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AT&T ranks last in Consumer Reports mobile service survey

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AT&T ranks last in Consumer Reports mobile service survey

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Old Dec 4, 2009, 9:10 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by JackDaniels
I have ATT and it works great when traveling. However, $2.5 roaming overseas is never good.
Snag a cheap unlocked Nokia for 10-15 Euros and use local SIMs.

Originally Posted by anrkitec
???

I have free int'l roaming as a standard feature on my $89/month unlimited voice/data plan.

And most of Europe for example is only ~$1/minute.
...And as soon as I make the "get an unlocked phone" recommendation, I have to admit that a buck a minute is approaching a reasonable rate if you need to be available for incoming calls at your "native" number.

I have Sprint, which sucks, but if I had a quad-band phone I'd probably keep it on for incoming at this rate. Still use the cheap local SIM for outgoing...
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Old Dec 4, 2009, 1:13 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by pinniped
Snag a cheap unlocked Nokia for 10-15 Euros and use local SIMs.

...And as soon as I make the "get an unlocked phone" recommendation, I have to admit that a buck a minute is approaching a reasonable rate if you need to be available for incoming calls at your "native" number.

I have Sprint, which sucks, but if I had a quad-band phone I'd probably keep it on for incoming at this rate. Still use the cheap local SIM for outgoing...
That's just it, I don't make/receive a lot of calls when I travel internationally so I sorta figure that I am paying ~$.50/minute for the convenience of not having to have two phones and carry/buy multiple SIM cars.
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Old Dec 4, 2009, 1:14 pm
  #33  
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Duplicate post.
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Old Dec 4, 2009, 3:21 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by LessO2
If it weren't for the iPhone, AT&T would be dead.

LOL

Double edge sword here:

1. no iPhone, AT&T loses new clients to Vz, etc.
2. after launch of 3G and 3G-S iPhones, AT&T 3G network overloaded
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Old Dec 5, 2009, 3:09 am
  #35  
 
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I hate at&t

I hate AT&T, but I'm stuck with them. Right now, they are the only provider in my area. I have the new iPhone 3GS which is a good phone for me, but AT&T is horrible. They have an extreme lack of 3G service, no tethering, expensive plans, dropped calls, shoddy coverage, etc.


Why the hell did Apple give such a good product to such a crappy company?!
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Old Dec 8, 2009, 10:04 am
  #36  
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New app for iPhone

You can't get a connection, the network is down again and now AT&T offers this: http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=8367.

Priceless
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Old Dec 8, 2009, 10:08 am
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by dtsm
You can't get a connection, the network is down again and now AT&T offers this
Hopefully, they already know where they have poor service and this app is just intended to placate the masses. I've been a Verizon customer for many years, but I cut AT&T some slack. Trying to carry all of the iPhone data over the air must be a challenge. AT&T ran an ad a few months ago about the iPhone's new ability to share user-created video. Must have made AT&T network engineers cringe.
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Old Dec 8, 2009, 10:15 am
  #38  
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Originally Posted by boberonicus
but I cut AT&T some slack. Trying to carry all of the iPhone data over the air must be a challenge. AT&T ran an ad a few months ago about the iPhone's new ability to share user-created video. Must have made AT&T network engineers cringe.
I'm using unlocked iPhone on TMO, so no problems for me. But for the millions who bought the 3G and 3G-s and signed a two year contract, they've been screwed...
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Old Dec 8, 2009, 12:14 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by boberonicus
but I cut AT&T some slack. Trying to carry all of the iPhone data over the air must be a challenge. AT&T ran an ad a few months ago about the iPhone's new ability to share user-created video. Must have made AT&T network engineers cringe.
only those who aren't paying AT&T cut them slack. $80 month for a POS network
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Old Dec 8, 2009, 4:14 pm
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Originally Posted by cj001f
only those who aren't paying AT&T cut them slack. $80 month for a POS network
^ POS network is an understatement.

What really gets me is now that I've moved, I'm 200 miles from the nearest 3G service area, yet still pay the same per month. For how many BILLIONS of dollars AT&T rakes in, they should have a decent network to show for it.
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Old Dec 8, 2009, 4:21 pm
  #41  
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If AT&T didn't have the iPhone, I'd move back to T-Mobile now that they seem to have their major metro market 3G network up and running.

AT&T is horrible. I saw the CR article and saw that SF was all black for AT&T and I have experienced it. I live in the middle of Silicon Valley without being blocked by any big buildings and go to Edge in my neighborhood. Ridiculous.

I used that iPhone app and let AT&T know of my horrible coverage, but then I've complained about it over the phone 2X and zilch....not holding my breath.
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Old Dec 8, 2009, 6:44 pm
  #42  
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Originally Posted by jackal
And they continue to surprise me. I discovered a few weeks or so ago that AT&T representatives maintain a presence on Twitter. I decided then, yesterday morning, to report a coverage issue to them (an area with previously good coverage seemingly went dark a couple of months ago). One of the AT&T reps tweeted me back within minutes and took down the information I provided. Then, yesterday evening, I received a phone call from a technician in the engineering department who collected a bit more information from me in order to create the ticket and have the issue investigated.

Blew me away. I never expected to receive such a proactive response to a report about a coverage gap. Time will tell if they actually fix the issue (not sure if it's a downed tower or something intentional, like re-aiming an antenna array in another direction or something), but I can find no flaw in how they handle their customers.
Received a phone call back from their engineering department saying they dispatched a field engineer out to the reported spot and confirmed the signal was weak. She said it's not going to be high on their priority list because it's in a bit of a depression, but it's been marked for improvement and they do show the need for an additional tower in the area.

So, two thumbs up for their customer service and 1.5 thumbs up for their coverage (everywhere else except that 1/2-mile stretch of road, I get consistent 2.8mbps downloads).
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Old Dec 8, 2009, 11:17 pm
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by dtsm
Summary
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...ce_survey.html

Actual survey
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/e...ce-ratings.htm

Almost all of my friends with 3G iPhone tells me they turn off 3G in NYC - too many dropped calls; faster with regular 2G mode
What do you expect? Thats why I use T mobile.
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Old Dec 9, 2009, 12:20 pm
  #44  
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It gets even better!

Originally Posted by dtsm
You can't get a connection, the network is down again and now AT&T offers this: http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=8367.

Priceless
Another solution in the works: http://business.theatlantic.com/2009...data_usage.php

What next, devising an alternate-side-of-the-street usage schedule?
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Old Dec 9, 2009, 2:32 pm
  #45  
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De la Vega also mentions that only 3% of smartphone users consume over 40% of network capacity.
Yowza.
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