Time for a "cellular" question....

[WakeUp]

I figured it was time to start a cellular thread, since the wireless world is ever-changing. My question: Since Cingular & ATT have merged, in areas where service was poor w/ Cingular, but good for ATT, I should now expect Cingular service to now be good in that area? (this past summer I was getting just 1 or 2 bars in downtown Wolfeboro w/ Cingular - today all bars were lit up.)
Hope the question is clear - thanks

[upthesaukee]

Here is a quote from Cingular's website re: the merger. Note they talk about GSM service, not just "regular" cell service.


With Cingular’s GSM service, you now have access to the largest digital voice and data network in America. We call it the ALLOVERSM Network*, giving you more signal bars in more places.

Cingular’s Nation® Plan is the only simple-to-understand, nationwide plan that allows customers to roam the country, while paying the same low rate.

GSM is the global standard for wireless technology, so you can stay in touch around the world. GSM technology uses a SmartChipTM, which allows you to move your phone book from phone to phone without reprogramming.

If you don’t have Cingular’s GSM service, learn more about our Cingular Nation® Plans.


Depending on where you are in Wolfeboro, even within a few blocks, a cell signal can vary considerably. It's a terrain thing coupled with a lack of towers and whose service you have (A side or B side).

[Frdxplorer]

Does this Merger do anything to effect in a positive way the service that is provided by AT&T?

[glennsteely]

I think AT&T is gone now isn't it ? I am pretty sure it will all be cingular....

[Grant]

GSM service on the eastern side of the Lake is, well, it AIN'T. My CDMA & TDMA service was great throughout the Lakes region, but when I switched over to Cingular GSM Nation, I looked at the coverage maps and noticed that the GSM coverage sticks pretty close to the Interstates (like it does with much of the country). The western side of the Lake, north to about Weirs, gets GSM service. But forget about GSM on the eastern side anywhere north of the Epsom circle -- it peters out after that.

Perhaps the merger will enable them to extend the GSM service a bit. I certainly hope so, because having ZERO celluar coverage up on the Lake is a real drag.

[BroadHopper]

I hopped around various plans thru the years to find the best coverage on the lake. CDMA appears to be the best. The only area I have trouble is Minge Cove. Since I don't have a tri-mode phone, I'm not sure if an analog phone will work.
I realized that more towers were added since I started experimenting so this may not be a valid point.
FYI. CDMA have great coverage in the Lincoln/Woodstock area as well as the Conway/Jackson area.

[csuhockey3]

My brother had GSM last time we were home and had very poor reception (Meredith to Moultonboro). He has Cingular, I have ATT. I just got a new phone (with GSM) a couple of months ago -- so I am curious to see how it works when I go home for turkey day. I will update this post then.

I hope it isn't gobble..(static)...obble the whole time I'm home!

[DRH]

Living in Alton, I found that neither AT&T Wireless or Verizon Wireless will offer me a cell phone plan here. I went with U.S. Cellular, which uses CDMA and supposedly has good coverage over the entire Lakes Region. I was told by an AT&T Wireless rep. that cellular companies are licensed to sell wireless service only in specific zip codes where they provide coverage. (Makes sense.) I told him that when using my old AT&T Wireless phone (with a Mass. number) at the lake I had a strong digital signal, but the screen indicated I was roaming. I asked him which company's signal I was receiving in Alton, and he said it was U.S. Cellular's.

Follow-up clarification: Verizon does offer cell service in zip code 03809 (Alton) but not in 03810 (Alton Bay), which is my mailing address. AT&T Wireless (now Cingular) doesn't offer cell service in either of Alton's two zip codes.

[KBoater]

Right now Wolfeboro has no tower. You pick up Belnap or Ossipee. The town is talking?? about a tower. Then the service will change. The Granite State News last week had an article about it. I’m not sure what is said. I will get my paper(in FL) this week. If you can hold out it may change what you buy. Things change fast now.

[Island-Ho]

Just a note of caution regarding the quote from Cingular: Yes, GSM is used worldwide, but the standard phone you buy in the US won't work worldwide because the frequencys are different. You need GSM in a tri-mode phone (or something like that) for it to work overseas.
I have a Cingular Dual mode which works quite well around the lake and further north, but it's not operating in the digital mode there.

[jpjp]

Does anyone have any feedback about Nextel around here? Both the Direct Connect and the cell service - if anyone has feedback, I'd love to see it!

Thanks!

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Island-Ho

Just a note of caution regarding the quote from Cingular: Yes, GSM is used worldwide, but the standard phone you buy in the US won't work worldwide because the frequencys are different. You need GSM in a tri-mode phone (or something like that) for it to work overseas.
I have a Cingular Dual mode which works quite well around the lake and further north, but it's not operating in the digital mode there.

