[larentont]

I'm looking for a new provider, since mine is merging with AT&T. Since it needs to be GSM Alltel is my only other option...

Good, bad, just plain ugly?

I was looking into their plans and it's confusing as hell. You can get the web/data plans on 1000 minute family plan for like $115. But their "smartphones" require their smartphone plan which is.. well.. a lot more expensive. Is there an actual difference, or is it just their way of taking an extra $50+ for the same service?

[usaneisfiecup]

Alltel doesn't use GSM, they use CDMA. Also, they have merged with Verizon so Alltel is going away....

[Lillie_Steins]

I'm looking for a new provider, since mine is merging with AT&T. Since it needs to be GSM Alltel is my only other option...

Good, bad, just plain ugly?

I was looking into their plans and it's confusing as hell. You can get the web/data plans on 1000 minute family plan for like $115. But their "smartphones" require their smartphone plan which is.. well.. a lot more expensive. Is there an actual difference, or is it just their way of taking an extra $50+ for the same service?

First off - Verizon bought Alltel..

Second, the data plan difference really is just a cash grab. "Dumbphones" can browse (somewhat) the web, but since the smartphones do it better (and generally faster), thus generally using more data, they charge more.

[larentont]

Alltel doesn't use GSM, they use CDMA. Also, they have merged with Verizon so Alltel is going away....

Well that's just strange. One of their sales people said it was GSM. I didn't see anything about it on their website, and one of the lists of GSM carriers I was looking at had Alltel listed.

I guess I'm stuck with AT&T. That blows.

I can't keep up with all these phone company mergers (even though I'm part of one...). AT&T bought Centennial Wireless over a year ago I think, and nothing has happened until recent. Even now we have no idea what happens to existing Centennial customers.

I don't know why they let them go through with that merger, for both Alltel+VZW and ATT+Centennial. Compare their pricing plans, and coverage area. So I now have 1 GSM carrier in my area who doesn't have unlimited incoming, and charges more for everything. And VZW v.s. Alltel... huge difference in features/minutes for the price.

Seems like every carrier that offers a good deal gets bought up by one of the big guys and then you're forced into their overpriced plans.

$95 for unlimited incoming, 5PM nights/weekends, 600 minutes, 2 lines. With AT&T... it's going to be over $100 for 550 minutes, NO free incoming, and 9PM nights/weekends. With the loss of 5PM nights and free incoming 550 minutes won't cut it anymore. *sigh*.

[lipitrRrxX]

Well that's just strange. One of their sales people said it was GSM. I didn't see anything about it on their website, and one of the lists of GSM carriers I was looking at had Alltel listed.

I guess I'm stuck with AT&T. That blows.

I can't keep up with all these phone company mergers (even though I'm part of one...). AT&T bought Centennial Wireless over a year ago I think, and nothing has happened until recent. Even now we have no idea what happens to existing Centennial customers.

I don't know why they let them go through with that merger, for both Alltel+VZW and ATT+Centennial. Compare their pricing plans, and coverage area. So I now have 1 GSM carrier in my area who doesn't have unlimited incoming, and charges more for everything. And VZW v.s. Alltel... huge difference in features/minutes for the price.

Seems like every carrier that offers a good deal gets bought up by one of the big guys and then you're forced into their overpriced plans.

$95 for unlimited incoming, 5PM nights/weekends, 600 minutes, 2 lines. With AT&T... it's going to be over $100 for 550 minutes, NO free incoming, and 9PM nights/weekends. With the loss of 5PM nights and free incoming 550 minutes won't cut it anymore. *sigh*.

t-Mobile?

[larentont]

t-Mobile?

Nope. In fact, at this time AT&T says they don't cover my area either, but since Centennial does they will add it to their system eventually.

[medio]

Costs me £21.50 for 600 mins (to home or mobile), unlimited texts + browsing.

Charged for incoming calls? That does not happen here.

[usaneisfiecup]

Same thing happened in my area. AT&T bought up the local guy. My bill went from $30/month to over $50 for the same exact plan. Now Verizon is doing the same thing will Alltel. Alltel aircards were $60/month for unlimited bandwidth. Verizon came in and upgraded all the towers for higher bandwidth (3G basically), but has a cap on their service at 5GB a month. All their phone plans are the same way. You pay more for less and are supposed to be happy because "Verizon has better phones."

[larentont]

Ok, so here's what I don't understand.

The prepaid ATT plan is $60/mo for unlimited minutes and text. No contract either. What's the catch?

That seems a far better deal than their standard rate plans.

I wish I could remember the name of the other prepaid, but it was 1000 minutes, 1gb data (I think) and 1000 text for $45. Someone I know has it and they say it works just fine, and I think it uses AT&T or Verizon's network.. I'm not sure which.

There's no tax on prepaid is there? It's all included as part of your rate, unlike standard plans which add $15 of taxes and fees onto your bill.

I've never looked at pre-pay because it used to be horrible rates, like all 25c a minute. Now that I look into more pre-pay phones they seem to be better than the standard rate plans. There has to be a catch somewhere.

[GrottereewNus]

I wish I could remember the name of the other prepaid, but it was 1000 minutes, 1gb data (I think) and 1000 text for $45. Someone I know has it and they say it works just fine, and I think it uses AT&T or Verizon's network.. I'm not sure which.

Probably the Walmart wireless you are thinking of.