[SML] Since we've been talking about cell networks ...

[Dave Tosti-Lane]

We've had AT&T for years, started with Cingular. Two iPhones, family plan,
grandfathered in to unlimited data. They keep trying to get us to drop the
unlimited plan and go to a new one, but we hang on to it. That usually
means waiting an extra 2-4 months after the 2-year period runs out to be
able to upgrade and keep the plan - we have 5s phones now, and could
upgrade at the subsidized cost now if we were willing to give up the
unlimited plan, but if we wait until November we can upgrade and keep the
plan. (unless they figure out how to kill it by then) that usually puts us
on the "s" cycle with Apple, which has actually been pretty good as we wind
up with the second generation of each model.

No problems on the West Coast - generally excellent coverage. I had pretty
good coverage all the way across the country on Amtrack on a trip about two
years ago. Not as good on the East coast, or in the lower middle parts of
the US, but workable. Pretty good network of wifi hotspots.

We just got back from a month in Europe, Amsterdam, Bordeaux, and all over
Italy - we used their "passport pro" and "passport Plus" roaming plans and
had good coverage most places.

Service - I don't know - we haven't had problems. We buy our phones at the
Apple store, although we bought our first iPhones years ago at an AT&T
store. So, Apple services the phones, and has always been able to solve any
problems we've had. (We're lucky to live in a large community with multiple
Apple Stores and generally very good service at several of them).  Never
had a broken screen or very many of the problems I hear others complain of
- we use simple phone cases (for the 4s we use the standard slim ones Apple
sells) and I keep my phone in my pocket (not back pocket) most of the time.

In general, satisfied enough with AT&T and iPhone to see no reason to
switch. Our monthly bill for two phones runs around $160-$190 per month,
unlimited data, 700 shared minutes with rollover, unlimited roaming,
unlimited mobile to mobile, 200 text messages. On a typical bill, of $160,
roughly $105 was for the first phone and $55 for the second.

Dave Tosti-Lane

On Tue, Jun 23, 2015 at 10:28 PM, Pat Kight via Stagecraft <
stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:

> ... does anyone have anything good, bad or indifferent to say about AT&T?
>
> I'm about to break down and upgrade from my voice-and-text-only TracFone*
> to an iPhone, and the local Mac Store sells them only with AT&T accounts.
> The pricing is pretty good for the minimal servicesI require, except for
> the fact that you're essentially renting the phone (they assume you'll want
> to upgrade within the 2-year-life of the contract.) however, I can pay off
> the phone at any point and it will be mine.
>
> I've been reading up and it seems as if GSM networks such as AT&T's have
> some real advantages over the CDMA networks used by Sprint and Verizon.
>
> *What can I say? I'm a selective technophile, and to date all I've needed
> from a phone was voice and texting capability. However, I just bought a
> SmartFor2 electric car, and I really need to be able to (a) talk to the car
> and (b) locate charging stations - of which there are many in Oregon - and
> find out if they're free, out of service, etc. AT&T appears to have good
> coverage in the region where I expect to be driving in the foreseeable
> future. For long trips, I can take the train or rent a car.
>
> I don't need a big-assed data plan. I'm not gonna watch movies, listen to
> music or store a ton of photos on my phone - I have better-for-my-aging
> eyesight options for those things.
>
> --
> Pat Kight
> kightp at peak.org
>
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