AT&T Wireless: A Welcome Addition to the SF Bay Area
Written: Jan 19 '01 (Updated Jan 19 '01)
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Pros: Competitive pricing, excellent coverage, on-line access
Cons: Contract required, limited account info (unable to check actual minutes used mid-cycle)
The Bottom Line: AT&T offers competitive plans as well as nearly free phones, while also providing one of the best coverage areas in the SF Bay Area. Customer service is about average.
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Having suffered through mediocre mobile service from Sprint PCS for two years, I recently decided that it was time to change service providers. Not only did I want excellent coverage (since Sprint's was notoriously spotty in the areas I frequent most), I was looking for a good deal.
Cost considerations
As anyone who has shopped for mobile phone service knows, there are plenty of options out there in terms of both service providers and packages. First, one must assess their potential use of the mobile phone. When mobile phones were first offered, one of my friends who signed a contract with a lower minutes package ended up paying $200-$300 per month because she used her phone so much!
Having had a phone for 2 years already and rarely using it, I knew I could settle for a smaller package. And, since I was also purchasing two phones for my parents, I wanted a family share plan, since they would mainly reserve use for emergencies and didn't want to spend $20 each for their own accounts.
After spending weeks scanning the advertisements, I found what I consider to be one of the best deals that meets our very limited mobile phone needs. For $29.99 per month, plus $20 ($10 each) for 2 additional lines that share the same pool of minutes, we will get 150 Anytime minutes and 1000 Off-peak minutes. Other companies charge up to $15 per line as well as charging for the phones themselves. The one drawback is that I had to sign a one-year contract.
Of course, I had never heard of AT&T Wireless, since they had not been a presence in the Bay Area mobile phone market 2 years ago. Apparently, they either bought Cellular One or merged with them. In any event, I had done some preliminary research on their coverage area and learned that they had excellent service. When I saw the advertising for the plan rates as well as the nearly free phones, AT&T became a serious contender.
At one small store near our home, we found a deal for 2 Nokia 6160 phones and 1 Nokia 5160 phone that were nearly free after the Christmas rebates from AT&T. The best part was the free accessory packages for each phone, which included leather cases, car chargers, and color faceplates (so instead of a boring black phone, my mom has a snazzy red phone!). We were even given one free vibrating battery (these models don't have the silent vibrating option) and a belt clip.
Coverage area clear up to Napa!
For San Francisco Bay Area users, it’s good to know that AT&T’s service actually goes up to popular day trip areas like Napa. Unlike Sprint PCS, which often had no coverage, or spotty coverage at best because of the more remote locations, AT&T has dual-band coverage. If the digital network is unavailable, then the phone will switch to the analog network. This was my biggest complaint with Sprint, as their all-digital network is not fully implemented to cover the areas they claim!
Like other mobile service providers, AT&T offers the ability to call toll-free in the local area. This makes it an excellent deal for those who frequently make local toll calls, which can add up since Pacific Bell charges $0.07 per minute for a call from Berkeley to Saratoga! For college students living a few hours away but within the same local coverage area, a mobile phone can be an excellent gift if your child uses it to call you and for emergency use only!
Customer service has room to improve
While I haven’t had any problems in the last few months, I noted several areas that can be improved. But first, the good news: AT&T actually answers the line in under an hour! That’s truly good news if you’re accustomed to 1 hr+ waits with Sprint PCS. Their agents are competent and can handle simple transactions such as paying your bill with a credit card (I had to pay in advance since I was traveling for 3 weeks last month).
Now, as for the downsides that should be improved:
1. Account status mid-cycle:
Currently, neither the on-line account service nor the telephone customer service agents are able to offer one the actual minutes used mid-cycle. Because mobile phone providers round up to the minute, my phone’s call log is often inaccurate. Plus, I often forget to reset it the day the new cycle begins. Thus, it makes it somewhat inconvenient to be denied a way to confirm my minutes usage before the extra charges kick in.
2. Personal account information on web site needs further development:
Unlike Sprint PCS’ website, AT&T’s site (specifically for the SF Bay Area, www.attws-sf.com) only allows you to access your balance, view or change your service plan (which includes requesting a copy of a bill, updating your billing address, and reporting difficulties with making or receiving calls), and contact customer service. I’d like to see them offer additional services like viewing last month’s invoice (and the calls made) and stating the actual minutes used (even if delayed by a day or so).
The final verdict
AT&T meets my needs and offers competitive pricing and excellent coverage. I would definitely recommend you consider it in your evaluation of mobile service providers here in the SF Bay Area!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 29.99+$20
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