After joining AT&T for my iPhone and switching from Alltel. My hatred of Alltel grew. Since I started my plan with Alltel they have been ripping me off left and right. After looking through AT&T's plans before making my iPhone purchase, I noticed the Unlimited calling plan. Shortly after I saw a commercial where Alltel is trying to sell Unlimited calling while bashing AT&T's unlimited plan. Alltel really has no right to do so, their plan is completely different from AT&T's. AT&T offers Unlimited calling to an unlimited amount of numbers. While Alltel is just trying to pass their "my circle" plans as unlimited calling, when really you only have unlimited number to up to 20 numbers. Alltel is a terrible phone company with not so impeccable coverage, crappy phones, and terrible customer service. Much better off with AT&T or Verizon. I'm actually very happy with AT&T's service on my new iPhone 3G. How have your experiences been with your cell phone providers.
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Alltel's "Unlimited Calling" is not so "Unlimited"
- Thread starter ColonelSmith
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That's really funny when you think about it. I mean... they bash Verizon all the time in their ads (along with the other companies) and now it's being purchased by Verizon.
I agree it's funny in light of their ads attacking the other cell phone providers. But of what I read, they were having a great deal of financial problems which is why Verizon stepped in. Nevertheless, it's great in my mind since I'm a Verizon person. It's really the only option on my area if you want to have reliable service. Alltel was the only competition in my area and now that they're going to be gone, we get their towers and even better coverage than we already have, not to mention the few friends of mine that have it will now be in my network.
And after the buyout is complete, Verizon will be the largest provider in the US in terms of both customers and coverage.
This is not so say that I think this will have any bearing on Verizon getting the iPhone. I'd much rather have great service and unlimited calling to almost all of my friends.
Ok, I'm done with my Verizon fanboyism rant . . .
And after the buyout is complete, Verizon will be the largest provider in the US in terms of both customers and coverage.
This is not so say that I think this will have any bearing on Verizon getting the iPhone. I'd much rather have great service and unlimited calling to almost all of my friends.
Ok, I'm done with my Verizon fanboyism rant . . .
As of right now, I have verizon and I personally get horrible reception. I never have more than two bars.
Reception does indeed depend on where you live, if I were to go home to my village of 250 people in rural Southern Illinois, then I'd be in the same boat as you, then again, down there, that's still the best reception of any carrier. But I live in my college town about an hour away from home and have 4 bars pretty much wherever I go, again, other carriers still aren't able to compete here either.
And of what I read about the Alltel buyout, most of the towers that they own are in more rural areas, so people who live out there may very well see better reception.
And of what I read about the Alltel buyout, most of the towers that they own are in more rural areas, so people who live out there may very well see better reception.
If I recall right, didn't Alltel already have a deal with Verizon to share their towers also?
Of what I understood, Alltel had an agreement to use Verizon towers in areas where they didn't have their own (I think they might have had an agreement with Sprint as well). I don't think this worked the other way around though, so Verizon customers didn't use Alltel towers in areas where Verizon didn't have any.
Alltel's "My Circle" is the reason Sprint created its unlimited plan. Once Sprint created an unlimited plan, everyone followed suit.
Alltel started as a TDMA network, then around the same time that Cingular and AT&T migrated to GSM, they did too. A few years later, they chose to switch from GSM to CDMA as Verizon Wireless and Sprint were offering cheaper roaming for their customers than what AT&T, Cingular, or T-Mobile were offering. They, unlike Verizon Wireless, continued to support and upgrade their GSM network and began to use it as an income source, by charging AT&T, Cingular, and T-Mo to use their expansive GSM coverage. The problem was that Alltel never expanded their CDMA coverage to match that of its GSM coverage, instead relying on Verizon Wireless and Sprint for much of its CDMA coverage. Unfortunately, Alltel has upset Verizon Wireless and Sprint. As a result, Verizon Wireless and Sprint have been crippling the service to Alltel subscribers.
I would expect the situation to improve once Verizon Wireless takes over Alltel's operations, but considering what Verizon Wireless does on a day-to-day basis, I would only expect the situation to improve once all existing Alltel subscribers are on new Verizon Wireless plans.
PS - For the record, Verizon and Verizon Wireless are NOT the same company. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon and Vodafone.
TEG
Alltel started as a TDMA network, then around the same time that Cingular and AT&T migrated to GSM, they did too. A few years later, they chose to switch from GSM to CDMA as Verizon Wireless and Sprint were offering cheaper roaming for their customers than what AT&T, Cingular, or T-Mobile were offering. They, unlike Verizon Wireless, continued to support and upgrade their GSM network and began to use it as an income source, by charging AT&T, Cingular, and T-Mo to use their expansive GSM coverage. The problem was that Alltel never expanded their CDMA coverage to match that of its GSM coverage, instead relying on Verizon Wireless and Sprint for much of its CDMA coverage. Unfortunately, Alltel has upset Verizon Wireless and Sprint. As a result, Verizon Wireless and Sprint have been crippling the service to Alltel subscribers.
I would expect the situation to improve once Verizon Wireless takes over Alltel's operations, but considering what Verizon Wireless does on a day-to-day basis, I would only expect the situation to improve once all existing Alltel subscribers are on new Verizon Wireless plans.
PS - For the record, Verizon and Verizon Wireless are NOT the same company. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon and Vodafone.
TEG
I am sure it really depends on your area... I went from Alltel to AT&T as well and the coverage was amazing with Alltel here while at my house there's only two corners where I even get reception with AT&T. Alltel had never ripped me off and I always knew what I was getting. AT&T has never ripped me off either, but their reception in my town is pretty bad..
I have never had any issues with Alltel. I just upgraded last December to a Treo. The reason I didn't go with an iPhone was because of mycircle. Now that I know that AT&T offer unlimited plans, I might have to break my contract with Alltel and get an iPhone.