The heck with international -- I just want my GSM "Nation" plan to provide service in the Lakes region (other than in Laconia-only...)...

[upthesaukee]

See the link to Nextel coverage map for the lakes region (alton)

http://nextel.com/cgi-bin/localMarketMap.cgi?zip=03810

Route from Farmington to Laconia would of course be rte 11, rte crossing rte 11 and going north through the "O" in Brookfield would be rte 28, and Merideth to Ossipee would be rte 25. Not much in the way of coverage. Sorry.

[SPANKY]

i had nextel service at the beginning of last summer. i had no service for the majority of areas around the lake. i switched to at&t wireless with a tdma phone, this phone automatically switches from analog to digital. tdma phones work well with the towers that have the older technology like most of the towers in the lakes region.

[upthesaukee]

Back 5 or six years ago, ATT bought Cellular one. Cellular one's "area" was Strafford County NH and York Co Maine. ATT coverage pretty much petered out around Spring ST & Rte 11 junction in Farmington, near the New Durham line. US Cellular had / has a big chunk of the cellular market through central NH and into Central & Western Maine. The Alton coverage for cell phones is off Prospect Mt, just south of the circle and the towers in the Gunstock ski area, US Cellular and Verizon to name a few that use those towers. Cell service is of course line of sight communication and that is the reason for the hit and miss coverage in the southeast end of the lake. Oh for a tower on top of Bay Hill Rd on the east side of Alton Bay!!!!!

[itchin for fishin]

I have Verizon wireless and I will say that un-like many of my pals with other companies, I have great coverage. In the past, some area's of Merideth were weaker but this past year I did not have the issue. From what I understand, if you have live Lakes region south, Verizon will give you the best coverage.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Like the rest of them, Verizon has very sporadic coverage in the Wolfeboro area.

[Skipper of the Sea Que]

Comments on GSM and what I expect to happen to Cingular and AT&T cell phone coverage around the Lakes Region due to the merger.

Pre-merger Cingular TDMA customers will not see a change in their TDMA coverage. They can get more coverage by upgrading their phone to one of the few that cover both TDMA and GSM (multi mode and multi bands). Cingular is no longer offering new TDMA plans.

Pre-merger Cingular GSM customers will probably not see much change in coverage around the Lake.

AT&T had service primarily on only ONE of the GSM bands while the majority of Cingular GSM operates on TWO bands, 900 MHz and 1900 MHz. Pre-merger AT&T customers will get improved coverage by upgrading their GSM phone to a multi band phone to enjoy the additional coverage of the additional band(s) Cingular GSM offers. Or enabling that feature if you own a multi band phone. The merger now allows AT&T customers to use all Cingular GSM bands. More bands = more chances at coverage.

Here is an interesting article published in March from Consumer Affairs web site about AT&T and their phone upgrades. http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/att_upgrade.html

Over the next year or two I do not think that much will change with the combined Cingular and AT&T GSM coverage in the Lakes Region. The thrust of news reports and Press Releases (from Cingular and AT&T) talk about the merger expanding GSM coverage in the TOP 100 cellular markets. Neither the Lakes Region nor any other area of NH is in the top 100 cell markets. Conclusion can only be that overall GSM coverage will not significantly improve in the Lakes Region and Northern NH as a direct result of the merger. There is some mention in a Cingular Press Release about plans to fill in some coverage gaps in Southern New Hampshire.

If you are buying a GSM cell phone to use anywhere in the world (where there is service), be sure it operates in all three (or four) bands (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz). The phone should be “unlocked” (so you can change the SIM or SmartCard) to allow the phone to work with any GSM service provider. Plus, you need to have a cell plan in place that allows use in the areas you will travel (billing and etc.). For more information and discussion on GSM international click http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2002/0308.htm .

For more GSM history, information (including discussion about SIM cards for your GSM phone) and related links click here: http://www.telestial.com/aboutgsm.htm

Final reminder: The better positioned and the higher up your cell antenna is (on any cell service) then the better the chances of getting and keeping a signal to and from cell towers (more bars more often). The proper cell antenna mounted outside your vehicle and directly plugged in to your cell phone (if your phone accepts an outside antenna) will considerably increase reliability and extend the useful coverage area of your hand held cell phone no matter what provider or mode you use.

A word about Verizon AMPS (analog) and CDMA (digital) coverage: Recently (Oct 2004) Verizon seems to have increased coverage in the Lakes Region and Northern NH. Their very new coverage map has ALL of NH filled in rather than just a portion (still no guarantee of seamless coverage but an indication of considerably improved coverage).

Disclaimers: Don’t believe everything a cell salesman tells you – they usually get large commissions for new accounts. Insert every possible legal disclaimer here…..

