1/3 of Alltel going to AT&T GSM this could really impact chasers
Chris Gullikson
EF2
Interesting that a GSM based carrier would gobble up so many CDMA sites. I cannot believe they plan on switching all that equipment over to GSM technology, wonder what is going on. Wonder if AT&T/Apple are working on a CDMA capable Iphone??
Robert Rohloff
EF3
The Apple/ATT agreement ends this year and there is talk Verizon will get the Iphone next. I wonder if switching the towers out would make a coverage expansion for ATT a lot easier and cheaper than building the infrastructure?
Mikey Gribble
EF5
This is a totally different topic, but since there are already two Alltell threads I didn't want to start a third. l have always worked with Verizon and have an aircard with them. It sucked something fierce not having any data coverage in Oklahoma so I went to AT&T, Sprint and then finally Alltell to figure out what is the best options for me.
It looks like verizon has pretty solid data coverage from Kansas north through the plains. AT&T looked like they had pretty solid coverage through the southern plains, so I figured if I had an aircard through each of them I should be totally covered.
Well then I go to Alltell today and after explaining my situation to the guy he shows me their coverage map for DATA and it basically covers the entire plains. Is that true? I don't understand how they could have such dominate coverage yet still be a little player in the cellular world.
I also asked for a map of voice service in Kansas since I have problems not being able to call into the station when I'm chasing in our broadcasting area and it covered the entire state minus Kansas city and like two parking lots in Meade.
I just don't know if I can trust these guys. I know some of you have used alltell. How does it stack up to Verizon, Sprint and AT&T? Does their aircard data coverage seriously cover the entire plains?
It looks like verizon has pretty solid data coverage from Kansas north through the plains. AT&T looked like they had pretty solid coverage through the southern plains, so I figured if I had an aircard through each of them I should be totally covered.
Well then I go to Alltell today and after explaining my situation to the guy he shows me their coverage map for DATA and it basically covers the entire plains. Is that true? I don't understand how they could have such dominate coverage yet still be a little player in the cellular world.
I also asked for a map of voice service in Kansas since I have problems not being able to call into the station when I'm chasing in our broadcasting area and it covered the entire state minus Kansas city and like two parking lots in Meade.
I just don't know if I can trust these guys. I know some of you have used alltell. How does it stack up to Verizon, Sprint and AT&T? Does their aircard data coverage seriously cover the entire plains?
Chris Gullikson
EF2
Altell and Sprint have a roaming agreement which allows EVDO data on either network using an aircard or smartphone. With the Verizon/Alltel meger going on, Verizon has now become a roaming partner for Alltel as well.
So having Alltel you can use 3 different EVDO networks, greatly increasing your coverage area.
No idea how long the alltel/sprint roaming deal will last...
So having Alltel you can use 3 different EVDO networks, greatly increasing your coverage area.
No idea how long the alltel/sprint roaming deal will last...
Scott Bennett
EF4
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2008
- Messages
- 472
I know James is really excited with this but it really bummed me out, my hope was for a US Cellular buy or even a Sprint pickup of those users and customers.
Alltel owned a large GSM network they used only to sell roaming to AT&T so this is a logical choice.
If you were in Nebraska and using GSM outside of the Lincoln and Omaha metro areas you were roaming on Alltel towers. Alltel also had some odball GSM networks in the south so it makes some sense.
In Nebraska at least they can pick up a nice pile of customers and easily migrate them to GSM or just wait out till they go LTE and move them then.
There has been a lot of discussion of AT&T buying US Cellular and just waiting out the switch to LTE and not migrating them.
To me a AT&T purchase is BAD as it's one less company out there to compete.
In low density markets such as Nebraska they have proven time and time again they tend to underserve these areas so much that Alltel once saw it as a oppertunity since they had towers in place anyway.
Alltel owned a large GSM network they used only to sell roaming to AT&T so this is a logical choice.
If you were in Nebraska and using GSM outside of the Lincoln and Omaha metro areas you were roaming on Alltel towers. Alltel also had some odball GSM networks in the south so it makes some sense.
In Nebraska at least they can pick up a nice pile of customers and easily migrate them to GSM or just wait out till they go LTE and move them then.
There has been a lot of discussion of AT&T buying US Cellular and just waiting out the switch to LTE and not migrating them.
To me a AT&T purchase is BAD as it's one less company out there to compete.
In low density markets such as Nebraska they have proven time and time again they tend to underserve these areas so much that Alltel once saw it as a oppertunity since they had towers in place anyway.
Jay Cazel
EF4
Alltel is the rual carries for cell phone service. Yes Alltel does have the largest coverage area than anyone else, but they don't have the largest amount of custermers. CDMA service takes 2 towers to cover the same amount of service that takes GSM 3 towers to do the same thing. Alltel was fourmed by all the Cell One, Kansas Celluer and all the little companys
over the years that ended up being Alltel. Sprint, Verizon and Alltel use CDMA and use each others towers via romming agrements so if you ever look at there maps they all cover the same places. AT&T and T-Mobile cover most of the highways,citys and such they just don't cover small town Kansas, OK, NE and so on because the cost is to great to put towers in those areas and Alltel (or what ever the company name was in the to begin was there to start with). I use Alltel for my data, Sprint for voice. The only reason I went with Alltel for data over Sprint was the unlimited plan Alltel has (or had) and there is no roaming like Sprint and Verizon with the 300mb limit. I have chased with people that had Alltel, Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. All work well in the 3G or EVDO, edge areas, but AT&T just does not have the out of town coverage that Alltel does.
