Database Users

Why did you choose your current cell phone carrier

Just wondering why people choose a certain carrier. I'm on AT&T. For me, it's because I get a 23% discount off my monthly bill because of my employer/company. What are your reasons for being with X carrier?
1. Financial i.e. monthly discount, cheapest plan, ect.
2. Reception
3. Family/friend related or family plan
4. LTE in your area?
5. Specific/high end phones?
6. Loyalty
7. Customer service
8. Other
Pick one, any, or all if applicable.

For T-mobile i would have to say #1,6,7, and occasionally #5

Because of my mom, it was easier to buy one (I am only 14 years old) and almost everyone I talk the most have TIM. But the rest, every Brazilian carrier sucks.
Sent using Mini CM7 Pro by Paul

I've been on T-Mobile for about a decade I think. T-Mobile's pricing is what attracted me as a customer. Their desperation is what keeps me. These guys will bend over backwards to keep me happy and have. I appreciate the things they've done for me that I see people on other carriers getting refused with. Such as very early upgrades just because I was unhappy with my current phone.

My carrier (telus) has better service while traveling yet after signing with them i found i have no service in my school -_- thankfully i'm out of there next yea so i''m cool with it and I got a good loyality plan out of them (i hope)
200min, Unlimited texting , Voicemail (Not visual ;( ) unlimited evenings and weekends and 6 gigs data, for like $65 the only thing I would like them to improve is visual voicemail and Caller ID but I don't want to spend $10 more a month for that.

#4 and #5
10char

At&t
#2. Coverage is the primary factor for me

AT&T
20% discount at work, same carrier as my fiance, best voice coverage in my area, fastest data in my area, decent plan prices, good phone selection, good business customer service.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

I have Sprint. It was more of a legacy thing for me. My parents had it so I got it.
Plus they do a 15% discount for my work and were the cheapest single plan with the discount.
Of course now that I'm married, the plans of other carriers are a bit closer in price. Even with unlimited data, I only use maybe 1.5 or 2 gigs at the most per month, so it's not as worth it to shell out as it once was.

Many of my family and friends are in the same network. That's why.
~ Sent from iOS/Android device

1. AT&T offered us a plan with unlimited everything (cept data, but I got that one) for cheaper then T-Mobile if we switched, and even paid our ETF's, needless to say, we did it.
2. Better reception.
4. Yep, I have an LTE enabled phone and live in an LTE market, obviously I would take advantage of that.

At&t because its the only carrier with signal where I live...
Enviado desde mi Samsung Galaxy Note

cheaper, unlimited data and special offer to switch from helio when i was shut down

Because I was an employee of my carrier up until June of this year and got waived the activation fee, 50% off my bill and a 1-year contract but 2-year pricing on my 4G phone. I also wanted to get grandfathered into unlimited data which is worth its weight in gold! No throttling here nor snooping into my 3rd party tethering unlike ATT.

2. Reception - In my area AT&T has the best service, followed by Sprint and then a large drop to Verizon. Causes me to get a bit irked when people say AT&T is universally bad and Verizon can do no wrong since I constantly see the exact opposite, but whatever.
6. Loyalty - My family has been on AT&T since the Cingular days, so we're grandfathered into an ancient family plan that's really cheap. If we were to switch carriers our bill would go way up.

Aldi Talk
Because its the best in my town !

1. Internet usage is for free

Verizon seems to have the best coverage in my area (Atlanta, OTP north side). Also, I'm grandfathered in for unlimited data.

cuz Monopoly nothing else LOL

AT&T
3. Family/friend related or family plan
I don't pay a single cent since I'm on my uncle's business/familty plan thing
however, AT&T does suck and the second I can afford it I'm getting Verizon...

How would you change the wireless market?

Ok, so here's the deal. US subscribers are in a pickle as far as unlimited data plans are concerned with tethering. Our plans suck (comparatively).
Some of it has to do with wording of contracts by carriers. Some of it has to do with the entitlement we feel when we purchased our respective unlimited data plans. Either way, we all feel hurt by this. As consumers, we want it our way. We want our unlimited data plans to cover our 2GB months to our 200GB months. We don't want to be told about limits on plans labeled and sold as unlimited.
Here's where you come in. How would you change the terms of the agreement as an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or other carrier's customer if you were in charge? Keep in mind that you may have limited network resources, funds, or staff to carry out the extreme plans. You still need to generate income for your investors. What would you do to make your customers happy as well as the investors? Is it possible? Is there any sort of reform that is possible in our wireless industry?

Ban contracts all-together. The bundling of phones with network vastly distorts both markets; phones are no longer truly competing on price (e.g. apple's strong position with the iPhone allows them to dictate high carrier subsidies, whose costs must be paid off by effectively taxing everyone else on the network) while carriers are instead competing on phones (rather than the quality of their service).
On the other hand, without subsidies (which essentially hide the costs for the average person who doesn't think it through), manufacturers would have to actually worry about choosing a price low enough to be attractive. This is something that is sorely missing under the current regime.
Not to mention, contracts themselves are effectively anti-competitive, locking in users who don't really know how to properly evaluate their choices. The way to ensure the best service for the user is to allow them to quit at a moment's notice.
Now, I notice you might be thinking more specifically about how the service agreements can be modified, rather than the "contracts" per se. Do the above, and this woud automatically happen. The carriers will have to actually compete for better service (rather than just drawing in people with new shiny phones in order to lock them in). If their service is not up to par with their advertisements, people would just quit the next month. Hence, no more random throttling of plans, etc.

thebobp said:
Ban contracts all-together. The bundling of phones with network vastly distorts both markets; phones are no longer truly competing on price (e.g. apple's strong position with the iPhone allows them to dictate high carrier subsidies, whose costs must be paid off by effectively taxing everyone else on the network) while carriers are instead competing on phones (rather than the quality of their service).
On the other hand, without subsidies (which essentially hide the costs for the average person who doesn't think it through), manufacturers would have to actually worry about choosing a price low enough to be attractive. This is something that is sorely missing under the current regime.
Not to mention, contracts themselves are effectively anti-competitive, locking in users who don't really know how to properly evaluate their choices. The way to ensure the best service for the user is to allow them to quit at a moment's notice.
Now, I notice you might be thinking more specifically about how the service agreements can be modified, rather than the "contracts" per se. Do the above, and this woud automatically happen. The carriers will actually have to compete for better service, rather than just ensure that people are locked in longer than they can think about. If their service is not up to par with their advertisements, people would quit the next month. No more throttling plans with nothing the users can say about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand your position, but I have doubts that this would be possible to implement in our market. T-Mobile's CMO made a statement about device subsidies contorting what the devices actually cost. T-Mobile actually has a line of Value plans that are kind of on par with what you're thinking about. The rate plans are considerably cheaper than the ones with a device subsidy. The real problem is convincing the other carriers to follow suit.
See, by doing this, it put investors at risk. It's all a money making game. If an idea isn't profitable, then it generally never sees the light of day. What about a sales model similar to what T-Mobile is offering? Could you see a way to make this model profitable to both carriers and consumers alike?

I think it should be handled like the european networks handle their service agreements. You sign up for service when you buy a phone, and you pay full retail price for the phone. Then you pay a relatively lower price for service. Instead of paying say, 59.99 for a phone that retails for 399.99 and then paying 100$ give or take a little each month, you pay full price for the phone, and then get your bill for 50ish a month. Which one sounds better?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

leo321 said:
I think it should be handled like the european networks handle their service agreements. You sign up for service when you buy a phone, and you pay full retail price for the phone. Then you pay a relatively lower price for service. Instead of paying say, 59.99 for a phone that retails for 399.99 and then paying 100$ give or take a little each month, you pay full price for the phone, and then get your bill for 50ish a month. Which one sounds better?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that this would benefit us more as consumers, but we would need to come up with a marketable solution to the current situation that would be agreeable to the carriers as well.

cajunflavoredbob said:
If an idea isn't profitable, then it generally never sees the light of day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
Blaming carrier greed is easy but really doesn't solve anything. Carriers want to make more money and contracts make them more money - I can't fault them for that.
I don't see the US market becoming like Europe's. Although T-Mobile USA is trying to change things, I can think of two things in the way:
-Americans are too stupid to save money~~ Everyone thinks short term savings, hence the persistence of contracts.
-Carrier incompatibility~~ Verizon and Sprint are CDMA. T-Mobile and AT&T run on (mostly) different 3G bands. Buy a phone for full retail and you're probably going to be stuck with one carrier anyway.

luftrofl said:
This.
Blaming carrier greed is easy but really doesn't solve anything. Carriers want to make more money and contracts make them more money - I can't fault them for that.
I don't see the US market becoming like Europe's. Although T-Mobile USA is trying to change things, I can think of two things in the way:
-Americans are too stupid to save money~~ Everyone thinks short term savings, hence the persistence of contracts.
-Carrier incompatibility~~ Verizon and Sprint are CDMA. T-Mobile and AT&T run on (mostly) different 3G bands. Buy a phone for full retail and you're probably going to be stuck with one carrier anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The incompatibility is changing this year, at least with AT&T and T-Mobile. T-Mobile is currently refarming their spectrum to rollout a network on the 1900MHz PCS spectrum. This will be used for their HSPA/+ network, while the existing 1700MHz network will be used for LTE. This move makes their network inter-operable with AT&T devices.
Other than that, I agree with your points. I don't feel that T-Mobile is going to make contracts as we know them go away. I admire the bold move, but I doubt it will ripple the waters much. That being said, I'm hoping we can come together and brainstorm a bit to think of a way to benefit carriers and customers alike. Our market NEEDS to change.

