Maybe they do ... it's just that deploying service members are such a large category. It can't hurt for the average Joe to call and ask if they are going out of country for a long time.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
AT&T Unlocking In-Contract iPhones for Deployed Service Members
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Maybe they do ... it's just that deploying service members are such a large category. It can't hurt for the average Joe to call and ask if they are going out of country for a long time.
I am sure that, if you are one of these very important people and you are shipped by your company to some strange land, your company will cover the cost of getting you a local iPhone.
More important? No, probably not. But you can't deny that they're making a pretty big sacrifice for the rest of us. AT&T is making an exception to their typical rules as a courtesy. Just like almost every other industry in this country -active duty soldiers and veterans can usually get pretty good deals on cars, almost always get out of parking and speeding tickets, get great deals on things like loans and insurance, and more... but I won't complain about that - they do deserve it. It just bugs me when there's the occasional guy out there who acts like no one else makes a sacrifice for this country. Most soldiers I personally know aren't like that though.
well it sounds like the point here is that there is no ATT service wherever those service people are. therefore, they deserve to have unlocked phones, even while under contract. what if i am a local ATT customer, under contract, and have little to no service in my area? shouldn't i have the option to unlock my phone and try a different carrier too? the main point is the same in either case. it's VERY clear now that ATT is able to do this for everyone if they wanted to.
point is every service member is deployed ATLEAST once during their contract and its is for a very LONG time, which can go on and off for quite a few years, varying on your contract. While people here put there lives at risk, it doesn't compare to the military, not even close.
Police and firefighters aren't in a foreign country where everyone hates them and is trying to kill them... and contrary to popular belief, not every hates cops
If you say so. It can be argued that LEOs and firefighters have a more direct impact on American lives. There probably would have been no effect on American lives had we not gone into Iraq for example.
But just because that may be the case doesn't mean I don't have a deep respect for our soldiers. My dad's the Chief of Staff and a doctor at the Veterans Administration hospital near where I live - he makes it a point to see patients every day even though the administrative duties are tremendous. I've personally volunteered there many times and have done my best to assist our veterans in whatever way I can. I know most people won't see the horrors that they've faced.
But I also recognize that there are many people out there who make sacrifices for their country in different ways. I don't think it's fair to say one sacrifice is more meaningful than the other. They're just different.
so, AT&T is helping the mercenaries
So, people that we're sending to foreign countries to kill their citizens get a break that American citizens at home do not.
Seems a bit off, IMO.
So, people that we're sending to foreign countries to kill their citizens get a break that American citizens at home do not.
Seems a bit off, IMO.
How was I in any way being condescending? I was stating a FACT. Most LEO's go home every night. Deployed service members don't. Plus comparing a few possible deep undercover LEO's to hundreds of thousands of deployed US service members is not apples and oranges but apples and squash.
Last edited by a moderator:
well agree to disagree i suppose. In no way am i belittling the importance of people back home. I, however, think service members make a more "important" sacrifice. Laying their lives down so liberty lives on, something much bigger than all of us, or any individual people at home.
You are very condescending and I am glad someone else recognized it besides me. It is clear that you think deployed service members are better and deserve special treatment over other occupations that help people here at home. Why? Because their work is in another country and they can't come home at night? Sounds like a high price to pay just to get a phone unlocked.
I'm not going to bother going through your posts in this thread to show your condescension. In general you've been nitpicking details of peoples posts and replying with sarcasm - even those who spoke in support of or out of concern for the military.
And who cares how many US service members are deployed compared to the relatively low numbers of deep cover LEOs? At the individual level it makes 0 difference.
If you insist on comparing the extent of the sacrifices - let's think about how the cards stack up when the US is not involved in an active conflict. You will have people stationed at various bases around the world, but they won't be at the front lines during times of peace (like those few years before 9/11). LEOs and firefighters will have to go on with their duties.
Like I said, one's not better than the other. They're just different.
----------
Of course. I mean no disrespect and I don't intend to belittle anyone's sacrifice
Actually, there's cell service in most places. I was deployed there with the US Army in 2009-2010 and had a cell phone with me (an unlocked 1st Gen iPhone). The provider I used, Etisalat, even had EDGE lol.
"required under Federal Law to suspend service for deployed service members"
Gee, thats funny. I'm deployed right now and AT&T told me they don't suspend service anymore, they only cancel it without penalty and will start it back up when I get back. Problem with that is, I was grandfathered in their true-unlimited data plan. If they cancel my service, I'll likely lose that.
I've had to fight with them every time I get deployed to get the same service I had before turned back on. I just know when I get back that they are going to pull some stunt to not allow my unlimited service again.
Gee, thats funny. I'm deployed right now and AT&T told me they don't suspend service anymore, they only cancel it without penalty and will start it back up when I get back. Problem with that is, I was grandfathered in their true-unlimited data plan. If they cancel my service, I'll likely lose that.
I've had to fight with them every time I get deployed to get the same service I had before turned back on. I just know when I get back that they are going to pull some stunt to not allow my unlimited service again.
When I worked for Sprint 5-6 years ago, all we could do is put them on a temporary $15/month no minutes plan while they were overseas, and they had to call back after 6 months to get it renewed again. It didn't make sense at all. I'm glad to see that things have changed for the better for carriers!
When I got back in the US from Afghanistan for my R&R, I had no problems getting them to reactivate my unlimited data plan...sorry to hear they've screwed you around.
Right when you think you have AT&T figured out, they do something like this!! It's the right thing to do too!
It's the right thing to do too! Yes it will. Once it's unlocked, your iPhone can access Roshan. I popped a friend's Roshan SIM card in my unlocked iPhone while I was deployed and it worked no problem. Worst case, you can just get an Etisalat SIM card like I did when I was deployed. I was in Nangarhar Province and had 4-5 bars virtually everywhere.
This is nice to see.
This was probably posted but to those talking about cell signal in Afghanistan, usually people get a phone and buy a local sim card to some kind of cell phone company and use that. Most of the world has some type of cellular network.
EDIT: Oops! Posted right above me!
This was probably posted but to those talking about cell signal in Afghanistan, usually people get a phone and buy a local sim card to some kind of cell phone company and use that. Most of the world has some type of cellular network.
EDIT: Oops! Posted right above me!
I think you should bother because I'd love to see how you defend your position. I made my points clear and pointed out FACTS that can't be desputed. No point discussing it with you or the other guy, you simply don't get it and possibly never will.
I however will take the word of my brother and many of the vet/guard/reserve LEO's out there that I have discussed deployments with (oh, and my now dead lifetime fire fighter father who knew my brothers and my deployments were way harder than being here in the states being a fireman who said many times "I don't know how you guys did it"), who all agree that being deployed is WAY harder than anything they have to do here in the states, over any one's here .
You (and apparently others that are possibly ignorant on the subject) are confusing PCS'd soldiers with deployed soldiers. I don't think a service member should get this service SIMPLY because they are a service member. I was stationed in Germany but I deployed to Iraq, see the difference? Being a deployed service member is an entirely different ball of wax.
Last edited: