AT&T Wireless Leaves Many pdaPhone Owners Stranded
If you are a pdaPhone owner with AT&T Wireless coverage, you may soon be without a way to connect your pdaPhone. AT&T Wireless is one of the US carriers that has found themselves straddling different technologies and bands and left to make tough decisions about how to consolidate. Unfortunately for the users in this case, their decision will obsolete the pdaPhones of many users. If you are in the dark blue area of this map, you may be affected.
Like Cingular, AT&T Wireless had an existing TDMA and analog network operating at 850Mhz when they began to migrate to GSM several years ago. They need spectrum, so they rolled out GSM on 1900Mhz, the same band used by T-Mobile (T-Mobile entered the US with GSM, so their entire network is one band, one technology). As AT&T has obsoleted the older network segments, this freed the 850Mhz spectrum so they started using it to roll out GSM in recent years. That would be great, except that they've been steadily selling phones that won't work with 850Mhz. Included in the ones that won't work are the SX56 - Pocket PC Phone Edition, the Blackberry 7210, and even the new Motorola MPx200. These phones reportedly will continue to work on the new network, but have very poor reception.
Not to leave you without a way to use their service, AT&T is reportedly offering an "upgrade", but not to comparable pdaPhones. You get a choice of the Nokia 3100 or 3200, the Siemens C56, or the Sony Ericsson T226. Certainly these aren't a replacement for a pdaPhone! Officially, AT&T Wireless also doesn't give unlock codes, so you'd be stuck. There are ways to unlock some of the devices, however.
The only pdaPhone they offer that is uneffected today is the Treo 600. It looks like this is going to eventually push all phones to be quad band if they are going to support all the available GSM/GPRS areas of the world. If you believe you are affected, please contact AT&T Wireless to validate the details of your situation.
While I don't think AT&T is going to pull the plug soon on any of their GSM1900 coverage, I have gotten the impression that any future upgrades/enhancements to the network will be done on GSM850. So my conclusion is that if you're happy with your AT&T coverage now you don't have anything immediately to be concerned about. But if you coverage stinks at home or where you travel to, it's not likely to get any better.
If you get totally fed up, it is possible to get this phone unlocked and move it over to T-Mobile service. TMobile's entire North American network is on GSM1900 and they don't have any old network on a different band for you to worry that they'll switch to.
So, what's going to happen when the AT&T Wireless unit goes over to T-Mobile? Will T-Mobile invest the huge amounts of cash to get rid of all GSM850 to match their existing GSM1900? I doubt it, but I must say that I am not completely up to date on the sale of AT&T Wireless to T-Mobile. Anyone have any insight on this?
Originally posted by FirstTimer So, what's going to happen when the AT&T Wireless unit goes over to T-Mobile? Will T-Mobile invest the huge amounts of cash to get rid of all GSM850 to match their existing GSM1900? I doubt it, but I must say that I am not completely up to date on the sale of AT&T Wireless to T-Mobile. Anyone have any insight on this?
Yep, my bad. Sorry about that. Like I said, I'm not too up on it, I just know they sold it, but I was wrong as to which company. Thanks for the correction.
Well I'm sure glad I didn't buy that $99 ATT sx-56. I was formerly an ATT TDMA phone owner and recently bought an sx-56 on ebay. I've unlocked it and have gone to Tmobile, and I'm not stuck with an ATT contact. I've had several bad dealings with the ATT monster and jumped ship as soon as I could. Sorry to all the SX-56 owners if (or when) they pull the plug on 1900.
Originally posted by pdhenry While I don't think AT&T is going to pull the plug soon on any of their GSM1900 coverage, I have gotten the impression that any future upgrades/enhancements to the network will be done on GSM850. So my conclusion is that if you're happy with your AT&T coverage now you don't have anything immediately to be concerned about. But if you coverage stinks at home or where you travel to, it's not likely to get any better.
If you get totally fed up, it is possible to get this phone unlocked and move it over to T-Mobile service. TMobile's entire North American network is on GSM1900 and they don't have any old network on a different band for you to worry that they'll switch to.
This is my understanding of the situation as well. Basically, if you are happy with your current coverage then there is no problem, but don't expect any improvement. Although this problem is indicative of poor planning and little insight, there is not much they can do about it now. As far as unlocking the phone, I think that is a viable option. I plan on getting the new Motorola PDA phone when it comes out with the intention of getting it unlocked to use with my current service. There is NO WAY I would ever switch to AT&T/Cingular.