Pentaband unlocked handsets for everybody! Then you can choose whatever retarded WCDMA bands you like!

A list of things I would do:
1) Bring back the unlimited data plans, but only for LTE. (bandwith limits 3g unlimited plans)
2) Have them start rolling out LTE v10 or LTE advaned right now.
3) Voice over LTE.
4) Unlimited voice and text added to a data plan like this:
Plan1) Unlimited voice and text+2gb of data for $
plan2) Unlimited voice and text+5gb of data for $$
plan3) Unlimited voice and text+10GB of data for $$$
plan4) Unlimited voice and text+Unlimited data for $$$$ (LTE only)
They are just ex and I hope the pricing is better than that, but I am trying to be real here.
And verizon needs to fix this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDxJoGv3FLA&feature=player_embedded

4ktvs said:
A list of things I would do:
1) Bring back the unlimited data plans, but only for LTE. (bandwith limits 3g unlimited plans)
2) Have them start rolling out LTE v10 or LTE advaned right now.
3) Voice over LTE.
4) Unlimited voice and text added to a data plan like this:
Plan1) Unlimited voice and text+2gb of data for $
plan2) Unlimited voice and text+5gb of data for $$
plan3) Unlimited voice and text+10GB of data for $$$
plan4) Unlimited voice and text+Unlimited data for $$$$ (LTE only)
They are just ex and I hope the pricing is better than that, but I am trying to be real here.
And verizon needs to fix this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDxJoGv3FLA&feature=player_embedded
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This isn't really a plan. It's more of a wish list. I was hoping that some of the people around here might actually have better ideas of how to do things than the carriers. This isn't a wish list thread. I intended it more as a brainstorming thread.

Well, before anything I want to happen will even be possible, we'd have to see real net neutrality laws in this country...

I would like to see wireless carriers charge for internet access the same way that most ISPs charge. You pay for speed and have unlimited data. Say I have an LTE device. I can pay $50 for unlimited data at 10 Mbps or $100 for 20 Mbps. This makes much more sense to me.
Also, carriers need to be dump pipes. That's just how it has to be. I know they all fear that and will do everything in their power to stop it but I think it's inevitable.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

cajunflavoredbob said:
This isn't really a plan. It's more of a wish list. I was hoping that some of the people around here might actually have better ideas of how to do things than the carriers. This isn't a wish list thread. I intended it more as a brainstorming thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
#2 was more of a wish, but the rest of it is not. Let me try to put it in a better way:
1) give 4G LTE users a higher cap/unlimited data, becuase there is more bandwith. They could charge a bit more for the new Data plans, but over all save $ for the buyers. In turn, this would likely help the push for LTE and kill 2g and 3g sooner, so that the bandwith can be used for 4G.
2) Voice over LTE( 3 will be why)
3) When Voice over LTE is done, then make voice/text/data all one plan, Like:
1) 2GB for $60. ( Voice and text would use data)
2) 5GB for $80.
3) 10GB for $100.
4) 20GB/unlimited for $120.
Any way I am not a CEO and I don't have the # for everything, so this "plan" of mine may not work/be good, but I tryed.
I have both AT&T and verizon unlimited data plans and don't like the low bar they have set of 2-5gb plans, but really most don't use more than about 5GB. Now I bet they would if they used a crap load of voice at 50mb per 60 min. ( If you used 900min per bill then you would use about 750mb or about bit less 1/2 of the 2GB plan and then a few e-mails, some text and bam over the limit.)

Mobile voice is surely not 50Mb for 60 minutes. That'd be close to 128kbps MP3 quality, which our phones certainly are not!

I read that on verizon, that voice would be about 45mb per hour. I don't know all the #, but think it may work. They may up the voice quality to make this work and I think it's one of there goals with voice over LTE.

