 
Crashdude
@covad.net | look out it is all a setup
DIGITAL SPIES ON YOU
ANALOG FOR LIFE | |
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R4M0N
Brazilian Soccer Ownz Joo
join:2000-10-04
Glen Allen, VA | Re: look out said by Crashdude :
it is all a setup
DIGITAL SPIES ON YOU
ANALOG FOR LIFE
Right... I'll be over there safe-guarding the shipment of tin foil. | |
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ss4vegito7
join:2004-07-24
Cranbury, NJ
| anyone with a radio scanner can listen to you if you use an Analog phone.....
Its really funny because a lot of people use analog phone because they think the government is less likely to listen in to them. They are just making it easier though. 
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»www.rockinthebury.com
andhttp://www.cranburypcrepair.com | |
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Jerm
join:2000-04-10
Richland, WA | BBR article is inaccurate... In the BBR writeup of the article it sounds like the $5 fee is for analogue (AMPS) users. This is incorrect. The fee is for users with OLDER DIGITAL PHONES on the old TDMA network. TDMA is digital. | |
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58483323
Gurt me
join:2003-06-23
Normal, IL | Cingular sucks. Enough said. | |
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kalphearion
In nomine Patri
Premium
join:2003-11-08
Denver, CO
clubs: | Re: Cingular sucks. said by 58483323  :Enough said. Second that | |
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| | kdandaoc
join:2003-10-13
608052427
| Re: Cingular sucks. Ive been barking about how their service has degraded while theres an ongoing campaign about "fewest dropped calls". They have no idea about how bad they appear with this ongoing fiasco. Cingular should take note of a little something called Quality of Service.
This newest insult will hopefully ony cost them more customers than they make from the ones that stay!
US Cellular, T-Mobile, Nextel....here i come | |
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MysticGogeta
The Robot Devil
Premium
join:2005-03-14
League City, TX
clubs: | Re: Cingular sucks. Agreed I have a friend with cingular and the call quality is unacceptiable, sure it dident drop but it would be nice to be able to hear someone while makeing that call. | |
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join:2005-05-26
Marietta, GA
| said by kalphearion :said by 58483323 :Enough said. Second that Third that. | |
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rachelsfx
join:2004-09-27
Pensacola, FL | I guess they are "Raising the Bar?????" | |
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robnelle
Blowing Kisses To You All
Premium
join:2001-12-05
Indianapolis, IN
clubs:
| Re: Cingular sucks. said by rachelsfx :I guess they are "Raising the Bar?????" More like "Raising the Bill"  | |
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insomniac84
join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN | Why? Why would anyone still be using an analog phone? | |
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
 ·Comcast
| Re: Why? said by Boomerang86 :Very few of them have monthly billing; most are OnStar customers or use a credit card for the occasional emergency call. I believe GM contracts exclusively with Verizon to provide service to On Star subscribers so this shouldn't affect them at all. Verizon and Cingular have roaming agreements in place and I doubt this will affect them either because the rates and terms are already set in the contract.
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Correlation does not imply causation. | |
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LinuxJunkie
join:2005-01-19
Cyberspace
| Use a credit card for the occasional emergency call? Heh... sorry, don't mean to crack on you, but the last thing I'd want to have to do when trying to dial 911 is pull out my credit card and enter in the 16 digits along with the expiration date before my call even goes through. | |
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sivran
Long Live The Suite
Premium
join:2003-09-15
Arlington, TX
clubs: | Re: Why? I don't think that's the kind of "emergency call" he meant. | |
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morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs: | Re: Why? you may want to look into one of those cell antennas that people in the country and on the side of mountains use. sorry, i don't have a link handy.
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no sig | |
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EvelKub
Kitty is crazy
Premium
join:2002-03-17
Phoenix, AZ | Re: Why? »www.wi-ex.com/
These are sold at Fry's, CompUSA, among other places. | |
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R4M0N
Brazilian Soccer Ownz Joo
join:2000-10-04
Glen Allen, VA
·Comcast
| Re: Why? said by GOLFnSUN :said by insomniac84 :Why would anyone still be using an analog phone? Good point. Cingular is just taking the steps necessary to phase out old systems and equipment. And they are doing it over several years until early 2008. Some users will just not upgrade unless incented to do so. I have no problem with them wanting to migrate customers, but I think a carrot is better than a stick when you're trying to KEEP those customers.
