Exchange one set of problems for another...
Written: Nov 08 '01 (Updated Nov 08 '01)
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Pros: Great roaming coverage, decent WAP service
Cons: Disjointed customer service
The Bottom Line: Great roaming, but if you're a local caller only, ask your neighbors who's got the power tower in your neighborhood.
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| qmeister's Full Review: AT&T Mobile Phone Service in Washington/Baltimore |
Here's my story. About 10 years ago I got my first cell phone (built into the car) in Florida with what became GTE. It was analogue, and it worked reasonably well most anywhere in Pensacola. Later I switched to Digiph, a regional provider using GSM, and it worked reasonably well, GSM being pretty much 100% on or 100% off. But they were a regional, cash strapped (now part of PowerTel) provider. So I switched to BellSouth, which is TDMA, and got an Ericsson phone. Clarity wasn't as good as the GSM, but the coverage was better. Then I came to Washington last year, and my BellSouth morphed into a Cingular plan. Cingular was (probably still is) going through all those corporate merger pains, and the service was spotty - sometimes I was on Cellular One towers, sometimes AT&T towers, sometimes BellSouth towers. So I dumped them for AT&T last year, and currently have the Ericsson R289LX.
I actually live in Quantico, and there's only coverage over about half the base; oddly enough, the half I work on, not the half I live on, so my single guy dreams of only having one phone have been dashed. (There are simply no towers that can reach that side of the base, NO ONE's cell phone works there). Most of my calls are made while driving either up north to the Pentagon, or down south to Richmond along the 95 corridor. Clear coverage, no problems. The only time I've had dropped calls are onboard the VRE or Amtrak, between the Alexandria and Springfield stops (briefly) and between Woodbridge and Quantico (intermittent), but it's pretty good from there down to Richmond. Even the WAP/data side works pretty good along that route. I do note a partial credit for a "dropped call" though, so if your signal does get weak, wait for the call to "drop," don't hang up.
My major problems are with customer service. I've been on hold for up to an hour. Usually because of something one of their techs did...as an example, I upgraded from the R280 to the R289. They mistakenly deleted my att.wireless account, wiping out all my old emails...I only discovered that when I tried to log onto my new phone and discovered my account "was in use." Another time, they took 4 days to do a server migration...I asked why I couldn't WAP, that was their answer. I've called to change plans, which they don't mind doing...but then get my statement and discover my plan never changed. That sort of foolishness..and you can't change plans on the customer service web page, so you have to call the humans.
All in all, having had many providers in many areas with several different makes and models of phones, I'll say I'm reasonably happy. The Ericsson has "squishy buttons" (no audible or tactile click) which is unnerving, but I've found it to be a lot more rugged than the slick, pretty Nokias that tend to shed pieces and parts at the first opportunity. AT&T will eventually dump TDMA (probably the worst of the competing technologies) for GSM, but they do have some arrangement for their "good customers" (I have no idea how one qualifies) to get a break on technology upgrades.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 49.99
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Epinions.com ID:
qmeister
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Location: Quantico, VA
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Marine Corps infantry officer becomes consultant, later recalled to duty as Marine computer dink.
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