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adisor19 @ 2nd Jan 10:48AM:
Now now Karl
Getting an unlocked iPhone and not getting raped by AT&T is a pretty good deal in my book even thought 3G speeds might be shitty..
Adi
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jchambers28 @ 2nd Jan 10:49AM:
GSM
I am wondering if most US providers will change from CDMA to GSM any time soon.
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Nemokrad @ 2nd Jan 10:50AM:
Re: Now now Karl
Yeah it's quite obvious Karl likes to downplay any positive iPhone stories and otherwise flame it at every possible chance. Good for site hits.
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moonpuppy @ 2nd Jan 10:52AM:
Re: GSM
said by jchambers28 :
I am wondering if most US providers will change from CDMA to GSM any time soon.
Very doubtful since Sprint is in financial trouble and Verizon dos not want to rebuild its entire system.
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andrewhaji @ 2nd Jan 11:08AM:
Re: GSM
said by jchambers28 :
I am wondering if most US providers will change from CDMA to GSM any time soon.
Pretty much all the major players are converging on a single 4G standard in the upcoming years, so eventually they'll all be running on the same type of network.
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dustman81 @ 2nd Jan 11:11AM:
Re: GSM
said by moonpuppy :said by jchambers28 :
I am wondering if most US providers will change from CDMA to GSM any time soon.
Very doubtful since Sprint is in financial trouble and Verizon dos not want to rebuild its entire system.
Verizon has said it will go to LTE for it's 4G network, along with AT&T. Sprint has gone with WiMax for it's 4G network.
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jchambers28 @ 2nd Jan 11:25AM:
Re: GSM
does that mean CDMA is here to stay
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MRCUR @ 2nd Jan 11:37AM:
Re: GSM
I believe LTE is based off of GSM.
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ydoucare @ 2nd Jan 12:02PM:
Re: GSM
said by jchambers28 :
I am wondering if most US providers will change from CDMA to GSM any time soon.
As if it's that simple for them to just rebuild their entire network and force all customers to buy new phones (except maybe those with "global" GSM/CDMA phones). lol
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NOCMan @ 2nd Jan 12:18PM:
Re: GSM
Yeah, not sure what crack sprint is smoking. I like WiMax, but they've cut themselves off from the opportunity to compete on service to attract customers. Now customers will just choose AT&T and Verizon or other LTE carriers so they do not have to buy new phones.
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AlexNYC @ 2nd Jan 12:20PM:
Walmart anyone?
Does anyone know if the iPhones purchased at Walmart must be activated in the store?
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PolarBear @ 2nd Jan 12:47PM:
Re: Now now Karl
How did he downplay it and flame it? If anything, he flamed T-mo for using non-standard 3G frequencies. I don't think anyone can blame Apple for there being only one other GSM provider in the US.
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anon @ 2nd Jan 01:22PM:
Re: Now now Karl
Glad to see the 3G unlock. Unfortunate that TMo had to resort to AWS in the States for 3G.
As for LTe, it's totally independent of CdMA or GSM. So is WiMAX for tgat matter. As a matter of fact, the current 3G (HSPA) is closer to CDMA in tech specs than GSM, though the band width is much wider...5 MHz vs 1.25.
So for either tech you'll need new equipment. Personally, WiMAX is already here, so Sprint has the jump on things.
Oh, and WiMAX seems to havecaught on where CDMA cought on before, like Korea. I don't think it'll pull an EPIC FAIL like HD DVD did.
I'll take my CDMA phone, thanks...with high speed data in 99% of the places I go. ATT 3G is getting better, but the EvDO footprint available to me is huge...and tends to be just as fast as ATT 3G, if not faster...despite what the specs say.
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PolarBear @ 2nd Jan 01:33PM:
Re: Walmart anyone?
May I suggest asking here: »All Things Macintosh
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PolarBear @ 2nd Jan 01:35PM:
Re: Walmart anyone?
Eh, and another thought: can you imagine the fuck-ups if you had to activate in-store? Requiring Wal-Mart employees to activate iPhones would scare me.
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Chaldo @ 2nd Jan 01:54PM:
Can't you unlock so no internet plan on AT&T?
Can't you just unlock it to get rid of the internet plan you need for at&t to keep the phone active. Jw?
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AlexNYC @ 2nd Jan 02:27PM:
Re: Walmart anyone?
Yes you may ... but I think you missed the point of my post entirely as it relates to the original article.