How about a non-crappy selection of phones that can be swaped for free? They did that once but the phones were't worth the drive to pick them up. That's why we chose to keep the older phone. | |
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GOLFnSUN
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
| Re: Why? said by nixen :If they want to "incent", they should offer a basic phone. I gotta think that a free phone is more cost effective than completely giving up a subscriber. Usually, but not always. Some customers generate so little revenue, that billing and customer service costs exceed the income derived. They may not mind those customers departing to a competitor.
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Join Red Room Forum
BLOG tkjunkmail.blogspot.com
My Web Page | |
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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
 ·Speakeasy
| Re: Why? said by GOLFnSUN :said by nixen :If they want to "incent", they should offer a basic phone. I gotta think that a free phone is more cost effective than completely giving up a subscriber. Usually, but not always. Some customers generate so little revenue, that billing and customer service costs exceed the income derived. They may not mind those customers departing to a competitor. True. You also have to factor in, "how attractive is a company with 16Mn subscribers versus one with 10Mn subscribers" to potential partner program partners, investors, etc.
If they've got their cell plans structured such that a customer using 0 minutes per month is costing them money, then they've got bigger problems than legacy technology.
Lastly, if the 15%:3% posted in another subthread is accurate, the TDMA users are actually providing a small subsidy to Cingular's bottom line.
-tom
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"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficial. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." -Louis D Brandeis | |
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| | | | travelguy
join:1999-09-03
Santa Fe, NM
| said by GOLFnSUN :Usually, but not always. Some customers generate so little revenue, that billing and customer service costs exceed the income derived. They may not mind those customers departing to a competitor. Right. What you have to understand is that the cellcos are rated by Wall Street based on their ARPU - Average revenue per unit (subscriber). By dumping subscribers who are pulling their ARPU down, the cellcos get rewarded by Wall Street, even though they have less customers to cover the fixed costs, which is the majority of their business. | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| said by GOLFnSUN :Some users will just not upgrade unless incented to do so. Well I learned something today  I too thought the meaning of the word "incentive" implied a positive or encouragement to carry out some task. Apparently that's not the case, "incentive" is actually neutral, as is, it can be a positive (the carrot) OR a negative (the big stick) to carry out a task.
So saying Cingular punishes their customers as an incentive to upgrade is actually a correct use of the word, incentive.
But I digress.... I feel they would be better off offering upgrade bonuses before bringing the Punishment out. That just makes customers angry and when they DO upgrade, they will most likely pick a competitor FIRST.
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) | |
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footballdude
Premium
join:2002-08-13
Imperial, MO
| said by insomniac84 :Why would anyone still be using an analog phone? Because when I got a cell phone I took the free phone they offered me instead of paying for a better one. I've been too lazy to go back and upgrade.
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What's certain about Darwinism is that it would take less time for (1) a single-celled organism to evolve into a human being through mutation and natural selection than for (2) Darwinists to admit they have no proof of (1) - Ann Coulter | |
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MeanPeepsSuk
Premium
join:2004-11-21
Muddy Field
clubs:
1 edit | Back in '97, the corporation I worked for got in a deal with AT&T Business Services that provided employees of this company a sign up deal, 'for life' (..cough.. cough.. ). If we signed up, we got our phones for $14.95 monthly. But, you can't break the contract or the 'life' deal is over.
Mind you, since then.. the contract has gone from AT&T business services, to AT&T wireless division to AT&T wireless, now to Cingular (and I guess back to AT&T Wireless soon).. Moving my account along the way.
I broke my phone last year (3rd time since) and to get a new phone, I'd have to go on a GSM phone since "they no longer provide /those/ phones". Which, would end the contract since it was, according to them, a new contract on a new service.
I said, 'F that'.. and got a new TDMA on Ebay and put it on.
Sign me... Waiting for the shoe to fall and checking my mailbox daily.
P.S. TDMA is not analog (it's "Time Division Multiple Access") and works great at least for me. | |
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tnroroc
Let's Rock
join:2001-04-25
Matawan, NJ
| It's also TDMA phones. This advertising is also misleading. I currently have an old TDMA family plan with 2 phones on it with 45 minutes a month for $30 a month. In the 6 years we have had this plan, we hav gone over the 45 minutes probably half a dozen times. We really only use the phones for emergencies.
To upgrade, I will need a newer phones, which could be free, but the minimun family service plan is $59 a month.
So in order to upgrade, we are doubling our monthly cost.
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rok - Enjoy this game called life, nobody is actually keeping score.  | |
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See 10 replies to this post |
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| my2ndhandle
join:2006-07-24
Chattanooga, TN | Because of people like my mom. Some people need a BASIC phone. A big phone with just numbers, # and * keys, and power / send button. | |
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insomniac
Oh Yeah
Premium
join:2002-09-22
Naperville, IL
clubs: | Re: Why? You mean, like one of these with no keypad?
»www.fireflymobile.com/phone/
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If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something. | |
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Rob
In Deo speramus, God Bless the USA
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL | My boss bought a $148k dollar car (Mercedes) and it has a phone hookup inside the car that ONLY works with the Motorola V60. | |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| Is Analog Still Required Out West? I did one cross country trip between 12/2003 and 01/2004 and found that with Cingular, i was SOL without analog when i was in the middle of nowhere in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Texas and Arkansas (I had a GAIT phone at the time).
The most recent trip I did (back in 05/2006) found that I at least had GPRS coverage in most of the above areas. I still had a few outright dead areas in southern TX and northwest Arizona.
It seems that there has been an improvement in digital coverage in these areas. Do people who live there think that analog is still needed?
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Tancredo 2008! | |
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CrazyFingers
join:2003-10-01
Columbia, MO
| Why do analog users hate America? It is your duty as a patriotic American subject to immediately buy the newest version of whatever product/service is offered, regardless of benefit or necessity. This is critical to the USA winning the War on Terror, the War on Drugs, the War on Crime, and the War on Science.
Please, think of the children who will grow up to be our brave servicemen who will grow old and become our revered senior citizens who will then die and desperately need the estate tax repealed! | |
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R4M0N
Brazilian Soccer Ownz Joo
join:2000-10-04
Glen Allen, VA
·Comcast
| Re: Why do analog users hate America? said by CrazyFingers :It is your duty as a patriotic American subject to immediately buy the newest version of whatever product/service is offered, regardless of benefit or necessity. This is critical to the USA winning the War on Terror, the War on Drugs, the War on Crime, and the War on Science. Please, think of the children who will grow up to be our brave servicemen who will grow old and become our revered senior citizens who will then die and desperately need the estate tax repealed! LOL... That was actually a good one.  | |
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HappyBunny
Hi. Cram It.
Premium
join:2001-06-23
Long Beach, CA | Re: Why do analog users hate America? It is actually not analog people they are punishing, its people using TDMA, which is digital. | |
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R4M0N
Brazilian Soccer Ownz Joo
join:2000-10-04
Glen Allen, VA
·Comcast
| Re: Why do analog users hate America? said by HappyBunny :It is actually not analog people they are punishing, its people using TDMA, which is digital. You mean that wasn't a joke? | |
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tnroroc
Let's Rock
join:2001-04-25
Matawan, NJ | Re: Why do analog users hate America? No. | |
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tsu9
join:2001-08-17
Wheeling, IL | Uhm.. Has Cingular seen what adding additional fees for older customers does? You know, like AOL's dialup users?
I assume that means that they simply want to lose customers, eh. | |
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R4M0N
Brazilian Soccer Ownz Joo
join:2000-10-04
Glen Allen, VA
·Comcast
1 edit | My wife still uses her trusty TDMA Remember that phone on the first "Charlie's Angels" movie? Yeah, my wife bugged the hell out of me to get her one of those. She got it under oath that she would use it until it died of natural causes (no "forgetting" it inside a pocket and putting it to wash).
Well, it's been quite a few years now and the only reason she kept cingular after it bought Suncom here in Richmond is because she talks like a cheerleader on steroids and she has the old "unlimited" plan from Suncom (I dare not put that woman on a set amount of minutes per month).
The second I see a $5 charge on her bill (I have t-mobile), she's out of there. Unlimited minutes be damned. She'll just have to learn to shut up for a few hours per day.
What he heck is cingular thinking? It's like they are trying to make themselves the AOL of the wireless world. | |
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Seph83
Gone Insane
Premium
join:2004-04-29
Blairsville, GA
·Windstream
| Wonder if this counts for GAIT customers? I sure hope not, since that would include me. They took away my insurance in May, not that the primary phone I use is insurable anyway, and I was just paying $3.99 a month for nothing really.
Too bad T-Mobile is useless here, or I'd switch in a heart beat. Sprint sounds better and better all the time...
