God I hate phone companies

[dbzeag]

I am working on my second cell phone, looking for my third soon.

When I visited family and friends in Scotland a couple of years ago, I was floored by the fact that they get new phones, pretty much just like that. They just upgrade for free very often (once a year at least). They don't have crazy plan prices, either.

And the US is supposed to be global technology leaders....

 

[fly]

i can return the phone but my contract is still extended for two more yrs.

You sure that you can't get out of it? I'd check.

I am working on my second cell phone, looking for my third soon.

When I visited family and friends in Scotland a couple of years ago, I was floored by the fact that they get new phones, pretty much just like that. They just upgrade for free very often (once a year at least). They don't have crazy plan prices, either.

And the US is supposed to be global technology leaders....

We've lagged behind in cell phone technology pretty much since the beginning.

 

[Josh]

Here's an interesting story: Verizon Wireless has bought out Unicel. Unicel is (mainly) a GSM shop and Verizon Wireless is a CDMA shop.

Way to buyout your competition. So in Maine that leaves pretty much Verizon or US Cellular for cell phone companies with the most statewide coverage.

The whole telco industry (cell companies included) is one big incestuous family. Everyone is involved with everyone in some way, yet they compete at every chance they can get.

Edit: To make matters more complicated, Cingular shares Unicel's network for their customers to roam free of charge. How's that gunna work out with the latest buyout.

 

[JAXvillain]

You sure that you can't get out of it? I'd check.


We've lagged behind in cell phone technology pretty much since the beginning.

geographically impossible to stay on top with so much area to cover...small ass little countries don't have such difficulties

 

[plot]

Here's an interesting story: Verizon Wireless has bought out Unicel. Unicel is (mainly) a GSM shop and Verizon Wireless is a CDMA shop.

Way to buyout your competition. So in Maine that leaves pretty much Verizon or US Cellular for cell phone companies with the most statewide coverage.

The whole telco industry (cell companies included) is one big incestuous family. Everyone is involved with everyone in some way, yet they compete at every chance they can get.

Edit: To make matters more complicated, Cingular shares Unicel's network for their customers to roam free of charge. How's that gunna work out with the latest buyout.

cell phone coverage in maine for GSM just went to crap... that's how. verizon will sell off the gsm equipment and rent out the towers or something probably.

 

[fly]

geographically impossible to stay on top with so much area to cover...small ass little countries don't have such difficulties

Europe has been using 3g for how long now?

 

[JAXvillain]

Europe has been using 3g for how long now?

not that long iirc...like 3 years? japan for a good 5 or so now?

 

[plot]

most other countries also have a standardized technology for all towers... like europe is GSM.

we have CDMA, Iden, GSM, etc...

at least we have some competition though, look at canada's cell phone's... like 2 companies control it all, they still have roaming, long distance, all that crap for expensive plans and few minutes.

 

[Josh]

cell phone coverage in maine is crap...

fixt. We've got tons of trees and lots of hills, with zero population. Only fix for this is cell phone amps. I got a 1watt cell phone amp in my truck and I get service just about anywhere.

 

[b_sinning]

Cingular's service has seemed to decline since ATT became more visible.



hawk82 can get service anywhere but now glows in the dark.