Cingular announced today that they've completed their GSM network integration, a big step towards finally getting over the hangover of their painful merger with AT&T Wireless in October 2004. Handovers and billing system confusions between former AT&T towers (known as the "blue network") and Cingular towers (known as the "orange network") caused dropped calls and other cellular havoc in cities where AT&T was previously strong, most notably New York.
The combined network, known as the "gold network," has a 40% lower rate of blocked calls and a 20% lower rate of dropped calls than before, according to this Cingular financial presentation from earlier this year.
Our most recent PC Magazine reader survey shows that Cingular's come a long way. They got good marks for both coverage and call quality, though our readers preferred Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile overall thanks to superior customer service and technical support ratings.
But Cingular's still taking some heat for their slow rollout of 3G high-speed services; they're so far behind Sprint and Verizon in covering major metro areas (such as New York, at left) with high-speed networks that it's really pretty sad. Unlike Sprint and Verizon, Cingular also doesn't offer even one smart phone which uses its high-speed networks. That's especially preplexing considering Cingular's standard, UMTS/HSDPA, is an international standard used in dozens of countries, and both Nokia and HTC have expressed interest in providing high-speed smart phones in the past.
A recent article in Bloomberg News saying Cingular is missing even their own targets is wrong, though, according to Cingular spokesman Ritch Blasi: Cingular is on the mark to cover "most major markets" this year, he says. That's all well and good, guys, but when you're this far behind, we don't want to hear that you're keeping the pace you set in 2005 -- we want to hear that you've kicked in the turbo-booster.
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October 3, 2006 1:48 PM
Well, let's see. My home is in the exact middle of the map attached to this story. Right now, I'm at my office, which is just off the lower left edge. I CAN'T GET A SIGNAL on my Cingular phone.
October 3, 2006 6:27 PM
I live in Wisconsin and I can't get a signal in my own house! I'm in a Milwaukee Suburban area. I have to go outside to get a signal which is not going to be very comfortable in January :) Can't get one at work either but that might be legit becaue of the building and machinery.
October 3, 2006 6:58 PM
I left Cingular 2 years ago tor T-Mobile because there tech service was "brain dead". Based on my recent conversation with Cingular, nothing has changed in this department. On Sunday, I surfed the internet for 3 hours using my T-Mobile phone connected to my laptop via bluetooth while my wife drove between Atlanta and Mobile, AL. Costfor this service: $20/month. Try to get that with Cingular!!
October 3, 2006 8:13 PM
I switched from Sprint to Pacific Bell Wireless because Sprint had a lousy phone selection at the time I was ready to replace my phone. I then switched to AT&T Wireless because Pac Bell Wireless didn't have coverage in my new place. (It was a bonus that cell phone number portability had just become available albeit was a nightmare at the time.) Cingular then bought AT&T Wireless and the quality of the network and customer service went into the toilet. Cingular is screwing the AT&T Wireless customers they acquired by forcing them to sign new contracts to get a Cingular SIM card which will supposedly fix the problems AT&T Wireless SIM card users are experiencing. (Cingular advertises that they have the fewest dropped calls because you can't drop a call if they never connect in the first place!) Now I'm back with Sprint and quite happy with the network, their customer service, and especially their EV-DO. I was going to give Verizon a shot since they seem to be the only network that works well in the DC Metro, but Sprint had the phone I wanted sooner.
October 4, 2006 7:28 AM
I have very few problems with Cingular and I have had them for a year and a half. I live in the Southwest Corner of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. We chose Cingular because it was one of the only services which worked in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I do have some problems at work, but that is because my office is essentially in a building that is inside a larger building.
October 4, 2006 7:30 AM
When I was on AT&T I could communicate in the Town of Clarksville, VA. However it was on Roaming. Now with Cingular, I can not Communicate in that area. My signal drops out, at a bout 5 miles of South Hill, VA on I-85.
October 4, 2006 10:09 AM
I was with AT&T. I had a DUAL MODE phone (Analog/Digital). I could get signal all over. My dual mode phone died. I had to sign up with Congulas to get a new phone - Motorola V555 - Love the phone. Hate the Service. The are Cingular & Radio Shack (Sells Cingular) stores with-in a 1/2 mile of my house. 300 yards outside the front door of the stores I CANNOT get a signal. Lousy service in ZIP codes 22306, 22307, 22308, & 22309.
October 4, 2006 10:44 AM
I live in Northeast Wisconsin. Cingular works very well for me and all my travels throughout Wisconsin. Not perfect coverage but none of my friends on other companies have signal everywhere either.
October 4, 2006 10:59 AM
I'm told by local Cingular store that my parent's house is located within a mile of a Cingular tower, but they cannot get but 1, maybe 2, bars of tower signal on their new cingular phone and calls are constantly dropped. We can't get a straight answer- is it the new phone or lousy service. Zip code 38668, Country Club area.