AT&T, T-Mobile share networks to help Sandy victims

(CNN) -- Getting cell phone reception in waterlogged New York and New Jersey could get a bit easier.

In a rare moment of collaboration, wireless providers AT&T and T-Mobile have agreed to share networks in the challenging days following Superstorm Sandy, allowing customers to use whichever network gets coverage in their areas.

The combining of networks will happen entirely behind the scenes, so all customers need to do is dial out. They'll automatically be routed over whatever network is currently the strongest in their location.

There will be no roaming charges for customers of either company, and no need to change any settings, rate plan or service agreements.

Making calls across the Northeast has been difficult following Sandy, and New York and New Jersey seem to be the hardest hit. According to the Federal Communication Commission, about a quarter of cell phone towers in the 10 states were knocked out by the storm.

Repairing these towers will take several days or longer, and continued inclement weather could cause additional issues and repair delays. Some transmission sites that are still working are currently running on backup generators, which carriers hope will last until power is restored.

"Our assumption is that communications outages could get worse before they get better, particularly for mobile," FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said on a call with reporters Tuesday.

Only a very small number of 911 call centers had lost power, and those calls were being rerouted to working centers, according to the FCC.

The major cellphone carriers have shared varying amounts of information on their service outages following Sandy. Sprint said it was experiencing "service impacts," but that it could not provide a specific number for the amount of people without service. T-Mobile said that in New York CIty, 20% of its network was down. In Washington that number was 10%.

Verizon's New York City facilities were severely flooded, and the damages were still being assessed. The carrier said its networks were mostly doing well, but there were serious problems in lower Manhattan and general problems throughout New York City. The company did not give exact numbers for outages.

Verizon officials also cautioned that some customers in the Northeast might receive "all circuits are busy" messages when trying to make calls because of an unusually large volume of post-Sandy demand on the network.

AT&T was the most vague, only saying that it was monitoring its land line and wireless networks and working to restore service.

T-Mobile and AT&T did not give a timeline for how long this cross-company cooperation would last.

In a related act of corporate generosity, Comcast said it will offer free Wi-Fi to users in areas affected by Sandy, according to CNET.

source: CNN

AT&T Upgrade Fee Is a Poke in the Eye

I recently had to buy a new phone after my 3 year old iPhone 3GS became unusable. AT&T Wireless, as usual, stuck me with an upgrade fee – this time it went from an annoying and distasteful $18 to a ridiculous $36.

Like usual, I called and asked that it be waived. The lady told me it was not even possible in her computer system to do so.

A few minutes later she told me her job would be in jeopardy if she waived it.




 I asked her, “so lying to your customers doesn’t put your job in jeopardy? You just told me you weren’t even able to do it.”

Caught in a lie, she muttered something about if she did it, a manager would see and she’d get in trouble, but if I’d like, she could let me talk to a supervisor. She also said she could give me a $25 credit right now.

Rather than take this any further and risk a fist-sized hole in my drywall, I took my $25 credit.

Please pardon my rant, but AT&T Wireless must not think I’m a valued customer when they stick me with an “upgrade” fee for the privilege of being a customer for another two years.

As a longtime customer who has spent over $10,000 with this company, I am very put off when asked to pay a fee SIMPLY FOR BEING A CUSTOMER.

What the Heck is an Upgrade Fee?

Upgrade fee? Seriously?

I’m not upgrading anything. I bought a lower grade phone.

I am asking to continue to give you money every month for the next two years, not to move into your basement.

Hell, they should call me and thank me for being a customer, not charge me a fee.

There AT&T, are you happy? After getting $10,000 from me, you had to shake out another $11.

If you need $11 that bad, should I even trust your company?

If You Are Going to Extract Money From Your Customers, Be Smarter About It

Look, if you really need to recover more money from customers because the price of “upgrading” has gone up (SIDE RANT: Maybe the reason your cost of signing papers for customers is going up has something to do with the army of frat bots I saw with iPads strapped to their hips last time I was in your store).

If I’m correct, Verizon Wireless doesn’t charge an upgrade fee. I suspect that this is not because they don’t like money, but because they are smart enough to just sneak it into the price of their phones or plans, or whatever other way they are using.

Which is my point.

If you have an increased cost of doing business, RAISE YOUR PRICES. Don’t hide behind some silly “upgrade fee.”

That puts you in the company of those late-night infomercials selling a ten-dollar product with twenty-dollar shipping and handling.

Say what you want about AT&T vs Verizon – at least Verizon pretends to care about their customers, or maybe more shocking, they realize that treating a customer right is good business in the long run.

How to Get AT&T Upgrade Fee Waived

If you’ve never had your AT&T Wireless upgrade fee waived, just call in and ask. I don’t think the employees in the store have the power to do so.

Even if you’ve had it waived before, call anyway. They at least deserve to know how you feel about their fee.

