From: cole@nepenthe.unx.sas.com (Tom Cole)
Subject: Re: Best cellular company in triangle? (*long*)
Originator: cole@nepenthe.unx.sas.com
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 15:15:41 GMT
Distribution: triangle
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.


I followed the discussion about cellular phone companies for a bit
and can't resist putting in my own $.02 worth.  My wife and I each
have a phone, one with CellularOne and one with Centel.  Based on
our experiences I'll offer the following observations:

o  Centel does have a larger coverage region for the Triangle based
   region than Cellular One, i.e. you can get a signal farther out
   in Granville County than you can with Cellular One.  However, it
   has been my experience that Cellular One has slightly better
   signal quality in the coverage areas.  I believe that if you 
   compare the cell maps for each system, Cellular One creates 
   slightly smaller, denser cells than Centel. 

   I think this is also corroberated somewhat by the fact that I
   occassionally get a "cell unavailable" message from Centel and
   have never gotten one from Cellular One.  By this I mean I get a
   fast-busy connect error that clears up in a minute or two, even
   when I am not moving -- leading me to believe that they either
   have more transient transmitter problems, or have cells spread
   thin enough that the maximum number of open connections are
   active within the cell.  Again, I've never had this problem with
   Cellular One.

o  Cellular One does seem to have a number of customers who had
   bad experiences in the past.  However, in the last year or two
   they seem to have completely changed their billing systems, 
   possibly as a result of the buyout (acquisition? takeover? merger?)
   with GTE Mobilnet.  In the last two years, I've never had or heard
   of a significant billing or operational error, and the trivial
   ones seem to be corrected nearly instantly.  I'd bet they are
   about on par with Centel at this point.

o  It's worth pointing out that both Centel and Cellular One offer
   "cheap" plans, offering next to no built-in minutes.  Cellular
   One offers a plan for something on the order of $10 a month with
   no built-in minutes.  They do not advertise this plan, so you
   have to ask for it.  But it does provide a means for buying the
   phone and assuming zero normal use (i.e. emergencies only, etc.).

   As far as rates go in general, remember that cellular phone service
   is regulated by the State Utilities Commission.  While breakover
   points in rate plans may vary slightly (Centel does not offer a
   one hour plan, for example, but does offer a 75 minute plan) the
   general cost of service is going to be pretty comparable at all
   times.  

   As a minor point of complaint about Centel, they offer "free"
   voicemail as part of many of the plans.  Well, Cellular One
   offers voicemail as well, but you pay $6.96 a month or so to
   have an assigned "mailbox".  With Cellular One, you pay for each
   message left in a mailbox, at some reasonable rate.  But on the
   face of it, the Centel deal (which also charges per message)
   seems better.  What they don't tell you is that accessing your
   mailbox, even if from a regular Bell phone is charged at the
   current airtime rate.  Even doing things like setting up your
   outgoing message and other non-storage based activities are
   charged, at rates as much as $.50 a minute.  Gack.  They also  
   are pretty quiet about this, and you have to ask some questions.

o  There was a comment made that Centel offers automatic location
   functions while roaming.  This is offered by Cellular One as
   well, but under a different name.  Actually, almost all phone
   systems offer this, it is a nationally agreed-upon network that
   is shared by most but not all systems.  In fact, you can be in
   areas of the country (or NC) where "national call delivery" 
   doesn't work because the local system doesn't support it.

o  As for comments about roaming, everyone supports roaming.  Both
   Centel and Cellular One offer "free" roaming in a variety of 
   systems, typically ones owned by them or their parent companies.
   For example, I can use my Cellular One phone in the Triad area
   or Boone for the same rates I use it here in Cary.  Centel is the
   same, though the list of systems you can roam in for free varies
   from carrier to carrier.

   I have never been anywhere where I couldn't use either phone, the
   key is who roams where at what rate.  If you have a regular travel
   pattern (house at Topsail Beach, for instance) that might make a
   big difference in which system you choose.

o  A final comment about buying a phone for cheap.  Most phones can
   be purchased at a reasonable price if you buy a prepackage rate
   plan.  I know of NO "cheap" phone that doesn't sign you up for
   at least 30 minutes of time each month, typically more like an
   hour.  Also, be careful of duration of contract.  The standard
   is for one year, but you can find deals that look good until you
   see you must sign up for a two year or more contract.  Also, 
   be sure that you read the contract carefully, and assure yourself
   that the carrier cannot change the rates on your at their
   discretion without offering you an out on the contract.

   I am really in no position to offer expertise on buying phones, 
   having not bought but two of them.  From what research I did, I
   think that MOST phones are largely interchangable in terms of
   electronics quality.  You are buying a) name brands, b) durability
   of construction, or c) fancy gadgets added to the software of the
   phone.  I have a NEC in one car that I'm very very happy with, 
   and a Tandy Handheld that I'm not that happy with. 

   As a point of reference, there's nothing wrong with the Tandy
   except that it's a handheld.  In order to avoid frying your brain
   completely while using it, the transmitter signal is only .6 watts.
   This means that there are signal quality problems when near RFI
   sources, and dead spots at cell boundaries that a phone with a 
   full 3 watt transmitter doesn't suffer from.  Avoid the handhelds
   unless you are working typically within a metropolitan area or
   other system with EXCELLENT cell coverage.  Even then, you won't
   be happy.

Sorry to be so long winded, these are of course just my opinions based
on my own experiences.


-- 
Tom Cole, SAS Institute Inc. VMS R&D  cole@nepenthe.unx.sas.com