AT&T Spectrum Switch Leaves Smartphone Users In The Cold

[Mike Temporale]

http://www.engadget.com/entry/5326780577844212/

AT&T is now deploying GSM 850 while a large selection of their earlier GSM phones do not support this frequency. This includes the Motorola MPx-200 Smartphone. AT&T Wireless is quietly offering a replacement phone for those effected by this change. However, the replacement phones don't reflect the features your current phone already has. I wonder if this is where the MPx-220 fits in? Regardless, this sounds like it's going to ugly really fast. Check out the linked article for a full list of the phones effected.

[Mike Temporale]

http://www.engadget.com/entry/5326780577844212/

AT&T is now deploying GSM 850 while a large selection of their earlier GSM phones do not support this frequency. This includes the Motorola MPx-200 Smartphone. AT&T Wireless is quietly offering a replacement phone for those effected by this change. However, the replacement phones don't reflect the features your current phone already has. I wonder if this is where the MPx-220 fits in? Regardless, this sounds like it's going to ugly really fast. Check out the linked article for a full list of the phones effected.

[greenmozart]

Thank you, AT&T for proving my decision to go with Verizon was the right one.

That AT&T would effectively obsoletize (word?) a large number of its handsets is astounding. I feel sorry for everyone out there who has jumped on the AT&T bandwagon with the MPx-200. What do you guys think this will do to AT&T's stock? They got a nice boost with the Cingular buy-out, but this is going to ruffle the market's feathers something fierce. Of course, stock-holders could see this as a way of cutting out the old technology and streamlining their backbone.

Of course, this is a SmartPhone discussion so who cares about the stock. What I want to know is what AT&T/Cingular is going to do to "replace" all the SmartPhones that may soon become paperweights.

[possmann]

ATT: "Hello customer - please bend over..."

Why am I not surprised? One stupid move after another... It just goes to show you that ATT does not think globally, does not think of the large scale impact, and certainly does not think of their customers. Geesh. :roll:

I'm sticking with T-Mo!

[Jason Dunn]

Changing the frequency is probably a good business move, but not having replacement handsets in place is a bad business move. I can't believe they'd ask users of a Smartphone to downgrade to some dumbphone...?! :?

[brianchris]

My wife purchased the MPx200 back in December from AT&T, and she absolutely LOVES it! However, she does not know about this yet, becuase she was really hesitant to give up her TDMA/Analog phone (as it had, and still does have, better coverage than GSM, even if you include the GSM 850 range, which her MPx200 is not capable of). Needless to say, she is not going to be happy, especially because we live deep in the blue area of the map in the article. I may wait to tell her until AT&T has a specific replacement policy for the MPx200, as she doesn't do well with bad news mixed with a touch of uncertainty.

AT&T, tell us what's up ASAP.

-Brian

[aristoBrat]

If an AT&T customer has a Smartphone that's working fine now, where is the issue?

It sounds like AT&T's committed to growing their 850mhz network, but the article didn't sound like AT&T was going to turn off their 1900mhz towers next week or anything. :?:

[brianchris]

Originally Posted by aristoBrat

If an AT&T customer has a Smartphone that's working fine now, where is the issue?

It sounds like AT&T's committed to growing their 850mhz network, but the article didn't sound like AT&T was going to turn off their 1900mhz towers next week or anything. :?:

I can't speak for the others in this thread, but my concern comes straight from this quote from the article:

"Just take a look at the map below. AT&T’s GSM 850 network is indicated by dark blue (the map also shows part of Cingular’s network). Subscribers in these areas are the ones most likely to be affected by AT&T’s replacement program."

Upon looking at the map, our county is dark blue, therefore my cause for concern. I will admit the article is a tad vague on some subjects, but none the less the quote above is the quote above.

-Brian

[aristoBrat]

Originally Posted by brianchris

Subscribers in these areas are the ones most likely to be affected by AT&T’s replacement program.

I read that as:

AT&T is not going to expand their existing 1900mhz networks in the blue areas, so if a customer with a 1900mhz-only phone complains about getting poor reception, then the only solution is to offer that customer a 850mhz phone.

I've seen this issue posted as "news" on a few large sites, so maybe the buzz generated will cause AT&T to do a press release to straigthen this out.

[ShivShanks]

Originally Posted by aristoBrat

AT&T is not going to expand their existing 1900mhz networks in the blue areas, so if a customer with a 1900mhz-only phone complains about getting poor reception, then the only solution is to offer that customer a 850mhz phone.

Do people seriously think that the 1900 MHz network will not deteriorate as they move to 850MHz and start concentrating on that? So why are they offering 850MHz phones to customers who already have 1900MHz? After all they could be using the old phones just fine. The 1900MHz network is broken (read bad coverage) and will only become worse. After all they will have limited tower/financial infrastructure to put both kinds of equipment and guess which one will take priority when a conflict arises? Who knows they might even remove some 1900MHz equipment to make way for 850Mhz. They seem to be in quite a hurry to move people over by just sending them new phones without even asking (and without making and public announcement about it I might add). Apparently the state of GSM caught the attention of Consumer Reports who have a cellular article in their February 2004 issue with a sidebar entitled: "Trouble in the GSM Network." I haven't read that (heard about it) but I can imagine what it would be talking about. The AT&T Cingular network is a mess right now with 1900 MHz GSM, 800 MHz TDMA and 850 MHz GSM and all the permutations and combinations of migration and change. I personally would stay away from such headaches.

[mcsouth]

I would find it surprising that they would go to the expense of pulling down 1900mhz equipment to put up 850mhz equipment, considering that part of the 1900mhz network coverage must come from T-mobile (unless I grossly misunderstand how this all works...).

I agree with Jason on this part - there have been some announcements of quad-band phones lately, but I'm not sure any are shipping yet. Releasing this kind of news story without enough solid facts to allow the average consumer to understand what is happening is just going to continue the migration to other cell providers, in hopes of some stability.

AT&T sure seems to be disorganized lately, and stumbling over its own feet - weren't they the ones having the most problems complying with the number portability issue?