[Grant]

Al --

Excellent post -- thanks for the GSM update. I received an e-mail from Cingular today announcing the "new" company. No specifics re: enhanced GSM coverage, but I wouldn't doubt that it'll remain right where it is for the foreseeable future (that is, until a Cingular executive vacations on the eastern side of the Lake and realizes that he can't get a GSM signal).

So it goes. Guess I should stop complaining since I made the decision to jump from CDMA to GSM. The CDMA service from both Cingular and Verizon worked like a charm around the region.

"If it ain't broke..."

[BroadHopper]

CDMA (Verizon) works well up in Lincoln and Conway area as well as the Lakes Region. I was skiing up at Sunday River this weekend and got great coverage in that area as well!

[gtxrider]

How true! I a was sold AT&T Wireless as an AT&T employee in an AT&T Head Quarters building only to find out I was roaming in my own house! AT&T service in New Joyzee was terrible. I just upgraded my Verizon service and don't feel guilty since AWS (AT&T Wireless Service) is now gone.

[Sandy Beach]

Originally Posted by WakeUp

... (this past summer I was getting just 1 or 2 bars in downtown Wolfeboro w/ Cingular - today all bars were lit up.)
Hope the question is clear - thanks

Thank you for the great information about the cell merger Skipper. You sound more informed than any cell salesman I ever spoke with. Do you think WakeUp got more bars because of the merger?

[meredith necker]

I've had very good luck with u.s. cellular here in meredith - all the way to western massachusetts

[PROPELLER]

I have an old AT&T plan that covers all of New Hampshire & reception has been excellent all around the lake & as far north as Gorham except for 1 small area on 16 in Ossipee. Since the merger with Cingular all the new plans are now using their own towers instead of sharing with other companies towers so coverage has effectively decreased. The new plans will not go much further than Concord. However, if you have an old plan like I have nothing changes. You still get the coverage you signed up for. So I will keep my old plan & will have better service in the great white north than any one who purchases a new plan. I don't know what cell phone users in the North Conway area use because last night I went to the mall of NH & not 1 phone company in the mall has coverage that far north, AT&T/Cingular, T-Mobile, Nextel, Verizon. My take on it, if you can't cover NH get out. There is a lot more to NH than Manchester & Concord area.

[BroadHopper]

This is interesting P. I have Verizon and I get excellent coverage in the Conway, North Conway, Attitash area. Wildcat is spotty. If I'm outside in the parking lot, I get coverage. Inside or on the mountain, forgetaboutit.

[PROPELLER]

Thats good. How old is your plan? My wife & I checked last night on Verizon & their map did not show coverage that far north. They are always changing their plans. Maybe you are like me where you are still under an old plan not offered anymore. Do you pay roaming charges that far north? Even if one of these companies did have a plan that covered that far north I'm not going to sign up because they are all more expensive & a lot of them don't start nights until 9pm. I also do not pay roaming charges anywhere in NH, MA, parts of ME & VT. Many of these plans have a very limited home area where you will pay roaming charges outside of that area. I get 300 anytime minutes, 1500 nights & weekends for $29.99 & I never run out of minutes. I cancelled my long distance service at home & use the cell exclusively to call out. Very cheap phone service. The only reason I was looking at new plans was because the cell phone is dieing so we just bought a new phone instead & kept the old plan.

[BroadHopper]

I have the Reach out America plan. There is no roaming charge inside the continental USA. I have 300 minutes with Unlimited night and weeknds starting at 7 PM to 7 AM. I pay about $40 including web service and roadside assistance. I am very happy with this service. I've use it at Key West, Summit County CO, and Sugarloaf Maine. No problem at all. I strongly suggest the tri-mode phone. There are areas with no digital coverage, but it switches to analog. You can use the phone but cannot do web services in analog. The beauty of web services is that you can ask for weather, and ask for point to point direction to a location if u are lost. You can check your email and provide access to MSN, Yahoo and AOL messengers. The maps I've seen are old and coverage have expanded. Most maps shows digital coverage without roaming. But with analog and no roaming fees. Who cares? You are just about covered everywhere!

[upthesaukee]

US Cellular covers the north country, PROP. We have them for my wife's cell phone (live in Alton), and ATT/Cingular among others use USCC towers.

[PROPELLER]

Thanks Upthesaukee. Its my understanding from AT&T reps at the booths in the mall that the new Cingular/AT&T plans will only use their own towers & that is why they can not cover the north country at this time. However, if you have an old plan like I do they will use the towers you speak of. Nothing will change for the old plans.

[BroadHopper]

I was skiing at Killington VT. Friday. My Verizon came in clear as a bell. My friend has Cingular and it was in roaming. She has to pay roaming fees so she use my phone!
I'm surprise to see the State of NH flag flying with the US flag. I guess they are serious about joining NH.
BTW. NH/VT day is every Wednesday.
The Long Trail brewery is expanding!