Re: AT&T Wireless Leaves Many pdaPhone Owners Stranded
Quote:
Originally posted by Convergent Officially, AT&T Wireless also doesn't give unlock codes, so you'd be stuck. There are ways to unlock some of the devices, however.
Can you expand upon this? I'm not very clear on this option.
dwdod,
Just do a search on google. There are many sites that will unlock phones for a fee (generally around $10). If at all possible, I'd try to find someone in your area or else, if you have the right phone, it can be done remotely. I am wary of sending my phone off to some unknown person..
I have a bad habit of letting my friends play with all my cool electronic toys. Everyone says I shouldn't, but I've never had a problem (currently knocking on wood..)
Just do a search on google. There are many sites that will unlock phones for a fee (generally around $10). If at all possible, I'd try to find someone in your area or else, if you have the right phone, it can be done remotely. I am wary of sending my phone off to some unknown person..
This might be a stupid question, but if I let someone to unlock my phone remotely, does it open the door for hacking my device?
Does anyone know a site that you have used before and is trustworthy? Is there any rating on such services that I can look up?
They don't actually remotely do anything to your phone. From what I understand, you provide them with some information and then they give you information to enter into your phone. They don't ever actually gain access. I have not yet done this so I can't recommend any one place over another...
Re: Re: AT&T Wireless Leaves Many pdaPhone Owners Stranded
Quote:
Originally posted by dwdod Can you expand upon this? I'm not very clear on this option.
It really depends on the device. For example, if you had a Siemens SX56, then there is a site called xdadevelopers.com that has reverse engineered most of that device and has documented ways to unlock it. Otherwise, you'd be stuck. There are companies that can do others. It does vary by device.
I have visited the xda-developers.com. Judging from the process they described, the HUGE disclaimer in red, and the postings on their forum, it is not for people who do not have intimate knowledges of the XDA devices.
The SX56 is not a cheap machine and I have invested a lot of money on it. I rather pay someone for the unlock code than hacking the device since I am a complete novice when comes to mobile devices.
I did a search on Google and came across a site called gsmlocker.com. Does anyone has any good or bad experience with them that you like to share?
Or if anyone has a better suggestion, please advise.
Actually, if I were the Marketing VP at T-Mobile, I will provide unlock code for SX56 for FREE! Think about how many more customers you can bring over from AT&T Wireless?!?! It will be a great marketing campaign that does not cost them a whole lot of money. I don't understand why they don't do that. T-Mobile must has a very poor marketing team.
Well, any help will be very much appreciated. Thank you very much.
I don't think you understand the concept of locking phones. The whole point is to keep you from leaving. So, it would seem logical that the codes would be unknown by the other carriers, right? I don't think that it is possible to unlock the SX56 in any way except by what the xda-developers offer. Also, if you intend to move to T-Mobile, you would most likely want to move to the T-Mobile ROM anyway. The SX56 is optimized for the AT&T network and will likely perform poorly on T-Mobile's network with the AT&T ROM. We used to have a team member here that was the lead engineer at AT&T who brought that product to market. If you read back through the forums, you'll see some of his posts about the differences in the radio stack between the devices.... in particular that AT&T tweaked it for their network. And, you are correct that this is something to undertake with caution.
Originally posted by FirstTimer So, what's going to happen when the AT&T Wireless unit goes over to T-Mobile? Will T-Mobile invest the huge amounts of cash to get rid of all GSM850 to match their existing GSM1900? I doubt it, but I must say that I am not completely up to date on the sale of AT&T Wireless to T-Mobile. Anyone have any insight on this?
You were close enough... T Mobile does lease Cingular's network in California, Nevada, and Washington. In those states Cingular is the GSM 1900 native.
What I am confused about is where is Cingular going to end up? There is 60 MHz of spectrum in the 1900 band. That is enough to split 3 ways (20 MHz each) to three carriers. Then open up the 850 MHz band into one 24 MHz band for Verizon.
After all, Verizon has the most customers. They need the most room... (think the FCC will buy that?)
If you are a pdaPhone owner with AT&T Wireless coverage, you may soon be without a way to connect your pdaPhone. AT&T Wireless is one of the US carriers that has found themselves straddling different technologies and bands and left to make tough decisions about how to consolidate. Unfortunately for the users in this case, their decision will obsolete the pdaPhones of many users. If you are in the dark blue area of this map, you may be affected.
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