How is At&t's service?

[electriicdigits]

is it decent service?

[iLoveiPhones]

I've had pretty much every cellular service and AT&T was the best out of all of them. They have the most coverage and the best deals on phones. Not only that they carry the iPhone

Another thing about AT&T is their prices. They're a bit pricey but it's worth because they have the best service and your calls don't drop. Just check the service map on the AT&T site and see if you have enough coverage in your area and if the service is right for you.

[HawaiiMacAddict]

Aloha electricdigits,

It really depends on your area. I've had both T-Mobile and AT&T and both of them have their plusses and minuses. One of the biggest draws to (Cingular) AT&T, at least for me, was Rollover Minutes. Unused minutes from any particular month are "rolled over" for the next 12 consecutive months, or until they are expended completely. On my Family Plan, we have three lines and 700 minutes. Currently, we have over 2,800 rollover minutes. We will NEVER run out of minutes.

Other than that, the service is getter in some areas (as compared to T-Mobile) and not as good in others. It's kid of like "6 of one, a half dozen of the other." Take a look at AT&T's coverage maps for your area to make sure.

HawaiiMacAddict

[Kupe]

Originally Posted by iLoveiPhones

Another thing about AT&T is their prices. They're a bit pricey but it's worth because they have the best service and your calls don't drop. Just check the service map on the AT&T site and see if you have enough coverage in your area and if the service is right for you.

Search on JD Power and Wireless to see what the real ratings are - by region (a couple of examples here and here). AT&T competes with Sprint for last place across the board. T-Mobile and Verizon are at the top. Maybe you just don't understand good quality when you see it. Maybe you buy in to AT&T's hype (long ago debunked)

[sinistar]

I'm not too familiar with ATT, 99% of everyone I know has either Verizon or Sprint (no ATT 3g here til next year I hear). But I'm planning to get a 3G iPhone anyways (ipod/safari/apps biggest reasons). And hoping 3G will come sooner and be content with edge til then. If service is too bad I'll prob go back to Sprint and get an Instinct or BB as their signal is really nice here and 3G is available.

[h22kai]

It really depends on where you live. Here there is NO Sprint store... no one I know has Sprint except for someone who just moved in the area and is quickly switching. They sell it at Coscto but no one is sure why...
Also, I only know one person (out of 100 or so people in my phone book) who has TMobile. While there are authorized agents that sell TMobile, I am not aware of an actual TMobile owned store within 50 miles. (I just checked the website... the closest TMobile owned store is about 120 miles away).
Where I live everyone has Verizon and AT&T. They both are equal in their (fairly excellent) coverage. Each company has a few dead spots.. unfortunately I have lived in Verizon's for many years and that is why I am ready to make the switch. I used to have AT&T when they were Cingular and I hated them with a passion. However, I live in an AT&T monopoly and love the idea of free calls to AT&T landlines included in my family plan. Also, the discount I will be getting for combining services (and actually getting service in my home!!!) will be enough to make me try this company again.

Oh.. and did I mention the iPhone? (How could I forget???)

[volsfan0911]

I have had three carriers (Sprint, VZW, ATT now). I'm a consultant and have literally used all three from EWR (Newark, NJ) to LAX (LA) and probably most airports in-between. VZW signal & call quality is great everywhere EXCEPT MY HOUSE (Maryland)! Sorry for the rant & all caps . VZW customer service sucks big time. So does their pricing and device-crippling (no GPS on BB's, etc.)

TMOB is used by many in my company (based out of Dallas). If you're in Dallas or other major markets and the coverage is good, they love TMOB for great customer service and low prices. If you aren't, then not so good.

ATT seems to be hit or miss. I was expecting a nightmare based on friend's experiences, general reputation Cingular earned, etc. And have been very pleasantly surprised. Good to very good reception, signal, call quality, etc. Of course, BB Curves do have above average reception which helps I'm sure. Customer service has been great although I've never had to use it.

Sprint? If they're around much longer, I was happy with them. The $99 all you can talk/data/eat/etc. plan would be a no-brainer for me if they had the iPhone. Which they don't.

[dhp1080]

In Chicagoland I have never lost service anywhere. I suppose it's because I live in the suburbs of Chicago, but nevertheless, if you live near any populated area I'm sure AT&T will provide adequate service. Also, their customer support and service is great.

[h22kai]

Someone correct me if I am wrong but CDMA (Verizon and Sprint) is able to penetrate buildings better than GSM (ATT and TMobile).
I was told this a few times. Maybe someone can shed some light on this?

[Bad Ash]

Originally Posted by h22kai

Someone correct me if I am wrong but CDMA (Verizon and Sprint) is able to penetrate buildings better than GSM (ATT and TMobile).
I was told this a few times. Maybe someone can shed some light on this?

I've seen no evidence of this before... For example at home, in the basement with Sprint I would get 1 bar or no service. With At&t I get all 5 bars in the house including the basement... so at least for me that theory does not hold up well.