http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20030919/tc_usatoday/11860122

:eek: :eek:

I knew it was coming but DAMN that was fast!!

I hate cell phones...... I hate phone companies more, but not as much as I hate insurance companies.

Hey here is an idea, if they want to steal away customers from the competition, LOWER YOUR FAWKING PRICES ASSHOLES!!!!


:laughing:

I signed a contract a little over 3 years ago with Verizon, for 2 phones, family talk, unlimited verizon to verizon calls, 1500 minutes a month per phone. Great deal, but they can't even come close to that now, it's like $30 more a month for the package I got. WTF?? Does the price go down as technology advances, and lines are used??

Originally posted by Nobody
I hate cell phones...... I hate phone companies more, but not as much as I hate insurance companies.

Is that your manifesto??? :flipoff2:


don't get my started on insurance companies :laughing:

Heh.... I had to look that one up. Guess so..... but I should throw the RIAA in there somewhere.

manifesto

\Man`i*fes"to\, n.; pl. Manifestoes. [It. manifesto. See Manifest, n. & a.] A public declaration, usually of a prince, sovereign, or other person claiming large powers, showing his intentions, or proclaiming his opinions and motives in reference to some act done or contemplated by him; as, a manifesto declaring the purpose of a prince to begin war, and explaining his motives. --Bouvier.

it was proposed to draw up a manifesto, setting forth the grounds and motives of our taking arms. --Addison

I think this will definately be a good change for the consumer.

In the end... Sprint PCS will still lose, had them, they sucked ass.

AT&T has some crappy customer service too... second to Sprint.


I'm betting Verizon comes out on top... unless they start sacrficing their customer service.

So those of you still dialing 7 digits ready for 10? It's coming.

The end result of this number portablility thing is to make it work there are two numbers actually involved. There is the number you dial and a ailias number that the phone runs on. You could never dial the alias number but it does mean one less number available for somebody else to use. SO VERY quickly markets that are already thin on numbers will have to add a new Area code.

This was forced on the carriers and phone companies. They knew it was going to cause a serious problem with the availbel numbers in a area code. Atlanta metro for exaple has three Area codes. 404 for Atlanta proper, 770 for anything outside the perimiter and 678 mixed in. It's a cluster fawk.

If my "no roaming, no long distance, anywhere in the US" plan actaully worked... I might be happier.
But every time I go into Utah, I get routed through Verizon's "Roam Plus" service, which won't let me make calls without putting in my credit card.
AT&T said to do it and send them the bill, and they'd reimburse me... I told them my credit card was maxed out and they'd either make my phone work, or get it back, since I'm already paying them, and shouldn't have to pay again for what I've already paid for.
An hour or more later, they made it work... and the next time I went back to Utah, it didn't work again. :mad:
Apparently there's some kind of reprogramming or rerouting deal, that if I turn my phone off and back on, five times, it re-registers on the network, and works again. But if I leave it alone for a few hours, and try again, it's forgotten (again) what's supposed to happen... so I have to do that again, every time I want to make or receive a call. Otherwise, incoming goes to voicemail, and outgoing doesn't work.

I'm OK with that my cellphone doesn't work where there's no cell service. I go lots of places that it doesn't work... but it really irks me to be in the middle of Moab and unable to make a call because I'm on the wrong network, after spending $75+ a month for "works anywhere there's service" cell service. :rolleyes:

Someday, some wireless company will extract head from ass, and get my business, but meanwhile, it's apparently not motivating enough to AT&T that I might go away (stupid me, I keep paying them, too) to fix things.

Been dialing 10 digits for a while.

Some areas just accepted teh fact and grew. :flipoff2:

Originally posted by Grim Reaper
So those of you still dialing 7 digits ready for 10? It's coming.

This was forced on the carriers and phone companies. They knew it was going to cause a serious problem with the availbel numbers in a area code. Atlanta metro for exaple has three Area codes. 404 for Atlanta proper, 770 for anything outside the perimiter and 678 mixed in. It's a cluster fawk.

Denver-metro has had 10-digit dialing for a long time now... I have to dial 303 (my area code) to call my next-door-neighbor. Once you get used to it, it's not a big deal. Everybody whined and cried early on, but it's just not that bad. I use 10-digit dialing on my cellphone regardless. It's a fact of life with more people and more phone lines.