They may have to escalate you to a supervisor or manager, or they may offer you a credit for a smaller amount in the hopes you will be tired of fighting and relent.

Most likely they will waive the fee for you.

It has worked for me almost every time.

source: marriedwithdebt.com

Answers to Your Questions About Apple’s iPhone 5

Apple on Wednesday unveiled its much-anticipated iPhone 5, as well as upgrades for the iPod Touch and iPod Nano. In reaction to the news, many readers posted questions. Here are answers to the most commonly asked ones.

Q. Cost? Available to order date? Anticipated ship date? –David Wachte, New York.

A. The iPhone 5 costs $200 for the model with 16 gigabytes, $300 for 32 gigabytes and $400 for 64 gigabytes, with a two-year contract. You can pre-order it starting Friday. The phone releases Sept. 21, and ship dates vary depending on when you place the order.

Q. Does Siri now allow you to issue configuration requests, such as “Turn Bluetooth on,” or “Turn ringer off”?
–Zak456, Hoboken, New Jersey

A. No. In the new version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 6, Siri has been expanded to add things like booking a restaurant through OpenTable, but tweaking core settings is not something it does yet.

Q. Does the new Nano have a clip to attach to your clothes (for when you workout) like the current version does? – D, Conn.

A. No. Its workout feature is a built-in pedometer and support for Nike+.

Q. Why did Apple create another proprietary connector, instead of adopting the ubiquitous Micro-USB connector? It would be great if the industry could standardize chargers for cellphones. –Mark, Calif.

A. Apple executives say the smaller “Lightning” connector allowed it to make the iPhone 5 and new iPod Touch thinner. Apple is the only company that uses a proprietary charging port, which benefits it in a number of ways: If people buy accessories like docks, clock radios and chargers made just for Apple products, they have to keep buying Apple products if they want to keep using their gear. Making its own port also allows Apple to make industrial design decisions that other manufacturers who conform to the Micro-USB standard probably couldn’t make.

Q. What’s this gorgeous thing gonna cost me each month? Can I keep my existing plan (AT&T, $70 per month) when I buy the iPhone 5? Any good pointers for comparing pricing and plans? –MT, San Francisco, Calif.

A. AT&T has said you’ll be able to keep using your existing plan if you upgrade to the iPhone 5. So if you’re paying $70 a month now, you should continue to pay that price, unless you decide to change your plan.

Q. Plan to order my phone on the 14th from Apple to be delivered to my home. Since the new phone will have a new SIM card, how do I transfer from old card (iPhone 4) to new without going to Apple or AT&T store? Am I missing something obvious? –PN, Franklin, Tenn.

A. When you purchase the iPhone 5 through AT&T or Apple, it includes a SIM, and you activate it with your number through iTunes. You won’t have to swap cards or go to a store.

Q. Near Field Communications (NFC) is the best technology to unify payments with a cellphone. The Apple rumors had the new phone coming with NFC. Why did Apple not put NFC in the new iPhone 5? –J.C., San Francisco, Calif.

A. Only Apple knows the answer to this question, but in general, Apple doesn’t do anything that it feels it doesn’t need to, and mobile payments are still a premature technology. Also, Will Strauss, an analyst at Forward Concepts, which studies chips, says the iPhone 5’s all glass and aluminum body precludes it from using NFC.

Q. It’s become an annual question, but is the iPod Classic still being sold?– Mark L. Milwaukee, WI

A. Yes, it’s still alive and selling.

Q. So I am out of contract. AT&T or Verizon? No more unlimited data, which I’ve had with AT&T. Which is better for the iPhone 5? –Mark Calif.

A. It depends on your preferences. Verizon has a larger 4G LTE market than AT&T, so if reliable coverage matters most to you, Verizon is the right fit. However, customers new to Verizon only get to choose a shared data plan, which can cost you more over the long run unless you’re sharing a plan with multiple family members or plan on using multiple devices. AT&T still allows customers to choose between a shared data plan or an individual “tiered” plan. So if you’re on a budget and you don’t plan on sharing data, AT&T’s tiered plans are a better deal.

source: nytimes.com

AT&T introduces data-sharing plan

(CNN) -- Welcome to the multiple-mobile-gadget world.

AT&T on Wednesday became the latest wireless carrier to announce it will offer a range of "shared" data plans, which let customers buy a pool of data and share it among several Internet-connected mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets.

Verizon made a similar move in June when it announced its "Share Everything" plans.

Not to be outdone on the marketing front, AT&T calls its new plans "Mobile Share." Customers aren't forced to switch to the new one-big-pool-of-data plans. AT&T says in a news release that the "bucket" data plans prep the company for a multiple-device world.

"Today we think of people's smartphones and tablets sharing a bucket of data," David Christopher, chief marketing officer for AT&T Mobility, said in a written statement.