4ktvs said:
#2 was more of a wish, but the rest of it is not. Let me try to put it in a better way:
1) give 4G LTE users a higher cap/unlimited data, becuase there is more bandwith. They could charge a bit more for the new Data plans, but over all save $ for the buyers. In turn, this would likely help the push for LTE and kill 2g and 3g sooner, so that the bandwith can be used for 4G.
2) Voice over LTE( 3 will be why)
3) When Voice over LTE is done, then make voice/text/data all one plan, Like:
1) 2GB for $60. ( Voice and text would use data)
2) 5GB for $80.
3) 10GB for $100.
4) 20GB/unlimited for $120.
Any way I am not a CEO and I don't have the # for everything, so this "plan" of mine may not work/be good, but I tryed.
I have both AT&T and verizon unlimited data plans and don't like the low bar they have set of 2-5gb plans, but really most don't use more than about 5GB. Now I bet they would if they used a crap load of voice at 50mb per 60 min. ( If you used 900min per bill then you would use about 750mb or about bit less 1/2 of the 2GB plan and then a few e-mails, some text and bam over the limit.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's actually a much better way of saying it. It's not a bad idea. Going all data would seem to be the way to go for the future. That problem is going to be getting carriers to realize this and make adjustments accordingly. They keep saying that they don't have enough bandwidth to service everyone, but this plan makes exclusive use of data. It requires a nationwide "4G" footprint. Verizon is the closest to this right now. T-Mobile is close behind with its HSPA+ rollout. AT&T has a large HSPA+ footprint as well, but it's not any/much faster than their 3G in my testing. We won't even go into Sprint's "4G" services....
I think that Verizon and T-Mobile would be the biggest players in this. T-Mobile currently has the bandwidth and lower customer base to make this a reality. Verizon may still have quite a way to go, though. CDMA technology really needs to hurry up and die already.
In any case, this is any interesting plan, that would indeed be beneficial to both parties. The biggest hurdle is that their are still large parts of the country that do not have high speed wireless access. Within the next three years, I can see this being put into play.
EDIT: Also, GSM networks use the G.729 codec (as far as I recall) for voice calls which compress the call to roughly 6-8Kbps. This makes it about 3.6MB per hour on a normal, non VoIP GSM call. I have no idea what CDMA uses.

4ktvs said:
They are just ex and I hope the pricing is better than that, but I am trying to be real here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... you're not trying hard enough
Seriously though, that list is unrealistic. "I want more advanced tech and I want it released and working now." is not a useful answer for "How would you change the wireless market?"
As for me, I want American cell networks to be more compatible with other networks - right now AT&T and T-Mobile are the only carriers with anything close to this. Maybe there's hope for this with LTE developments, but I don't know.
If this happens, maybe cheaper postpaid plans will be available - I really like this - it's why I'm on T-Mobile. I wish AT&T would have discounted plans if you're not on contract - it's not like they need to subsidize a phone.

luftrofl said:
... you're not trying hard enough
Seriously though, that list is unrealistic. "I want more advanced tech and I want it released and working now." is not a useful answer for "How would you change the wireless market?"
As for me, I want American cell networks to be more compatible with other networks - right now AT&T and T-Mobile are the only carriers with anything close to this. Maybe there's hope for this with LTE developments, but I don't know.
If this happens, maybe cheaper postpaid plans will be available - I really like this - it's why I'm on T-Mobile. I wish AT&T would have discounted plans if you're not on contract - it's not like they need to subsidize a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're answer is similar to the one you jest about. How would such a move benefit the carriers? If it is not beneficial to them, it will not happen. What would be their motivation to make their networks or devices interoperable? Customer loyalty, or doing it to make customers happy isn't a reason, unfortunately. Generally, there needs to be financial motivation to make changes to the market.

cajunflavoredbob said:
EDIT: Also, GSM networks use the G.729 codec (as far as I recall) for voice calls which compress the call to roughly 6-8Kbps. This makes it about 3.6MB per hour on a normal, non VoIP GSM call. I have no idea what CDMA uses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, I couldn't remember the exact bitrate but I knew it was really very low.
Adaptive Multi-Rate Speech (AMR) is the codec used by WCDMA voice and it tops out at 12kbps.

Now I know were I got 45mb/hour. I read it in the mobile broadband part of a verizon mag.
It list Voice call(VoIP) as 45MB/hour over 4G LTE.

VZW worth the extra 12-15 bucks a month?

So I'm at a point where I am striking out on my own and dropping off my parents family plan. What I am looking at is A $100 plan from vzw for 2gb data and a $90 plan from att for 3gb data. (I use no more than 1.5gb in a month) Coverage in my area for verizon is a little bit better than att but no LTE from either side. My company has a discount for both providers at 17% so no advantage there. Verizon has the bad habit of locking up phones so I can't play with them as well.
Another option I've had is since my work doesn't allow cell phones on the premises, I have thought about switching to a dumb phone since I won't be using it 40-50 hours of the week but that is for a later time.
In other words, do you all think VZW "service" is worth a $150 bucks extra a year than att?

From what you've told me about your usage patterns, I'd go with ATT, or even a MNVO like Straight Talk.
I had ATT and the only reason I left was because of their throttling.. I prefer GSM phones to CDMA since they hold value better and since they are worldwide, you have more compatibility and a larger selection.

