Cingular: The most dropped calls I've ever experienced !
Written: Oct 05 '06
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Pros: They can disable Data features so you don't pay for spam or accidental internet use
Cons: Two Thirds of my calls are DROPPED! Cingular's advertising is bull.
The Bottom Line: Before committing to Cingular, make sure it will work in your area ! Don't use their published maps, test extensively for yourself.
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| bradalb's Full Review: Cingular Mobile Phone Service in San Francisco/San... |
I've been with Cingular for about a year and a half
using Motorola V220 phones on a 3 phone family shared
minutes plan. These camera phones are nice basic units,
except the ring control buttons on the side have caused
it to go into silent mode on numerous occasions when it is
in my pocket. Why they would leave external buttons active
on a closed phone is beyond me. Idiot American engineers.
Also, the built-in voice dial feature sucks when compared
to the voice dialing feature of the older (but more
technically advanced) Nokia phone I used to have with
Sprint.
I've changed service plans once during this period
although Cingular Cust service totally misrepresented
my ability to switch service plans during my 2 year
contract. What they don't mention is that if you do
change plans, you pretty much give up any roll-over
minutes you've accumulated and you have to start from
scratch.
Now finally, and most importantly, over the last 6 months
(at least) I'm experiencing a 60 - 70% dropped call rate !
That's right, nearly 2/3's of my calls get dropped by
the Cingular network before I'm done talking. There are
also MAJOR dead zones through the Bay area where you're
lucky to find a single bar or reception.
A typical dropped call example was during my drive last
week from Vallejo to Oakland on mid-day Sunday (i.e.
light traffic) on Hwy 80. The same call was first
dropped when I hit Pinole, redialed and then dropped
again in El Cerrito at which point I gave up.
When I got to my destination in Jack London Square,
I found myself in yet another of Cingular's dead zones
with minimal covereage. It took me 6 re-dial tries to
get the call to go through !
Is this typical ? Not when I first got the phone, but I'm
guessing that the AT&T merger has so overloaded their
network that my recent experience is not likely to improve.
Needless to say, I'll be looking to move my 3 phones to
a hopefully better carrier in another few months.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 114 per mo
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Epinions.com ID:
bradalb
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Reviews written: 1
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