"But in the future we'll see health care monitors, connected cars, security systems and other devices in the home all connected to the mobile Internet."

The new plans will be available in late August.

The shared plans are designed for households that own several Internet-connected mobile devices and to encourage people to purchase wireless data connections for all of those devices. Currently, many tablet owners, for example, only connect to the Internet with Wi-Fi, which is free, because they don't want to purchase new mobile plans for tablets. The company is trying to encourage those people to pay more per month to get wireless data service, but without having to create a new plan entirely.

The data is shared between the devices in the sense that all gadgets connected to the plan would draw from the same overall pool of data. This may work well if only one of the devices is a "data hog," but multiple data-sucking devices could become costly.

Tablet and e-reader ownership is becoming more common, with 29% of American adults owning at least one of those mobile devices, according to a January survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

More than half of all U.S. cell phone users own a smartphone, which is distinguished because it usually connects to the Internet and requires a data plan.

For AT&T's new plan, customers pay for an overall pot of data -- 1 GB per month is $40; 20 GB is $200 -- and then pay additional fees to add extra devices. Smartphones cost between $30 and $45 per month, depending on the amount of data a person purchases. A person can add a tablet computer or gaming device for $10 per month. The per-gadget and per-GB rates get cheaper, relatively, as you add more devices and more data.

AT&T describes this graduated payment system as "the more you share, the more you save," but, of course, customers will actually pay more in total for additional services.

Let's do a quick comparison of the old and new plans.

Depending on how many devices you have, the plan may or may not be smart.

Say you have a smartphone and a tablet computer and you want 6GB of data per month, between the two gadgets. Under the new "shared data" plan, you would pay $35 for the phone, $10 for the tablet and $90 for the data. That's a monthly total of $135.

Under the old plan, 3GB of data for a tablet would cost $30 per month, with a contract. A phone with unlimited talk and text (that's offered on the "shared" plan) costs $90 per month. And then the remaining 3GB of data on the phone costs $30.

So that's a total of $150, or $15 more than the new "shared" plan.

The shared data plan can include up to 10 devices, however, and the prices per GB and per gadget drop as the plan becomes more involved and includes more devices.

For more information, see this online guide to the new pricing structure (PDF). AT&T also has a "data calculator" to help customers decide how much data they use. There are overage fees for going over the data limit, and AT&T says other fees may apply. (A company representative could not immediately be reached for comment on this matter).

The tech news site CNET says the plans are better for large groups of people.

"While these plans aren't the best deals for individuals, large families or even groups of really, really close friends may want to consider them," writes Roger Cheng. "That's because the more people who sign on, the lower the price per gigabyte and user. Of course, if someone is a heavy data user, that person may want to stick with an individual plan, or risk hogging up the total available data for everyone."

That site also has posted charts that compare the AT&T and Verizon shared-data plans.

"Individuals who don't use a lot of data and are considering the entry-level option would save a bit of money with AT&T, although those savings are negated when a second person jumps on the plan because of the higher smartphone fee," CNET writes.

"At the 10GB mark, however, Verizon gets the edge if an individual was buying into that plan. But the price is the same if a second person signs on to the plan, and is actually a better deal if more members join."

As CNNMoney reports, the cheapest shared plan is more expensive than the least expensive existing data plan. "Today, the cheapest available AT&T smartphone plan is $60 a month, giving users 300 MB of data and 450 voice minutes per month. The cheapest Mobile Share plan, with 1 GB of data, is $85 per month," that site writes.

source: CNN

AT&T expands into wireless home security, automation

(CNN) -- AT&T is joining the expanding field of home security and automation, introducing a wireless service that will let homeowners use their mobile devices to remotely set alarms, turn on lights or even shut off water.

Called AT&T Digital Life, the service will connect users with a vast array of domestic devices and appliances, including cameras, door locks, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and thermostats.

It will run on AT&T's IP-based wireless platform and can be accessed via smartphones, tablets or PCs. And despite being from AT&T, it will work regardless of the user's wireless carrier.

The company plans to begin trials of the service in Atlanta and Dallas this summer.

"AT&T Digital Life will change the way people live, work and play -- and meets a clear need in the market," said Kevin Petersen, senior vice president of Digital Life for AT&T Mobility. "The service is smart, simple and customer-centric -- freeing homeowners to do the things they want to do without compromising on the things they need to do to care for family and home."

Digital Life joins other existing products and wireless companies that are taking advantage of people's increasing reliance on mobile devices.

Comcast offers a home-security feature through an iPhone app. Verizon offers a similar service, while home security market leader ADT features ADT Pulse on approved devices.

In a news release from AT&T, Larry Hettick, a research director for market-research company Current Analysis, says that Digital Life "promises to be as robust as anything in the marketplace today." He said he was impressed with the system's wireless platform and ability, unlike some existing services, to work with a wide range of different devices.

source: CNN