Originally posted by Scott@Rockstomper
If my "no roaming, no long distance, anywhere in the US" plan actaully worked... I might be happier.
But every time I go into Utah, I get routed through Verizon's "Roam Plus" service, which won't let me make calls without putting in my credit card.
AT&T said to do it and send them the bill, and they'd reimburse me... I told them my credit card was maxed out and they'd either make my phone work, or get it back, since I'm already paying them, and shouldn't have to pay again for what I've already paid for.
An hour or more later, they made it work... and the next time I went back to Utah, it didn't work again. :mad:
Apparently there's some kind of reprogramming or rerouting deal, that if I turn my phone off and back on, five times, it re-registers on the network, and works again. But if I leave it alone for a few hours, and try again, it's forgotten (again) what's supposed to happen... so I have to do that again, every time I want to make or receive a call. Otherwise, incoming goes to voicemail, and outgoing doesn't work.

I'm OK with that my cellphone doesn't work where there's no cell service. I go lots of places that it doesn't work... but it really irks me to be in the middle of Moab and unable to make a call because I'm on the wrong network, after spending $75+ a month for "works anywhere there's service" cell service. :rolleyes:

Someday, some wireless company will extract head from ass, and get my business, but meanwhile, it's apparently not motivating enough to AT&T that I might go away (stupid me, I keep paying them, too) to fix things.

And thats why I won't go back to Verizon or Sprint regardless of how good a deal they offer. Their service sucks.

Nextel is promising, but has limited service, T-mobile, don't know much about them. Those that have Tmobile like it, but then again, they dont' leave the metropolitan area, so who knows if it is any better than say Spring or AT&T

I'll stay on Verizon. :)

Originally posted by Travis Waldher
And thats why I won't go back to Verizon
I'll stay on Verizon. :)

:confused:

Originally posted by Scott@Rockstomper


:confused:

oops... I get all emotional about that and look what happens.

I won't go back to AT&T.

Originally posted by Grim Reaper
So those of you still dialing 7 digits ready for 10? It's coming.

The end result of this number portablility thing is to make it work there are two numbers actually involved. There is the number you dial and a ailias number that the phone runs on. You could never dial the alias number but it does mean one less number available for somebody else to use. SO VERY quickly markets that are already thin on numbers will have to add a new Area code.

This was forced on the carriers and phone companies. They knew it was going to cause a serious problem with the availbel numbers in a area code. Atlanta metro for exaple has three Area codes. 404 for Atlanta proper, 770 for anything outside the perimiter and 678 mixed in. It's a cluster fawk.

I live in (952) my cell is (763) Minneapolis is (612) St. Paul (651) Ya get used to it real quick:D

10 digit dialing is normal. its hard for me to just give out a 7 digit number anymore.

lemme see....houston area has 713, 281 (no clear division between the 2), outlying areas get into 979, and there are some 832s thrown in there randomly...most used to be cell phones, but now a lot of places have 832 #'s...:rolleyes:

In NYC you are required to dial the area code even when the person is in the same one as you.

Originally posted by Grim Reaper
So those of you still dialing 7 digits ready for 10? It's coming.



10 try 11.... 1 + area code + phone number. But I have most the places I call stored in my phone.

Well with my tmobile plan i have i can leave metro nashville and if there isnt a tmobile digital signal but there is a at&t or cigular digital signal my phone will pick it up and work fine. but since its not analog if im really out in the sticks it wont work. and yes i have to dial 11 digits but all the important numbers are already in my phone.

Originally posted by Scott@Rockstomper
If my "no roaming, no long distance, anywhere in the US" plan actaully worked... I might be happier.
But every time I go into Utah, I get routed through Verizon's "Roam Plus" service, which won't let me make calls without putting in my credit card.
AT&T said to do it and send them the bill, and they'd reimburse me... I told them my credit card was maxed out and they'd either make my phone work, or get it back, since I'm already paying them, and shouldn't have to pay again for what I've already paid for.
An hour or more later, they made it work... and the next time I went back to Utah, it didn't work again. :mad:
Apparently there's some kind of reprogramming or rerouting deal, that if I turn my phone off and back on, five times, it re-registers on the network, and works again. But if I leave it alone for a few hours, and try again, it's forgotten (again) what's supposed to happen... so I have to do that again, every time I want to make or receive a call. Otherwise, incoming goes to voicemail, and outgoing doesn't work.

