Best Cellular Phone Coverage Where Medical Schools Are?

[merlin17]

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sprint just came out with a new type of service with unlimited roaming. its a little more expensive but it works much better here in boston than the regular sprint pcs.

 

[tgan]

thanks for the info laney.

 

[Gleevec]

Most Cell Phone services have agreements with each other such that any place developed enough to have a medical school will have non-roaming coverage.

AT&T, for example, has extended area coverage (which, unlike roaming, is free) where other cell towers are used. I have never had to roam and I have driven through some very rural parts of Texas.

So I guess the moral is all major cell phone companies will give you good coverage, price is the only real concern then.

 

[VienneseWaltz]

Originally posted by Gleevec

So I guess the moral is all major cell phone companies will give you good coverage, price is the only real concern then.

No, the point of this thread is that the major cell phone companies' coverage varies widely according to geographic region. AT&T is a major company but I can't get a signal inside any Duke building. Sprint is a major company but most people I know have trouble with it.

 

[::Seabass::]

Originally posted by laney
i have sprint and used my cell when interviewing at loyola. it seemed fine on campus, but i don't remember actually using my phone while inside the med school building.

I used Sprint while in the hospital there and while in Naperville and downtown Chicago. Worked just fine.

My Spring also works well in Houston, San Antonio, and New Orleans.

 

[SolidGold]

Originally posted by Gleevec

AT&T, for example, has extended area coverage (which, unlike roaming, is free) where other cell towers are used. I have never had to roam and I have driven through some very rural parts of Texas.

So I guess the moral is all major cell phone companies will give you good coverage, price is the only real concern then.

As for coverage, it really depends on the company and where you live. Each company has local calling area plans (which will usually give free roaming throughout the state) and national plans (which will give you free roaming throughout most of the US or the entire US. Check with the carrier and plan to see the coverage area.

As for roaming agreements, it only works depending on the type of technology the carrier uses.

Verizon uses CDMA digital technology and has the largest nationwide network that performs the best.

Cingular uses TDMA digital technology and has a natiowide network that is just as extensive as Verizon, but with different technology so cell phones can't work on each other's networks, thus no roaming agreements.

AT&T uses TDMA digital also, so if you live in area that has both AT&T and Cingular, coverage should be good. AT&T and Cingular and both are upgrading to GSM technology (the most widely used technology in the world for wireless phones) right now and have extensive roaming/network agreements with each other.

Sprint PCS uses PCS technology, a type of CDMA technology and does not have a large amount of coverage compared to Verizon or Cingular.

Nextel uses iDen technology that is completely different from everyone else. As a result, their coverage sucks.

T-Mobile has the smallest amount of coverage both nationally and locally in most areas because they are GSM only. GSM is a great technology that allows for cool phones like the ones that can send pictures and stuff at high speed (unlike Sprint whose speed is slower), thats why T-Mobile has the coolest phones. T-Mobile will improve dramatically once AT&T and Cingular complete their technolgy upgrade to GSM in the next 2 years. T-Mobile really lucked out when those 2 companies decided to upgrade to GSM. All 3 have roaming/network agreements for GSM together. Remember when they were called Voicestream and before that they were that company with the pink alien (I forgot the name). They have a chance for survival now.

In terms of nationwide customer base, this is how the companies rank:

1. Verizon
2. Cingular
3. AT&T Wireless
4. Sprint PCS
5. Nextel
6. T-Mobile

There is a reason for the ranking, so pick your provider carefully...don't go with a company just because they carry a cooler looking phone.

Nobody probably cares to read all of this, but I'm sure it will help some of you decide which provider to go with.

In South Florida, go with Cingular...its has 50% of the market cornered, the other 50% is split between the other 5 companies. And don't get the GAIT phone. Get a TDMA phone with a 1 year contract, and by the time the contract is up, the GSM technology will have matured and that would be the time to get a GSM phone.

 

[VienneseWaltz]

Thanks, SolidGold. That was helpful. 🙂

 

[sunflower79]

I'm about to get a new phone (on AT&T plan). Should I get a GSM or TDMA phone? How do I know which phone has which technology?

thanks 🙂
sunflower

 

[idq1i]

Originally posted by sunflower79
I'm about to get a new phone (on AT&T plan). Should I get a GSM or TDMA phone? How do I know which phone has which technology?

thanks 🙂
sunflower

Before you sign on the dotted line, give ATTWS customer service a call, just to check. After your first 40min wait, I'm sure you'll change your mind about signing with them. On top of everything, ATT digital coverage is spotty at best, especially on PA highways.

If you absolutely must waste your money on ATT.... GSM service is the newest, but the coverage areas are really small. I suggest that if you do get GSM, get the Siemens S46 phone as it can work on TDMA as well

 

[Sweet Tea]

Fixing Dook's info...they have a contract through Alltell which seems to have good reception throughout the hospital and in Durham/Chapel Hill.