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fiberguy @ 2nd Jan 02:42PM:
Re: GSM
I don't think your reasoning is 100% valid there.
To basically say that the right way to go is where everyone else is doesn't mean it's always THE right way to go. Everyone is going the way of Microsoft, but does it mean MS is and was always the best choice? It just means that power by numbers has built the brand.
We have yet to see where WiMax can or will take us. Sometimes the rebel wins out in the end. Many people called DirecTv and Dish out cold, however, they lauched a few new satellites, increased HD and they are now viable again.
As for attracting people becuase of not having to buy new phones, well, people buy new phones quite often any more. If a customer is replacing their phone every one or two years, that's about as long as you have a customer anyway.
In all honesty, the 'average' consumer doesn't know the difference between carriers. They shop based on rates and coverage still. Things like LTE, GMS, CDMA, WiMax.. all that means not much to so many.
The road ahead is still uncharted but I don't think there is much of a race as there is just a show being put on for us all.
Only time can be the true judge of who does something right or wrong.. oh, but while I'm on the right or wrong.. the one thing I can give AT&T credit for was taking the iPhone.. to be honest, with out it, I think AT&T would not be as strong as they are today with out it..
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fiberguy @ 2nd Jan 02:48PM:
Re: Can't you unlock so no internet plan on AT&T?
Why in the world have an iPhone then if you had no data plan? Then you just have an iTouch with a phone which seems kinda worthless to me.
Much of what makes the iPhone popular and great is how well it's connected to the internet. Being able to pull up related content to your location, contact, GPS, etc. is part of what gives the iPhone its name-sake.
Just curious why you'd want to get rid of that part is all...
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Oleg @ 2nd Jan 03:07PM:
Re: iPhone 3G Unlocked
Russians have done it along time a go.
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Nemokrad @ 2nd Jan 03:58PM:
Re: Now now Karl
said by PolarBear :
How did he downplay it and flame it? If anything, he flamed T-mo for using non-standard 3G frequencies. I don't think anyone can blame Apple for there being only one other GSM provider in the US.
Read up on past stories about Apple and you will see...
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PolarBear @ 2nd Jan 04:26PM:
Re: Now now Karl
said by Nemokrad :
Read up on past stories about Apple and you will see...
But since he didn't do that here, how was your comment relevant at all? :)
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Chaldo @ 2nd Jan 06:16PM:
Re: Can't you unlock so no internet plan on AT&T?
Apparently You didn't see the JW which means Just wondering, I was just wondering... I know the iphone is mostly useless except calling/texting and other small things unless you have internet.
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anon @ 2nd Jan 08:37PM:
ahem.... T-Mobile and AT&T are NOT the only GSM in the US
"Use is limited here in the States, where the only GSM alternative to AT&T would be T-Mobile..." Generalize much? That's a pretty poor statement to make. I work for an independent GSM carrier in North Texas / Southern Oklahoma that you've probably never heard of, but I guarantee you that we aren't AT&T or T-Mobile.
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anon @ 2nd Jan 08:55PM:
Re: Now now Karl
said by PolarBear :
How did he downplay it and flame it? If anything, he flamed T-mo for using non-standard 3G frequencies. I don't think anyone can blame Apple for there being only one other GSM provider in the US.
You are incorrect. There are quite a few more than 2 GSM providers in the US....
»www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo···us.shtml
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anon @ 2nd Jan 09:14PM:
Re: Now now Karl
said by PolarBear :
How did he downplay it and flame it? If anything, he flamed T-mo for using non-standard 3G frequencies. I don't think anyone can blame Apple for there being only one other GSM provider in the US.
Not quite right. There are quite a few more than 2 GSM providers in the US....
»www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo···us.shtml
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anon @ 2nd Jan 09:16PM:
msg deleted
deleted by a moderator
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djrobx @ 2nd Jan 09:17PM:
Re: Can't you unlock so no internet plan on AT&T?
said by fiberguy :
Why in the world have an iPhone then if you had no data plan? Then you just have an iTouch with a phone which seems kinda worthless to me.
Much of what makes the iPhone popular and great is how well it's connected to the internet. Being able to pull up related content to your location, contact, GPS, etc. is part of what gives the iPhone its name-sake.
Just curious why you'd want to get rid of that part is all...
It makes sense to me. If you have wifi available at most places you go, you don't really need a data plan, but its still way more convenient to have a phone and "iPod Touch" in a single device.