I'm OK with that my cellphone doesn't work where there's no cell service. I go lots of places that it doesn't work... but it really irks me to be in the middle of Moab and unable to make a call because I'm on the wrong network, after spending $75+ a month for "works anywhere there's service" cell service. :rolleyes:

Someday, some wireless company will extract head from ass, and get my business, but meanwhile, it's apparently not motivating enough to AT&T that I might go away (stupid me, I keep paying them, too) to fix things.

Phones carry a IRDB (Intelegent Roaming Data Base). It's a list of carriers it is supose to use and not supose to use. The problem is there is so many carriers that it doesn't have the capacity to carry a complete list for the entire US. They also have something called a SOC (System Operator Code). A carreir no matter where they are will carry the same code. Between the two it works fairly well but in your case it isn't working in Moab.

What is happening when you power off the phone is your forcing a "Rescan". Basicly the phone looks at it's IRDB list and tries to find the carrier that best matches it's allowed list. Problem is that carrier does not have a very good signal in Moab. Once the signal for what ever reason degrades to the point the phone thinkgs it's loosing it it will rescan on it's own and find a strnger signal. The strongest singnal that has a compatable broadcast technology is Virzon Analog. AT&T uses TDMA digital and GSM. Verizon uses CDMA digital and Analog. Analog actually carres the furthest distance hense the ability to operate in a poor signal. Well because Analog is almost dead And AT&T and Verizon use different digital technology they have no roaming agreements.

Analog is dead and if the carriers wer not getting told by the FCC to keep it around it would have been long gone.

What phone do you have? there is different grade phones that do work better then others. Motroal usualy have a lower grade transmitter (pretty fawked because they usualy cost he most). About the best performers in GSM is the Nokia 3595, Best currently available TDMA is Nokia 3560. There is also what is known as a :Gait phone, It works on Analog, TDMA digintal and GSM. That's the phone to get for roaming. 6340i is the one we selll. AT&T has a varient. of the same phone. The second bonus is it has and external antenna jack. Wilson sells a high gain antenna that seems to work very well. Check your local truck stop that has a radio shop and they usualy have them.

Originally posted by MattS
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20030919/tc_usatoday/11860122

:eek: :eek:

I knew it was coming but DAMN that was fast!!

Fast??? They have been capable of local number portability since 1998. It's the legal wrangling that has held it up this long. :shaking:


As far as ten digit dialing, I started dialing 10 digits in Toronto back in '97. In Vancouver it's been just over two years.

Originally posted by Travis Waldher
T-mobile, don't know much about them. Those that have Tmobile like it, but then again, they dont' leave the metropolitan area, so who knows if it is any better than say Spring or AT&T.
I've had it for over half a year:

Summary: Excellent customer service to date, but it's all digital. If you leave a major freeway or city/suburb, it's *GONE*. Just gotta wheel with a buddy that has cingular or verizon. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Grim Reaper


Phones carry a IRDB (Intelegent Roaming Data Base). It's a list of carriers it is supose to use and not supose to use. The problem is there is so many carriers that it doesn't have the capacity to carry a complete list for the entire US. They also have something called a SOC (System Operator Code). A carreir no matter where they are will carry the same code. Between the two it works fairly well but in your case it isn't working in Moab.

What is happening when you power off the phone is your forcing a "Rescan". Basicly the phone looks at it's IRDB list and tries to find the carrier that best matches it's allowed list. Problem is that carrier does not have a very good signal in Moab. Once the signal for what ever reason degrades to the point the phone thinkgs it's loosing it it will rescan on it's own and find a strnger signal. The strongest singnal that has a compatable broadcast technology is Virzon Analog. AT&T uses TDMA digital and GSM. Verizon uses CDMA digital and Analog. Analog actually carres the furthest distance hense the ability to operate in a poor signal. Well because Analog is almost dead And AT&T and Verizon use different digital technology they have no roaming agreements.

Analog is dead and if the carriers wer not getting told by the FCC to keep it around it would have been long gone.

What phone do you have? there is different grade phones that do work better then others. Motroal usualy have a lower grade transmitter (pretty fawked because they usualy cost he most). About the best performers in GSM is the Nokia 3595, Best currently available TDMA is Nokia 3560. There is also what is known as a :Gait phone, It works on Analog, TDMA digintal and GSM. That's the phone to get for roaming. 6340i is the one we selll. AT&T has a varient. of the same phone. The second bonus is it has and external antenna jack. Wilson sells a high gain antenna that seems to work very well. Check your local truck stop that has a radio shop and they usualy have them.

Muy Excelente post, senor. I learned a bunch from reading that.

SeanP