Times have changed, and while landlines are becoming a thing ofthe past for many households, cell phones are advancing in waysthat allow users to have just about everything in the palm of theirhand.
Today, service is everything, and there is no shortage ofcompetition between cell providers.
Verizon Wireless is one of the top cell providers in DeKalb County,along with AT&T.
Verizon provides voice and 3G data services along I-59 and U.S. 11from south of Collinsville to north of Mentone, includingPortersville, Fort Payne and Hammondville. other areas includePainter to north of Ider, including Geraldine, Rainsville andSylvania.
“Verizon Wireless has added additional capacity throughout manyareas of DeKalb County in 2011, so that we are well prepared fornetwork capacity growth needs this year and beyond,” spokeswomanKate Jay said. “Though we have not announced plans for 4G LTE inDeKalb County, Verizon Wireless has an aggressive growth plan,which includes developing rural partnerships in places where wedon’t have current 3G network coverage. We plan to offer fullnationwide coverage everywhere we have 3G coverage today, by theend of 2013.”
AT&T currently offers 2G coverage or the “Edge” network inparts of DeKalb County.
“Our 2011 DeKalb County plan includes 18 sites that are gettingmobile broadband (3G) upgrades,” spokeswoman Sue Sperry said. “Thesites are located along I-59 and Highway 11 throughout the county.also, in or near Sylvania, Hammondville, Valley Head, Rainsville,Fyffe and other rural areas. Fort Payne and Collinsville are alsoincluded, and the launch time for the 3G broadband is in the fallof 2011.”
Sperry said the timeframes to launch the broadband service aren’tfixed in stone, and many factors play into bringing the coverage toDeKalb County.
“We are planning to have 3G coverage in Fort Payne by the end of2013,” Sperry said. ” Due to construction delays, bringing 3G tothe surrounding communities will be pushed back a few months. It’sa slow process. there are 36 different steps included in bringing3G to any area. We are very close to bringing our DeKalb Countycustomers 3G mobile broadband service.”
Part of DeKalb County is also covered by the Sprint NationwideNetwork and Sprint 3G Network, with coverage concentrated alongI-59.
“In December 2010, Spring announced ‘Network Vision,’ a plan todeploy a cost-effective network enhancement that will improve voicequality and data speeds for customers all across the UnitedStates,” spokeswoman Sara Folkerts said. “Sprint’s Network Visionis expected to consolidate multiple network technologies into one,seamless network.”
While most customers say they are satisfied, some say there arethings their provider could do to make service better.
For Verizon customers, newly restructured plans are a sore spot,and many said they would like to see more affordable plans.
“I like my service with Verizon, I just wish they hadn’t changedthe data plans,” Angela Pierce said.
Louis Frazier, of Fort Payne, said Verizon needs more planoptions.
“I need a middle plan around 600 to 700 minutes,” Fraziersaid.
Verizon recently overhauled plans and created usage-based optionsfor customers that, regardless of the device or service, allowsthem to select the plan that best matches their use.
“Our usage-based data pricing model offers customers more optionsfor basic phones, smartphones, tablets and netbooks,” Jay said.”There were no changes to mobile broadband devices such as mobilehotspots and USB modems. while we no longer offer customers anunlimited smartphone plan, customers have far more options forsmartphone use and can select the plan that matches their use andtheir budget.”
And, there is good news for existing Verizon customers: the newrestructuring won’t affect customers, according to Jay.
“Existing customers’ contracts were not impacted by the July 7change,” Jay said. “Also, current smartphone customers with anexisting unlimited plan who are upgrade eligible are allowed tomove to another smartphone and retain their existing unlimitedplan. The changes are made for new customers or current customerswho are moving from a basic phone to a smartphone when they signnew contracts.”
For example, a customer wanting the Nationwide Talk and Text planwith unlimited minutes for both voice and text with the 2GB dataplan would pay about $120 per month. Customers are able to create aplan that suits their needs based on usage.
Jay said 96 percent of Verizon customers use less than 2GB of dataa month.
For AT&T customers, not having 3G speeds is the commoncomplaint.
“AT&T service is terrible in Fort Payne,” Jacob Heard said.”There is no 3G there.”
Rachel Monroe said she had AT&T until she moved to Fort Payneand then made a switch.
“I couldn’t bear to get rid of my iPhone, so I switched to Verizon,so I would actually have service.”
But, there is good news for AT&T customers.
“It’s a slow process, but we are very close to bringing our DeKalbCounty customers 3G mobile broadband service,” Sperry said. “We’rebuilding [the towers] as fast as they can be built. they are verycomplex. however, we completely understand customer concerns and weapologize it’s taken so long to get it done.”
Also, AT&T customers can receive an iPhone 3Gs free with aqualifying contract and AT&T has also restructured plans tomake them “easier and more economical.”
“One plan we’ve added is the ‘Anytime Mobile to Mobile,'” Sperrysaid. “It’s extremely popular, as we see many of our customerstaking advantage of the plan.”
Attempts to reach representatives with Corr Wireless wereunsuccessful.
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