Anyone know about Greenville, NC? I know Verizon DOESN'T cover Greenville, which sucks b/c I've been pretty happy with my Verizon plan. 🙁


San Francisco, CA: Verizon great, ATT great (2), Sprint bad (3), Cingular varies
Southern, CA: Sprint varies, Cingular varies, TMobile take caution
Florida: Cingular by far the best, Verizon just behind Cingular, Sprint sucks badly, AT&T varies, T-Mobile sucks, Nextel bad, Metro PCS (Miami only) really terrible
Atlanta, GA: Verizon great, Cingular great, Sprint horrendous
Chicago, IL: ATT/Sprint/Verizon good
New Orleans, LA: Sprint OK, Cingular great, TMobile take caution
Boston, MA: Cingular great, Verizon good, ATT bad, Sprint bad (2)
St. Louis, MO: Verizon great, Sprint great
Baltimore, MD (UMD): Sprint horrendous
Northeastern and Northwestern Ohio: Verizon great, Sprint pretty good (updgraded)
Southern Ohio: Verizon great
New York, NY: Verizon is the best
Pennsylvannia (all over): Verizon great, ATT great
Madison, WI: Verizon great, Sprint not so great.
Durham, NC: Pretty sure VERIZON is the best here, Sprint is horrible inside buildings there as well. AT&T not good in hospital--find out who has the Duke U contract. DUKE U Contract is through ALLTELL.AT&T is actually not bad (extended area coverage) Duke has its own expensive cell phone service through OIT that I would not recommend.
Tucson, AZ (U of A): AT&T good
Houston, TX: AT&T, Sprint, Cingular, Verizon are all good.

 

[VienneseWaltz]

I'm told Verizon is good in JHU buildings.

Also, streamlined Durham recommendations

San Francisco, CA: Verizon great, ATT great (2), Sprint bad (3), Cingular varies
Southern, CA: Sprint varies, Cingular varies, TMobile take caution
Florida: Cingular by far the best, Verizon just behind Cingular, Sprint sucks badly, AT&T varies, T-Mobile sucks, Nextel bad, Metro PCS (Miami only) really terrible
Atlanta, GA: Verizon great, Cingular great, Sprint horrendous
Chicago, IL: ATT/Sprint/Verizon good
New Orleans, LA: Sprint OK, Cingular great, TMobile take caution
Boston, MA: Cingular great, Verizon good, ATT bad, Sprint bad (2)
St. Louis, MO: Verizon great, Sprint great
Baltimore, MD (UMD): Sprint horrendous, Verizon good
Northeastern and Northwestern Ohio: Verizon great, Sprint pretty good (updgraded)
Southern Ohio: Verizon great
New York, NY: Verizon is the best
Pennsylvannia (all over): Verizon great, ATT great
Madison, WI: Verizon great, Sprint not so great.
Durham, NC: AT&T bad on Duke campus, OK otherwise; Sprint bad; AllTell very good (has Duke contract); Verizon good; Duke has its own expensive cell phone service through OIT that I would not recommend.
Tucson, AZ (U of A): AT&T good
Houston, TX: AT&T, Sprint, Cingular, Verizon are all good. [/B][/QUOTE]

 

[Sweet Tea]

thanks for streamlinig Durham, VW!

 

[amk10]

I've had Cingular in Durham for the last year - great service on campus, and pretty much everywhere else. And I got a 10% discount for telling them I was a student at Duke - I think you have to ask for that though, cause I'm sure they won't volunteer that info.


San Francisco, CA: Verizon great, ATT great (2), Sprint bad (3), Cingular varies
Southern, CA: Sprint varies, Cingular varies, TMobile take caution
Florida: Cingular by far the best, Verizon just behind Cingular, Sprint sucks badly, AT&T varies, T-Mobile sucks, Nextel bad, Metro PCS (Miami only) really terrible
Atlanta, GA: Verizon great, Cingular great, Sprint horrendous
Chicago, IL: ATT/Sprint/Verizon good
New Orleans, LA: Sprint OK, Cingular great, TMobile take caution
Boston, MA: Cingular great, Verizon good, ATT bad, Sprint bad (2)
St. Louis, MO: Verizon great, Sprint great
Baltimore, MD (UMD): Sprint horrendous, Verizon good
Northeastern and Northwestern Ohio: Verizon great, Sprint pretty good (updgraded)
Southern Ohio: Verizon great
New York, NY: Verizon is the best
Pennsylvannia (all over): Verizon great, ATT great
Madison, WI: Verizon great, Sprint not so great.
Durham, NC: AT&T bad on Duke campus, OK otherwise; Sprint bad; AllTell very good (has Duke contract); Cingular very good, on campus and off; Verizon good; Duke has its own expensive cell phone service through OIT that I would not recommend.
Tucson, AZ (U of A): AT&T good
Houston, TX: AT&T, Sprint, Cingular, Verizon are all good. [/B][/QUOTE] [/B][/QUOTE]