Scott Weberpal
EF5
Part of the Alltel/Verizon merger deal was they were required to honor the roaming agreement through the remainder of its contract which is up in 2016.
I went ahead and purchased an Alltel aircard to supplement my Sprint data (never hurts to have a backup with Sprint's 300mb roaming limit).
Mikey Gribble
EF5
I don't get it. I bought a Verizon aircard. I look at their coverage map and I basically have no data south of the KS-OK border, but good data coverage north of there into the high plains.
Then I look at AT&T. They have the exact opposite. Good data coverage in the southern plains and crap coverage up north.
I already have a Verizon air card, which works great in certain areas, but is worthless west of Enid, where AT&T worked great. I' was at alltell the other day and the guy was showing me their data coverage map for their aircards and it basically covered the entire plains. It was like Verizon and AT&T combined. Is that true? It also looked like their voice coverage may be better in Kansas than Verizon's, which would also be of some benefit to me since I have problems reaching the station on my verizon phone a lot of times. Is Alltell's data coverage really that widespread (like basically every where you are going to have internet access even though it may be slow) and do they have better coverage in Kansas (on voice end) than Verizon?
Any accurate answers to this would be greatly appreciated, because this is going to be quite expensive and I want to make sure my money is being spent on the right equipment.
I started a local tour company, which a few of you may know. This is our start up year so we are keeping a low profile and doing minimal advertising. They are day long chases out of Wichita so it's not your standard tour operation. Since our customer base is small this year I can afford to not have data and just use XM upon occasion when I"m in the southern plains, but if I have a van full of people in the car and several thousands of dollars on the line (I guarantee them a tornado so when I get one for them they are done, money made) I will have to have internet access in both the southern and central plains.
Like I said, I already have the Verizon card which I will keep as a backup, but is my best choice for a primary aircard Alltell?
On the phone side of things just for Kansas is Alltell also my best choice for a prepay phone that I can use when I can't get a signal off my blackberry (plus I have stormnow alerts coming in on my blackberry so I can't use it a lot for making calls because I like to read warning texts).This phone would almost always be used for chasing Kansas insdie the KWCH viewing area, so that is it's sole purpose. I hate having something like a tornado to report and I can't get a signal. It is infuriating.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I know I was repetitive, but I want to emphasize the two different applications I am looking to find solutions for. Thanks for all your help.
Then I look at AT&T. They have the exact opposite. Good data coverage in the southern plains and crap coverage up north.
I already have a Verizon air card, which works great in certain areas, but is worthless west of Enid, where AT&T worked great. I' was at alltell the other day and the guy was showing me their data coverage map for their aircards and it basically covered the entire plains. It was like Verizon and AT&T combined. Is that true? It also looked like their voice coverage may be better in Kansas than Verizon's, which would also be of some benefit to me since I have problems reaching the station on my verizon phone a lot of times. Is Alltell's data coverage really that widespread (like basically every where you are going to have internet access even though it may be slow) and do they have better coverage in Kansas (on voice end) than Verizon?
Any accurate answers to this would be greatly appreciated, because this is going to be quite expensive and I want to make sure my money is being spent on the right equipment.
I started a local tour company, which a few of you may know. This is our start up year so we are keeping a low profile and doing minimal advertising. They are day long chases out of Wichita so it's not your standard tour operation. Since our customer base is small this year I can afford to not have data and just use XM upon occasion when I"m in the southern plains, but if I have a van full of people in the car and several thousands of dollars on the line (I guarantee them a tornado so when I get one for them they are done, money made) I will have to have internet access in both the southern and central plains.
Like I said, I already have the Verizon card which I will keep as a backup, but is my best choice for a primary aircard Alltell?
On the phone side of things just for Kansas is Alltell also my best choice for a prepay phone that I can use when I can't get a signal off my blackberry (plus I have stormnow alerts coming in on my blackberry so I can't use it a lot for making calls because I like to read warning texts).This phone would almost always be used for chasing Kansas insdie the KWCH viewing area, so that is it's sole purpose. I hate having something like a tornado to report and I can't get a signal. It is infuriating.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I know I was repetitive, but I want to emphasize the two different applications I am looking to find solutions for. Thanks for all your help.
Andrew Revering
EF3
It was a 10 year agreement that Verizon agreed it would maintain. What I'm worried about now is what AT&T is going to do with those AllTel Towers in the Dakotas (and elsewhere). Will THEY maintain support for CDMA, or will they convert those to GSM and cause a blackout in the Dakotas for CDMA customers?
Scott Bennett
EF4
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2008
- Messages
- 472
I would think the "Logical" thing would be a win/win but who knows.
US Cellular should buy them, question is if AT&T will sell them, or if USCC would spend the cash.
I have been following this real close, the AT&T sale was easy, someone wanted all the assets because they wanted the customers and those GSM roaming towers.
USCC would have been a logical buyer for those Dakotas markets because they mesh with the rest of their region, there is talk USCC is somewhat for sale. The shareholders are demanding for them to either grow or sell, this sale was a prime oppertunity to grow and they passed.
Hopefully AT&T will sell all that extra gear they don't need & keep the customers.