months ago nationwide.
GAIT is a specialty plan, and is only available in a couple of markets. It also requires special handsets, so it and the GSM network are not co-mingled like VZW and Sprint's networks are when you consider roaming.
GSM is available in ALL markets, and is our functional network we advertise. Our handsets that are GSM do not roam to TDMA or AMPS.
As for ATTWS and WLNP, it was more their choice of porting provider than any billing systems.
All company owned Cingular stores can address b...
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Let me put this in words YOU can understand... Cingular offers SUPPORT for TDMA and AMPS because we have customers ON them, and must support them until all or most go to GSM. GSM conversion was completed less than 6 months ago nationwide.
GAIT is a specialty plan, and is only available in a couple of markets. It also requires special handsets, so it and the GSM network are not co-mingled like VZW and Sprint's networks are when you consider roaming.
GSM is available in ALL markets, and is our functional network we advertise. Our handsets that are GSM do not roam to TDMA or AMPS.
As for ATTWS and WLNP, it was more their choice of porting provider than any billing systems.
All company owned Cingular stores can address b...
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The initial large sum of money that was invested to creates Sprint PCS came from the Sprint LD division, unless I'm grossly mistaken. I'm not saying that's where the money comes from now, but it had to start somewhere. And I said the money has to come from one of two places, either the LD division or profits from the wireless division.
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actually Lord_Gawkerbane you are grossly mistaken. sprint pcs was founded as an entirely seperate intaty from sprint initially. ie they were 2 seperate companies. that way if the pcs company did not work sprint would not be tied to it.
where did the money come from to start up the company? from shareholders and loans just like with every other company. that is why sprint used to have 2 seperate stocks. fon, and pcs
where did the money come from to start up the company? from shareholders and loans just like with every other company. that is why sprint used to have 2 seperate stocks. fon, and pcs
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By your logic it's not the difference between renting and buying a house. It's the difference between building your own house and buying one that's already been built and perhaps even previously owned.
Renting would be like what happens with a company like Virgin Mobile or TracFone. They rent usage of networks that someone else owns.
Renting would be like what happens with a company like Virgin Mobile or TracFone. They rent usage of networks that someone else owns.
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yes i know... virgin mobile would be the renter here, and sprint would be the landlord. which is exactly how it is right now, come to think of it...
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I have worked for Cingular, now I work for Sprint. I have to apologize for the confusion in the term "from the ground up." Wireless companies are terrible marketers, this is why I am still in sales instead of marketing, even though I have an MBA in marketing, b/c there is not marketing jobs available in the wireless industry. Oops, I have derailed here...
The benefit of owning the entire network may not be obvious to consumers. However, it is big for business clients, esp. those who have offices all over the U.S. B/c Sprint is one network, all the mobile numbers from all the different offices can be put into one bill. This may not be the case for other wireless companies. I can only speak for Cingular here, b/c I've (unfortunately) worked...
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The benefit of owning the entire network may not be obvious to consumers. However, it is big for business clients, esp. those who have offices all over the U.S. B/c Sprint is one network, all the mobile numbers from all the different offices can be put into one bill. This may not be the case for other wireless companies. I can only speak for Cingular here, b/c I've (unfortunately) worked...
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Having worked closely with B2B on a few occasions, I assure you that your '100 bill' statement, and the '60 to 90 days' are both false. While it may have been the case in your day, it no longer is.
You answered your own problem on the move thing. The LOCAL CC department will have that region's billing info. Our National office would have ALL info.
You answered your own problem on the move thing. The LOCAL CC department will have that region's billing info. Our National office would have ALL info.
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