Cingular shutting down AT&T's UMTS network until next year
posted October 18th 2005 12:01AM
It doesn't get talked about much these days, but before getting snapped up by Cingular
AT&T Wireless actually introduced high-speed UMTS
wireless service in a handful of cities (Seattle, the SF Bay Area, Phoenix, and Detroit). The phones bit and the
download speeds were disappointing (especially compared with
Verizon's EV-DO service), so it wasn't
exactly a shock that Cingular ended up putting the rest of AT&T Wireless' planned rollout on ice after the merger.
Instead they decided to skip a generation and go straight to
HSDPA (which is basically a faster version of
UMTS), a move which left a number of subscribers grandfathered on a rapidly obsolescing 3G network. Anyway, it's no
secret that they're in the midst of building out their new
HSDPA network right now, and apparently they've been contacting old school UMTS subscribers to let them know that
they'll be shutting down UMTS data service until early 2006 while they upgrade the network. Subscribers will get a $50
service credit for their trouble and a free cellphone when the new network is ready.
[Thanks, Oliver O.]
Um, suck?
So, can they still get on whatever data service was a generation before UMTS?
Sorry Cingular/AWS, can't wait for your unending line of promises. EV-DO rocks.
Is the HSDPA build up still going to be limited to 20 or so markets? or is it nationwide?
As I reported here long before "Oliver O."
I was contacted and told that starting in August the 3G network would be getting disconnected in a manner similar to HAL until it was totally off line and I would be left with only 2.5G.
In November I'd be contacted and offered a new pair of phones (since I was a two time err line loser) that would operate on the new network.
I could also expect to see a $100 service credit and gee wasn't I just a sport if I'd hang out until November with what was essentially a aircraft carrier sized GSM phone with terrible standby and talk time.
Even for uncaring unfeeling cellphone carriers this was a new low.
When Verizon EV-DO came to town I got EV-DO and just left my AT&T phones un-powered.
If the new network is reliable, twice as fast as EV-DO and the new phones don't suck the southern end of a northern bound donkey (aka not son of A845), I'll cancel Verizon, otherwise AT&T gets the axe.
Based on prior sad performance I realistically expect I'll be going to court against AT&T over the whole thing. However I have to wait until they make their play before I can seek redress of my grievances.
Nothing like pulling this bar out of your pocket to make it look like you're talking into a Remote Control...And you thought looking like you're talking to yourself into your bluetooth headset was wack.
-M
#3, HSDPA will probably be about the same speed as EV-DO, no faster. To munge Jay-Z, people have 99 problems with Verizon, but the network isn't one of 'em.
I'm not sure what the Nextel technology was but as far as implementation and speed it was flawless. I was part of the trial for over a year and used it as my primary internet connection. The cool thing was you could take the USB based adapter apart and get the pcmcia card for when you were on the go. I don't think they supported this but it was still fun.
Despite some minor technical issues like a nat'd IP address and occasional hopping issues while driving down the road (I know I know...) it was great and really fast.
HSDPA (aka UMTS+, aka W-CDMA) does Voice and Data. EVDO only does Data. Does this then mean that all of these cool new (Europe first) "true" 3G phones we always see on this website will go to Cingular first? Say it aint sooooo...
Like a famous scholar named MIKE TYSON once said, “I will f*** you till you love me” and that is what Cingular is doing with exclusive deals on the coolest phones. THEY ARE MAKING US LOVE THEM ;^(.