bukithd said:
So I'm at a point where I am striking out on my own and dropping off my parents family plan. What I am looking at is A $100 plan from vzw for 2gb data and a $90 plan from att for 3gb data. (I use no more than 1.5gb in a month) Coverage in my area for verizon is a little bit better than att but no LTE from either side. My company has a discount for both providers at 17% so no advantage there. Verizon has the bad habit of locking up phones so I can't play with them as well.
Another option I've had is since my work doesn't allow cell phones on the premises, I have thought about switching to a dumb phone since I won't be using it 40-50 hours of the week but that is for a later time.
In other words, do you all think VZW "service" is worth a $150 bucks extra a year than att?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Straight Talk:
$45 a month ($50 after taxes)
Unlimited Talk
Unlimited Text
Unlimited* Data (just don't go nuts with it, but 1.5 GB is more than safe)
It runs on AT&T (also T-Mobile, but it asks you to choose which SIM you want. Choose AT&T). No, there's no LTE, but there's full speed HSPA+ which should be plenty fast. I don't think Verizon is worth it unless you're in an area where they're the only viable option, or if you need insane speed for some strange reason. I switched off my family's Sprint plan to Straight Talk. I don't know how I survived on CDMA; once you go GSM, the freedom of being able to switch phones whenever you want is great. If you're already on a GSM network, it's not worth giving up. That, and the price.
Order a SIM from http://straighttalk.com and choose "AT&T compatible SIM". It works in a locked AT&T phone or unlocked phone. You could even use your Rezound; I know it works on AT&T believe it or not. They found out a while ago. But if you're looking for a new phone, best bang for your buck? Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store.
Oh and when you fill in the APN for data, leave out the "Proxy" fields except for MMS Proxy. It disallows them from throttling you or monitoring what apps you use. They've been known to call people for streaming a lot, but I've gone over 2GB of usage and haven't gotten any calls from them or anything.

I agree. Verizon is just crap compared to what they used to be. In the days of unlimited data it wasn't so bad but now they are just plain greedy. Plus striking out on your own you don't want to get stuck if you lose your job paying a $100/mo bill when you could use that money for food. Trust me, it happened to me and now I owe Verizon and can't afford to pay them. If T-Mobile has good coverage they may be an option as well.

Pageplus is a Verizon MVNO.
For $55 per month (No Taxes!), you get unlimited talk/text and 2Gb of 3g data.
You can use a Verizon phone too!
Plus, if you buy from Pageplusdirect.com, you get a 7% discount!

Product F(RED) said:
Straight Talk:
$45 a month ($50 after taxes)
Unlimited Talk
Unlimited Text
Unlimited* Data (just don't go nuts with it, but 1.5 GB is more than safe)
It runs on AT&T (also T-Mobile, but it asks you to choose which SIM you want. Choose AT&T). No, there's no LTE, but there's full speed HSPA+ which should be plenty fast. I don't think Verizon is worth it unless you're in an area where they're the only viable option, or if you need insane speed for some strange reason. I switched off my family's Sprint plan to Straight Talk. I don't know how I survived on CDMA; once you go GSM, the freedom of being able to switch phones whenever you want is great. If you're already on a GSM network, it's not worth giving up. That, and the price.
Order a SIM from http://straighttalk.com and choose "AT&T compatible SIM". It works in a locked AT&T phone or unlocked phone. You could even use your Rezound; I know it works on AT&T believe it or not. They found out a while ago. But if you're looking for a new phone, best bang for your buck? Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store.
Oh and when you fill in the APN for data, leave out the "Proxy" fields except for MMS Proxy. It disallows them from throttling you or monitoring what apps you use. They've been known to call people for streaming a lot, but I've gone over 2GB of usage and haven't gotten any calls from them or anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's been one of the most complete decent answers I've got on this forum in a while. I will seriously consider it. AT&T gets good enough service for me to get the same stuff for half price. Thanks!

bukithd said:
That's been one of the most complete decent answers I've got on this forum in a while. I will seriously consider it. AT&T gets good enough service for me to get the same stuff for half price. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Product F(RED) said:
Straight Talk:
$45 a month ($50 after taxes)
Unlimited Talk
Unlimited Text
Unlimited* Data (just don't go nuts with it, but 1.5 GB is more than safe)
It runs on AT&T (also T-Mobile, but it asks you to choose which SIM you want. Choose AT&T). No, there's no LTE, but there's full speed HSPA+ which should be plenty fast. I don't think Verizon is worth it unless you're in an area where they're the only viable option, or if you need insane speed for some strange reason. I switched off my family's Sprint plan to Straight Talk. I don't know how I survived on CDMA; once you go GSM, the freedom of being able to switch phones whenever you want is great. If you're already on a GSM network, it's not worth giving up. That, and the price.
Order a SIM from http://straighttalk.com and choose "AT&T compatible SIM". It works in a locked AT&T phone or unlocked phone. You could even use your Rezound; I know it works on AT&T believe it or not. They found out a while ago. But if you're looking for a new phone, best bang for your buck? Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store.
Oh and when you fill in the APN for data, leave out the "Proxy" fields except for MMS Proxy. It disallows them from throttling you or monitoring what apps you use. They've been known to call people for streaming a lot, but I've gone over 2GB of usage and haven't gotten any calls from them or anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally am done with Verizon. The very first phone I had wouldn't charge completely (8 hours on charger, half full, 2 hours battery life) almost from the get go, they started sending me refurbs and I've been stuck in refurb hell ever since. To top it off the data speeds and connection have gotten gradually worse in my area, like they are trying to push you to upgrade to a 4G phone and go to the new shared plans (which I don't doubt a bit). I can't get a good enough connection in the parking lot at work most days make a phone call, and I'm in the 2nd largest city in my state, we have 4G, and the coverage map is blood red with both 3G and 4G coverage. At my desk I'm lucky to get any coverage (thank god we have wifi, guy next to me on his VZW iphone 4 gets full signal). I got an unlocked GNEX a couple weeks ago, got a TMO sim to try out, I have consisten 4-5 bars at my desk and full signal in the parking lot, I only got the 100mb 4G plan but TMO's 2G speeds are about as fast as what I get on average with VZW. I'm on my 12th phone with VZW and had enough even though they keep replacing them. I pay $210 a month for service that doesn't work all the time and slow data speeds.
I'm going to straight talk next, because I learned the hard way TMO doesn't include roaming with their prepaid. Otherwise I'd stick with them because where they have coverage its been great. But for $45 a month, Straight Talk is getting a try it out month from me on AT&T's network which I have great signal with here.
Anyway, point was, stay away from VZW, they're greedy and pushing a bad product IMO.