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"I've Gone to Find Myself. If I Get Back Before I Return, Keep Me Here!!" | |
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SterlingJ85
Obama 2008
join:2000-11-19
Millville, NJ | No, The fee is for TDMA, not AMPS customers. I can almost promise you that AMPS is only about 0.001% of any customers remaining. TDMA customers still make up something like 15% of customers but only 2 or 3% of airtime used on the network. | |
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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
·Speakeasy
| Re: No, said by SterlingJ85 :The fee is for TDMA, not AMPS customers. I can almost promise you that AMPS is only about 0.001% of any customers remaining. TDMA customers still make up something like 15% of customers but only 2 or 3% of airtime used on the network. Hmm... If true, that sounds rather stupid, then. If that 15% is consuming disproportionately less airtime than other users, why would you want to put that subsidizing subscriber base ate risk? That would be kind of like an insurance company telling their abnormally low-risk members to leave.
-tom
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"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficial. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." -Louis D Brandeis | |
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SterlingJ85
Obama 2008
join:2000-11-19
Millville, NJ
 ·PHONE POWER
| Re: No, Cingular is using the excuse that the network operations fee of TDMA is increasing. It really isn't, most of the equipment that exists for TDMA shares GSM site assets. The only thing it's really costing Cingular is routine maintenance.
They are charging this fee to try and push as many customers onto GSM as possible. TDMA customers are far less spectrum efficient than GSM, and it takes more resources on the air interface to keep those customers. Plus, it will be less people for them to shift when they shutdown TDMA in 2008. | |
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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA | Re: No, However, any time you force a customer to "switch", there's at least a 50:50 chance that they WONT switch to another one of YOUR products.
-tom | |
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Jerm
join:2000-04-10
Richland, WA
| Article says.... The article says 92% are on GSM. So that leaves 8% for TDMA. How do you estimate 2-3% of airtime? Just a guess? It might be true as older customers are on legacy contracts (which are probably less minutes), but there are still a lot of TDMA users!
The excuse in the article is TDMA use is now small enough the cost to keep the old network up and running in cost per user is way up vs GSM. | |
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dddane
join:2002-01-10
Chicago, IL
| who are these people... who are these people who are always saying cingular service is good? they do in their commercials, saying national surveys say so... what national surveys? I've never met anyone who thought they had good customer service.
cingular has the WORST customer service in the industry. Their reps are so useless, I have to demand a supervisor every time I call them. Then they always transfer you 300 times, and try to say "that's not the right phone number, its this number instead..." . I swear I must have a log of about 30 different phone numbers that were supposedly for the same thing.
also... they're now going to rename Cingular to AT&T Wireless???? Geez, make up their minds!!! | |
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ReVeLaTeD
Premium
join:2001-11-10
San Diego, CA | I wish I had a bag phone... the kind that just stays in your car? I remember those. | |
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pokesph
It Is Almost Fast
Premium
join:2001-06-25
Sacramento, CA
clubs:
·Comcast
| New Fee? Het wait a minute.. aren't most of these customers on some sort of contract? Wouldn't adding a new fee in effect cancel or void that contract? I would think so..
since you signed up for X mins at $XX.xx per month for X years.
Now if they just force this stupid fee on you, they will in effect breach the contract and you can take advantage of that fact (legally or otherwise).
--
Webmaster Steve
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»sphenterprizes.com
»pokemonpalace.net | |
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MIKETSG
join:2003-01-20
Naugatuck, CT | Re: New Fee? I'll bet you $1 that they put a clause in the Cingular contract saying "We reserve the right to change this contract at anytime without the consent of the customer/subscriber." or some bullshit like that! | |
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dddane
join:2002-01-10
Chicago, IL | no... its people who aren't on contracts and don't want to sign new contracts... if they signed a new contract they could get a phone for free.. but the point is they don't want to. | |
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pokesph
It Is Almost Fast
Premium
join:2001-06-25
Sacramento, CA
clubs:
·Comcast
| Re: New Fee? yeah you're most likely right.. I suppose those not on contracts will just deal with it as they tend to pay more anyway.
I'm on NexTel now and we'll soon be forced to switch to sprint's network.. I wonder what kind of BS we'll be fed.
