Anyone in OC have T-Mobile?
 

Our 2 year contract with AT&T come Cingular is up in a couple months. We've been pretty unimpressed with both our coverage and the customer service and would prefer to change providers.

As I'm shopping around, T-Mobile is looking attractive for a couple reasons. Their plan is cheaper than any of the other major options, they seem to have better phone deals, and they only require a 1 year contract to get those phone and plan deals.

But then I look at their coverage map and it looks pretty spotty. I'm just wondering if this is just a case of too much information on their part. Most companies' coverage maps are not exactly detailed. They just show large areas that are basically "covered" or "not covered". T-Mobile's coverage map goes down to the street level and shows ranges of coverage from "none" to "great". So it looks like large areas of "fair" coverage with scattered (densly, but still scattered) islands of "good" to "great". It makes their coverage appear pretty spotty. But then I wonder if every company's map would look like this if they went into as much detail.

So does anyone have T-Mobile in OC? What's your coverage like?

T-Mobile uses Cingular/AT&T towers here. I don't know anyone who is happy with T-Mobile in OC.

I think Verizon is the way to go now (for OC) and I hear Sprint is getting better but they just merged with Nextel and Nextel can be spotty.

I've had issues with AT&T/Cingular since the merger and now have a mile radius around my place where I get zero reception which is amusing since there is a store across the street. I have a year left and am considering spending the money to buy out and go with Verizon or Sprint.

my vote is Verizon in the OC.

Hmm, so you're saying T-Mobile is no worse than Cingular/AT&T?

I know this doesn't exactly answer your question, GD, but I just wanted to chime in and say that I've been pretty happy with Sprint. I've been very pleased with the coverage, rarely have poor signal or dropped calls. I'm not a big fan of their customer service but it is pretty rare that I have ever had a need to talk to them.

Good to know, I was looking at sprint as a second option.

No, I'm saying they're worse. There is something with the way their network is set up and their agreement with Cingular but their coverage (at least in OC) is worse than Cingular/AT&T. They used Cingular towers before the merger with AT&T. Given the poor service since the merger (with additional AT&T towers) I don't have much faith in T-Mobiles service.

I actually love my T-Mobile. I also have the 3000 anytime minute regional plan (California & Nevada) for $50 a month. I never have a high bill.

I also don't have a problem with coverage at all.

Granted, I'm not in OC (CA, that is ;) ), but I have TMobile and I like it just fine. From my experience, it seems that TMobile is great in urban areas, and spotty in not-so-urban areas. So in Orlando it's great. In newish rural suburbs south of Orlando it's non-existant (but is starting to get better). In Central CA it was great. In SF it was great (from the airport until I hit the tunnel north of the bridge). Up in Wine Country it was spotty.

I talk to someone who (I think still) has TMobile in Anaheim every so often and coverage seems good (from what I can tell).


At least they don't seem to be evil. *shrug*

FWIW Verizon has consistently rated #1 in service of the major cellular carriers over the past few years as reported by Consumer Reports. It's still a low "positive" rating, but it's the highest of the low. I have a shared minutes plan and pay about $65/month for 2 phones sharing 400 anytime, unlimited long distance, unlimited roaming, unlimited minutes between shared phones, unlimited night and weekends. I never go over my minutes.