I think android made verizon that way. When I first hopped on the network I got an incredible that was about 6 months after its release, I loved everything. Since then, there have been overly modded phones, worsening signal quality jack ups in price, and and my phone is just now (in the next couple of weeks maybe) set for an ICS update. I just wish there were more prepaid providers with better service history. Verizon does have good personal customer service, at least in my experience.

bukithd said:
I think android made verizon that way. When I first hopped on the network I got an incredible that was about 6 months after its release, I loved everything. Since then, there have been overly modded phones, worsening signal quality jack ups in price, and and my phone is just now (in the next couple of weeks maybe) set for an ICS update. I just wish there were more prepaid providers with better service history. Verizon does have good personal customer service, at least in my experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I think so, with the success of Android they got greedy. Signal quality, prices, just not worth it anymore. However, their customer service has been fantastic, I have no problems getting replacement phones, just tired of needing them and really the problems have never gone away. Now that I've gone to an unlocked GNEX, I'm never going back, lol.

Verizon has to be the most controlling carrier in my knowledge. I mean they are one of the only ones to put a locked boot loader on the SGS III, and FFS they striped ram out of my old HTC Touch Pro. It's not like they charge any less for the crippled phones they sell, they're just in it for the money.

icomrade said:
Verizon has to be the most controlling carrier in my knowledge. I mean they are one of the only ones to put a locked boot loader on the SGS III, and FFS they striped ram out of my old HTC Touch Pro. It's not like they charge any less for the crippled phones they sell, they're just in it for the money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to work in a third-party Verizon store and a customer we've known for a while had been through 3 BB Storm 2's, all of them crapping out differently, but in ways that made them totally unusable. He was a doctor, so he needed a reliable phone. I called up CS on behalf of him, with him sitting across from me. All he wanted was a BB Bold, even a refurbished replacement (he had insurance), and they told me to tell him to just leave Verizon. How crazy is that?
They're also against Net Neutrality, which means they want to be able to charge you more for certain services. Like how AT&T is planning on charging extra for Facetime over 3G on the iPhone. It's like saying, "Oh, you want to watch YouTube on your phone? You'll need to shell out an extra $10 a month for our YouTube package. You wanna browse Facebook? You need to add $5 a month to your bill to have access to the Facebook app."

Product F(RED) said:
I used to work in a third-party Verizon store and a customer we've known for a while had been through 3 BB Storm 2's, all of them crapping out differently, but in ways that made them totally unusable. He was a doctor, so he needed a reliable phone. I called up CS on behalf of him, with him sitting across from me. All he wanted was a BB Bold, even a refurbished replacement (he had insurance), and they told me to tell him to just leave Verizon. How crazy is that?
They're also against Net Neutrality, which means they want to be able to charge you more for certain services. Like how AT&T is planning on charging extra for Facetime over 3G on the iPhone. It's like saying, "Oh, you want to watch YouTube on your phone? You'll need to shell out an extra $10 a month for our YouTube package. You wanna browse Facebook? You need to add $5 a month to your bill to have access to the Facebook app."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is what scares me about cell service regardless who is providing it. I want what was free to begin with to stay free. I already pay about 1000 bucks a year for you to do what you will with me.
Verizon perk though, they just hooked up 4g in my area today and it actually works.