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Webmaster Steve
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»ppnhosting.com
»sphenterprizes.com
»pokemonpalace.net | |
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Dagda1175
join:2001-06-17
Goleta, CA
·Cox HSI
| Welcome to modern technology. Enjoy the ride! if you have one of these old phones they are all far beyond their equipment upgrade date. go get something for cheap or free! heck, look on ebay. once youve done that, try putting away your 8 tracks too! | |
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tnroroc
Let's Rock
join:2001-04-25
Matawan, NJ | Re: Welcome to modern technology. Enjoy the ride! Like I stated above, it's not just a matter of swapping for a "free" phone. | |
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amungus
Premium
join:2004-11-26
America
clubs:
| tdma sucks well, tdma really does just suck. analog is still the ONLY thing available in many areas of the country. its signal travels farther, and is less prone (in my experience) to just up and drop a call unless you have very low signal.
There's no way analog towers are going to just die out, but Cingular could offer these people a gsm phone if that's what they're using. Somehow I doubt 4.7 million people on their network use analog exclusively, it's likely tdma. If that's the case, Cingular truly should help their customers out and hook 'em up with a decent phone. | |
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Unregistered User
@69.244.x.x | Re: tdma sucks It's TDMA users who are getting hit with the fee. The original post was incorrect. | |
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NJRob
join:2002-05-20
East Brunswick, NJ
·Vonage
| F Cingular! I've had it w/ Cingular.
First - they sell me a Motorola phone that doesn't even work in my area. They replaced it with the same model - still didn't work. 6 months go by and I call to cancel and want a refund because they failed to provide me with a service that I paid for. They immediately overnighted me a new Nokia.
Well - it worked fine... until it ended up in the washing machine w/ my dirty laundry. So - I go to the cingular store to buy a replacement phone - and I find out that it's $30 cheaper to get out of my contract/cancel than it is to buy a new phone.
So much for customer support and retention.
Goodbye Cingular.
(customer since '97 when it was Cellular One). | |
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F CING
@callan.com
| Why I keep TDMA! I am one of "those" people that Cingular is going to charge and extra $5/month and consider "unprofitable".
This is why:
I've had my service for the past 10 years (on TDMA) when it was originally Cell One, then ATT, then Cingular, and now ATT again. I pay $29.99/month ($34 total with tax/fees) for 900 anytime mins, unlimited night/weekend, unlimited mobile to mobile, free long distance, voicemail, etc. Plus, I'm on a month-to-month contract for the past 2 years. I would happily change to GSM, and even pay for my own phone, if Cingular would offer me a contract with comparable stats for a comparable price... but they can't even come close... 450 mins for $49.95, F that. It's still cheaper for me to pay the extra $5, and I have no issues with TDMA... I'll wait until 2008 when they will probably loose me as a customer. | |
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speed cell
@64.69.x.x
| Re: Why I keep TDMA! Cingular doesnt want to honor their own agreements. I have a $24 a month plan that when i signed up originally was listed as valid until 2007. There is no comparible plan now you have to spend $40+ a month. Guess what if you even think about making any change to your account such as a new phone you have to ditch the old plan. | |
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Fatal Claws
@sonic.net
|  Prepaid Wireless
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EvelKub
Kitty is crazy
Premium
join:2002-03-17
Phoenix, AZ
1 edit | Re: Prepaid Wireless T-Mobile is more expensive for the first year (you have to spend $8.33/mo) however you can then spend as little as $10 per year ($0.83/mo) to keep it active.
Oh.. and no taxes or anything on the minutes like the other companies charge. I use cheapphonecards.com with coupon code cheap (this code does not reference me, I found it on google) and get the $100 card for like $92. | |
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Andromeda451
join:2004-04-08
Queen Creek, AZ | Cingular DOES NOT SUCK!!! It Blows, totally different... | |
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digiblur
Got Sipura?
Premium
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana | TDMA is not Analog folks TDMA is not Analog folks. | |
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ewgny
join:2000-12-21
East Setauket, NY
| Wrong Strategy ? If the old TDMA network is getting increasingly un-profitable, why isn't Cingular offering incentives to
switch to GSM istead. I have a 600 minute TDMA plan with weekends evenings and long distance for 29.99. Cingular wanted to give me a 200 minute $29.99 plan to switch to GSM. The sales rep said I'd get better coverage. I told him I liked the dead spots they give me a break from the "where are you" calls
»tinyurl.com/k6h7r
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Have you hugged your Assault Rifle today ?? | |
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Cingular Punishes Analog Customers
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