Example: Today I used my iPhone at a ski resort. It was great to have a working phone built into my iPod that could ring through the music. At the bottom of the hill, they offered free wifi. So I took full advantage of the device's integrated capabilities, but didn't really need the data plan.
It might be worth it hack/unlock the phone to get on an AT&T MediaMax plan and save $15/month. You'd lose visual voicemail doing that though, but could use SiwrlyMMS to get real MMSes.
--
AT&T U-Hearse
Your funeral. Delivered.
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PolarBear @ 2nd Jan 09:20PM:
Re: Now now Karl
Yeah, I trust that list a LOT. It says that Alltel is a GSM provider; Alltel uses CDMA, which is why Verizon Wireless bought them.
Good job, troll, good job.
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PolarBear @ 2nd Jan 09:30PM:
Re: ahem.... T-Mobile and AT&T are NOT the only GSM in the US
What would be the point of unlocking an iPhone to use on your carrier, only to have to roam on AT&T's towers (or not have service at all) anywhere other than your small service footprint?
Oh right, that's why small providers like you either die or get bought out.
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SterlingJ85 @ 3rd Jan 01:54AM:
Re: Now now Karl
Uhh.. Yes, Alltel is predominately a CDMA provider.
But, when they bought Western Wireless they also now own a huge geographical area of GSM (Mountain/Mid-Western States). This makes up most of the rural GSM coverage you see in the middle of the US. Alltel still runs the GSM network for roaming revenue, and part of Verizon's condition by the FCC for the merger was that they keep running it for several more years. However a lot of the areas will be divested to another carrier (probably AT&T, but that's an unknown right now).
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SterlingJ85 @ 3rd Jan 01:58AM:
Re: GSM
No, most carriers have already committed to a common network platform called LTE.
This requires a new network core for most networks in the US, and will be a big deal since this will be the first time that most (if not all) carriers will be using a common platform.
Verizon Wireless expects that they will start trials of LTE late in 2009 and start offering service (probably in limited areas) in 2010. It was JUST ratified as a standard weeks ago, so this is a very ambitious goal.
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funkym0nk3y @ 3rd Jan 09:29AM:
possible to ditch data plan?
i just got the iphone about a week ago and was wondering also if it would be possible to remove the $30 monthly required plan - i have wifi in most places that i would use the phone.
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DataRiker @ 3rd Jan 12:29PM:
Re: ahem.... T-Mobile and AT&T are NOT the only GSM in the US
He never said that he traveled? I personally would love to see more small providers. Very very very few people travel on a regular basis.
There is a whole world out there with people who do not live in exactly the same way that you do.
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anon @ 3rd Jan 09:55PM:
Re: Now now Karl
Give SterlingJ85 a cigar. Right on the money. Western Wireless had a huge footprint. Around here, they were known as Cellular One, now they're Alltel. Western had started rolling out a GSM network before they were bought out. I'm not sure whether or not Alltel is continuing that build.
Crawl a little out of your cave and learn a little about the rest of the US before you start calling people trolls.
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anon @ 3rd Jan 10:12PM:
Re: ahem.... T-Mobile and AT&T are NOT the only GSM in the US
Exactly. We're not looking to compete with AT&T and T-Mobile. As a matter of fact, we cooperate with T-Mobile quite a bit, building out areas where they have the license, but they're not wanting to build it out. So, they arrange for us to build it out for them. In exchange, we get preferential roaming revenue rates for their customers.
We have no interest in going head to head with the big companies. It makes no good business sense whatsoever. Instead, we make our money on pre-paid accounts and roaming revenue.
I've been with this company for 8 years and helped build the network from the ground up. We've survived hard times, and are actually turning a nice little profit. We little guys are a helluva lot tougher than you give us credit for.
said by DataRiker :
There is a whole world out there with people who do not live in exactly the same way that you do.
Well said, good Sir.
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SterlingJ85 @ 4th Jan 01:25AM:
Re: Now now Karl
AFAIK, Alltel has overlaid CDMA/GSM across all the old Western Wireless network for purposes of roaming revenue from other carriers.
While Alltel does have customers in these markets, most of their revenue in these parts does actually come from other carrier's customers roaming. For this very reason, no matter who picks up the divested areas will more than likely keep these networks alive until the technology has been sunset (for GSM and CDMA this could be a decade - for TDMA/AMPS some sites may have aleady been turned down in some areas if there is little demand on the network).
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