Somewhat unusual scenario - help me decide which carrier

Hi all, Hope you can help me out here make a decision with carrier choice when I buy my GS4 (I have a GS2 running CM10.1 now).
Facts:
- I live in Atlanta and thats the primary place I'll use (though I would like decent coverage in other parts of US as I travel some).
- My wife has a Nexus 4 I bought her directly from Google. She is on TMobile, has about 10 months left on her contract, is not a heavy user and i pay $85 a month -- she's on the unlimited data plan.
- I am on TMobile through my work. I have a 10GB data plan and don't pay anything for it.
- I can stay on TMobile on my work plan and just pay for the subsidized cost of the phone.
- I can switch to another carrier and charge $75 to my company.
- I am a relatively heavy user of data and want great speeds in most of the places I go as well as good phone service (TMo HSPA+ is very good in some places in Atlanta but not so good in others)
- I have a Clear USB device with unlimited data for $50 a month that I want to replace with either tethering on my new phone or a another USB device (I don't use this often but want it when I need it)
- I am EAGER (in other words, I don't really want to wait for Verizon but will if it makes sense.
Options:
- Stay on TMo and use tethering or a TMo USB to save me the $50 Clear. Downside I see: their network isn't as good at AT&T or Verizon
- Switch to AT&T, sever my wife's contract with TMo, buy an extra GS4 and sell it (pocketing the difference), and put her on a shared plan with me (and charge back $75 to my company each month)
- Switch to Verizon and do basically the same thing
- Sprint -- should I even consider this at this stage with the weakness of their network?
- Something else entirely???
I'd really appreciate any thoughts in helping me make this decision. I feel like I've dropped the ball the past few years in not analyzing my options and making the best decision.
-toast

As long as you are getting decent service from T-Mobile (connection and speed), I would stay with them. AT&T and Verizon have better coverage atm, but T-Mobile's network is growing. I don't see any gain from switching. I have no idea about Sprint.

Sprint is garbage. Don't do it, stay away if you know that's best. I regret ever switching from att
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

MultiLockOn said:
Sprint is garbage. Don't do it, stay away if you know that's best. I regret ever switching from att
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my girlfriend used to have sprint and it sucked. shes on verizon with me now on a 4gb plan, i still have my unlimited
also i used to have t-mobile and it was terrible too, verizon seems to be the best choice imo. at&t seems to have the upper hand on this release date though, im not happy about it -_-

If Tmo has the coverage you need switching will only mean you spend more money to no particular end because neither AT&T nor Verizon will be cheaper. They are however more restrictive in their policies as an (un)bonus should you decide to go that way. Sprint can be great if they have the coverage you need but you would want to talk to locals that actually have the service and make sure because coverage maps lie as you probably know.

xdatoast said:
Hi all, Hope you can help me out here make a decision with carrier choice when I buy my GS4 (I have a GS2 running CM10.1 now).
Facts:
- I live in Atlanta and thats the primary place I'll use (though I would like decent coverage in other parts of US as I travel some).
- My wife has a Nexus 4 I bought her directly from Google. She is on TMobile, has about 10 months left on her contract, is not a heavy user and i pay $85 a month -- she's on the unlimited data plan.
- I am on TMobile through my work. I have a 10GB data plan and don't pay anything for it.
- I can stay on TMobile on my work plan and just pay for the subsidized cost of the phone.
- I can switch to another carrier and charge $75 to my company.
- I am a relatively heavy user of data and want great speeds in most of the places I go as well as good phone service (TMo HSPA+ is very good in some places in Atlanta but not so good in others)
- I have a Clear USB device with unlimited data for $50 a month that I want to replace with either tethering on my new phone or a another USB device (I don't use this often but want it when I need it)
- I am EAGER (in other words, I don't really want to wait for Verizon but will if it makes sense.
Options:
- Stay on TMo and use tethering or a TMo USB to save me the $50 Clear. Downside I see: their network isn't as good at AT&T or Verizon
- Switch to AT&T, sever my wife's contract with TMo, buy an extra GS4 and sell it (pocketing the difference), and put her on a shared plan with me (and charge back $75 to my company each month)
- Switch to Verizon and do basically the same thing
- Sprint -- should I even consider this at this stage with the weakness of their network?
- Something else entirely???
I'd really appreciate any thoughts in helping me make this decision. I feel like I've dropped the ball the past few years in not analyzing my options and making the best decision.
-toast
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Metro PCS and T-Mobile will merge and in some markets will have 40 MHZ spectrum that is twice what top carrier's can match. .....so in my opinion budget prospective ....stay on what you have. ......
And invest to Wilson amplifier and good antenna and you will have better service .....I use Wilson devices in all my wehicles and also for the house. .....not very cheap ......and going little at the time will make you smile one day .......
Just remember today device's are built for everything else but not for strong reception. ......
Sent from SGH-S959G

