07-16-2004, 01:00 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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AT&T Starting 3G Launch By Next Week
"AT&T Wireless Services Inc., the third-largest U.S. mobile operator, on Thursday said it was on track to launch a high-speed Internet service for mobile phones this year, and sources close to the matter said the rollout would begin in four markets early next week. AT&T Wireless will launch its third-generation or "3G" mobile phone service capable of transmitting e-mail, pictures, and video at a high speed in four cities -- San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix and Detroit, the sources told Reuters."
The key is the pricing for their WCDMA service: the article suggests $80/month for corporate entities, but $25/month for consumers. That's more in the affordable range than Verizon's, whose 1xEV-DO service (which is also currently in rollout) costs $79.99 for any interested consumer. Hopefully, the increased competition will benefit us all. 8)
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07-16-2004, 01:31 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 104
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The $25 is great news!! I am a Sprint user and it's hard for me to look elsewhere with my 25% discount through my employer but I would love a BT phone to use with my 2215, especially at those speeds!!!
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07-16-2004, 01:38 AM
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Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 150
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Wow $25/month is incredible for 3G! Hope T-Mobile follows suit and rolls out their EDGE network soon...
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07-16-2004, 02:47 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 797
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The only way AT&T's 3G will benefit anyone is if AT&T puts major improvements into their GSM network, which from someone who works for a company that sells AT&T's services, they just aren't doing.
Their GSM network is very spotty, even in NYC where it shouldn't be, and that's going to hurt customers indirectly.
Let's say you go over to your local VZW store, and say "Hey, AT&T is only $25" they'll look you dead in the eye, as they do now, and say "So go. But you won't get the coverage."
T-Mobile might have more incentive to react to this, as would Cingular and Sprint, but an operator like Verizon will just look at it and go "what's the big deal? It's cheap, but it doesn't work anywhere," and to a degree they're right.
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07-16-2004, 02:51 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 104
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If you have this deal once the Cingular handover is done then you would be set. The coverage should be pretty good then.
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07-16-2004, 03:26 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 37
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off topic
Kash, you can get a bluetooth Sprint phone right now. I have a Sony T608 that Sprint sells through its telephone sales dept only, use it with my Ipaq 2215 all the time and it works great. For more info on the phone you can go to www.sprintpcsinfo.com
If you don't overuse it, you can connect to your ipaq as part of your vision plan. I routinely get speeds of 100K, and supposedly that is going to increase soon with sprint. There was a post here at ppc thoughts about a possible pocket pc phone similar to the tmobile xdaIII that is supposedly "3G" compatible coming to sprint soon.
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07-16-2004, 03:32 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 104
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I know. I'm just really iching for a phone like my vm4500 with BT  I can't spend $200 on the SE, it has too many cons for me right now.
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07-16-2004, 04:05 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by vincenzosi
The only way AT&T's 3G will benefit anyone is if AT&T puts major improvements into their GSM network, which from someone who works for a company that sells AT&T's services, they just aren't doing. Their GSM network is very spotty, even in NYC where it shouldn't be, and that's going to hurt customers indirectly.
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Agreed, but they're slowly fixing it up by patching in 850MHz coverage in the NY area. They used to have good coverage in the NY metro area, so they have the towers and rights... it's a matter of finishing off the network.
(But yes, I carry a Verizon phone -- my i700 -- right now.  )
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but an operator like Verizon will just look at it and go "what's the big deal? It's cheap, but it doesn't work anywhere," and to a degree they're right.
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I really hope AT&T/Cingular get their act together. Verizon/Sprint needs a little competition here... the CDMA carriers' arrogance towards Bluetooth is very frustrating; even with the T608, Sprint tries hard to cripple it, and Verizon is taking their sweet time in releasing the Moto V710.
--janak
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07-16-2004, 04:55 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 797
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I think you hit the nail on the head Janak. Verizon doesn't compete because, for the most part, they don't have to.
Even with number portability, I believe they posted a net gain in customers despite less competitive plans, crappy phone selection, and higher prices.
Why?
Network quality.
I think for most people that coverage issue is the big sticking point with AT&T, especially considering their abysmal churn rate since number portability took effect.
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07-16-2004, 05:01 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 332
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I'd love to skip the bluetooth connection with the phone and just go with a PCMCIA card for my laptop. Anyone using data plans? ATT is still expensive right now...what about other data plans?
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