[HELP] Family Plan Decisions

Hi, thanks for looking at my thread. Hopefully you can help me out. My situation is described below.
My family and I are currently on a Verizon Wireless plan. We have two smartphones connected to the plan, and two dumb phones. One smartphone has been grandfathered into the unlimited 4G data plan and needs to keep it because that line uses about 4-8GB/month. The other smartphone is on the tiered data plan of 2GB, which is fine for this line because it uses about 1-1.25GB/month. We have 1400 minutes (we do not use all of this) and unlimited text (necessary) shared throughout the plan. We are using a corporate discount, yet our bill is still ~$200USD/month, which is pretty absurd for what we get in return. The two dumb phone users really wish to upgrade their line to smartphones, but we have not proceeded because the bill is already quite high and we are looking for alternatives. The contract is ending in the next few months, and I am looking for guidance on what to do that would allow the following:
# of lines: 4 (all smart phones)
Minutes: 800-1000 shared
Text: Unlimited shared
Data: Preferably unlimited, but each device really only needs about 2GB, with the exception to the one line requiring unlimited. Also, 4G is important, and I have grown to love the speed, but it is something I am willing to part with to allow the other two lines upgrade to smartphones.
My goal is to overall lower the monthly costs of our plan and allow all four lines obtain smartphones. From research, I have found that this, from my knowledge, is more than unlikely to occur at Verizon Wireless and this is why we are planning on taking our business elsewhere. I have been doing intense research on prepaid plans, and considering this instead of the traditional plan, but I am new to this and need some guidance.
If anyone wouldn't mind pointing me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it. All suggestions are highly appreciated.
Lastly, since one of the lines requires a more extensive plan (unlimited data), I am willing to split that line into a second plan if it would save money as the other lines would more than likely be able to share 5GB/month.
Thank you very much!
If you need any additional information, please let me know.

Honestly it depends on coverage for all the carriers. If you have good coverage on all four carriers I'd consider T-Mobile honestly. If your current Verizon smartphones have GSM built in you should be able to get good speeds. Or you could sell your account (with the unlimited grandfathered plan, you could get something good for that), then use the money to recoup some of the cost involved with moving over. I think out of the four postpaid carriers T-Mobile isn't a bad way to go, and data is per line. There's also plenty of prepaid options like Virgin Mobile. You can get the $35 plan x4 = $140 a month (pay a little more for the one line with more data) and you can get 4G up to either 2.5 or 3.5GB unthrottled then it throttles down. If VM/Sprint works good in your area that might be something to consider.
Honestly it's gonna take research. The problem is if you sign up for a plan you'll have to pay for phones. If you have the money to plunk it down up front you could buy 4 Nexus 4s or even find some used phones and start there off of like Craigslist/eBay or something. You can very easily spend less than $200 a month, just do some research.
You never did state your area.

Thank you very much for your reply. I am sorry I forgot to state my area, I am in central Ohio, USA. I live in a rural area, so out of most providers, we don't get the best service. I'm on the very edge of Verizon's 4G service (I only get it in one corner of the house), but this is not particularly important because our wifi works quite well, and 4G LTE is a battery hog anyhow. I've been looking into T-Mobile, especially since they announced their family plan, but I'm slightly worried about coverage because some people I have spoken with said they cannot even receive text when in our area, and that would be a big problem. I may look into grabbing a monthly prepaid on one line and testing the network prior to switching. Thanks again!
Edit: http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/family-plans.aspx is the tmobile family plans I am referring to, but unfortunately, this is only saving $20/mo, but on the bright side, everyone is able to have smartphones on the plan.

c21johnson said:
Thank you very much for your reply. I am sorry I forgot to state my area, I am in central Ohio, USA. I live in a rural area, so out of most providers, we don't get the best service. I'm on the very edge of Verizon's 4G service (I only get it in one corner of the house), but this is not particularly important because our wifi works quite well, and 4G LTE is a battery hog anyhow. I've been looking into T-Mobile, especially since they announced their family plan, but I'm slightly worried about coverage because some people I have spoken with said they cannot even receive text when in our area, and that would be a big problem. I may look into grabbing a monthly prepaid on one line and testing the network prior to switching. Thanks again!
Edit: http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/family-plans.aspx is the tmobile family plans I am referring to, but unfortunately, this is only saving $20/mo, but on the bright side, everyone is able to have smartphones on the plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're in a partner area, then yeah you will only get roaming coverage, which will suck. If your area is a 2g area, you will get either GRPS which is dialup speeds or edge which is up to 256kbps down, but really is more like 100 kbps or maybe 150 kbps real world conditions, enough for streaming Pandora on low or having it buffer. Since I don't know exactly, it looks like Sprint only has 3g so it may be crappy fast but might be decent (comparable to Verizon 3g EVDO, but slower as they don't seem to have as much bandwidth to their towers as Verizon). You might ask people on Sprint/AT&T and then consider Virgin Mobile.
Another option is to get a SIM card and test the network on prepaid for T-Mobile. They let you have full access to their network speeds in your area on prepaid so if you have a LTE capable phone unlocked and stick a T-Mobile SIM in and active on like the $3 a day play or the $30 5GB plan you would get LTE speeds. But you'd be stuck on edge probably and you might have to go with one of the big two companies or maybe Sprint. Some MVNOs are pretty good and reading up on HowardForums would be a better option