Verizon-Houston

[txd...@my-deja.com]

AT&T Wireless is purchasing Verizon's (old PrimeCo) wireless system in
Houston. Verizon operations will soon switch over to their newly
acquired GTE system.

My question is this: What happens to us old "out of town" PrimeCo
customers who have used the Houston system without paying any
roaming/long distance fees? Will Houston now become one of the
preferred PrimeTravel areas...with $0.15 per minute fees?

Anyone have any intelligence on this? When will the switch over take
place?

Thanks.

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[Jonathan E. Hardis]

In article <8ktt6m$t8s$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, txd...@my-deja.com wrote:

> AT&T Wireless is purchasing Verizon's (old PrimeCo) wireless system in
> Houston. Verizon operations will soon switch over to their newly
> acquired GTE system.
>
> My question is this: What happens to us old "out of town" PrimeCo
> customers who have used the Houston system without paying any
> roaming/long distance fees? Will Houston now become one of the
> preferred PrimeTravel areas...with $0.15 per minute fees?
>
> Anyone have any intelligence on this? When will the switch over take
> place?

This is not a direct answer to your question, but Verizon is only selling
20 MHz of the 30 MHz of spectrum to AT&T. They are keeping 10 MHz for
themselves, on which they could (if they wished to) continue "PrimeCo"
service in Houston indefinitely.

- Jonathan

[txd...@my-deja.com]

>
> This is not a direct answer to your question, but Verizon is only
selling
> 20 MHz of the 30 MHz of spectrum to AT&T. They are keeping 10 MHz for
> themselves, on which they could (if they wished to) continue "PrimeCo"
> service in Houston indefinitely.
>
> - Jonathan
>

According to Verizon's customer service, they have decided to NOT to
include Houston in their standard coverage. You must upgrade (gee, I
could find a more appropriate term for it, like "hose yourself") to a
new plan to get Houston coverage. Or - you could pay for roaming on
the "state-of-the-art" analog system.

I have an easy solution. Goodbye Verizon. I've already ordered a
phone and a great plan from SprintPCS. I've never thought much of
Sprint. But after researching their plans, phones, and vastly improved
local and national coverage, the decision to switch was simple.

Verizon - you just a very LOYAL customer. Your Simple, Affordable,
National slogan is just that. A slogan. No substance. And no value
for me.

Later.

[Justa Lurker]

It was Sat, 22 Jul 2000 16:07:16 GMT, and txd...@my-deja.com wrote in
alt.cellular:

| > 20 MHz of the 30 MHz of spectrum to AT&T. They are keeping 10 MHz for
| > themselves, on which they could (if they wished to) continue "PrimeCo"
| > service in Houston indefinitely.
|

| According to Verizon's customer service, they have decided to NOT to
| include Houston in their standard coverage. You must upgrade (gee, I
| could find a more appropriate term for it, like "hose yourself") to a
| new plan to get Houston coverage. Or - you could pay for roaming on
| the "state-of-the-art" analog system.

Former PrimeCo Houston customers would have to sign up for Verizon
Wireless service, but former GTE customers will remain on Verizon
Wireless WITHOUT upgrade.

Non-Houston Verizon Wireless customers can continue to roam there as
part of their hometown plans. No upgrade.

Digital coverage (CDMA) is available in Houston and Austin.

JL

[txd...@my-deja.com]

>
> Former PrimeCo Houston customers would have to sign up for Verizon
> Wireless service, but former GTE customers will remain on Verizon
> Wireless WITHOUT upgrade.
>
> Non-Houston Verizon Wireless customers can continue to roam there as
> part of their hometown plans. No upgrade.
>
> Digital coverage (CDMA) is available in Houston and Austin.
>
> JL
>

JL:

You said: "Non-Houston Verizon Wireless customers can continue to roam

there as part of their hometown plans. No upgrade".

You're partially correct according to Verizon. Non-Houston Verizon
customers will be charged to roam. It will no longer just be part of
their hometown plan.

The way I see it, that's like buying a car, and having the dealer come
to you three years later to take back your right front tire. Screw
that! I bought the whole car; you can't come back and start stripping
it down.

What a crappy business decision they've made. That's why I dumped
Verizon.

Thanks.

[Justa Lurker]

It was Sat, 22 Jul 2000 20:25:20 GMT, and txd...@my-deja.com wrote in
alt.cellular:

| You said: "Non-Houston Verizon Wireless customers can continue to roam
| there as part of their hometown plans. No upgrade".
|
| You're partially correct according to Verizon. Non-Houston Verizon
| customers will be charged to roam. It will no longer just be part of
| their hometown plan.

I worded that specifically to avoid saying free.
If your 'hometown plan' is SingleRate National, or SingleRate West,
you will roam there at home rates ... no upgrade.
If your 'hometown plan' was one of the local only plans you will pay,
just as you pay for roaming ANYWHERE outside your local area.
Nothing special about Houston.

JL

[Cellphone Rick]

I don't think that Verizon can use the spectrum they are keeping for mobile
phone service as that would give them more than one system in the market
which is not legal. They should have already transferred the 1900 to AT&T
as their current property list no longer shows Houston as 1900. Maybe they
are going to do broadband at 1900 in Houston.
"Jonathan E. Hardis" <jha...@tcs.wap.org> wrote in message
news:jhardis-1907...@dialup08.wap.org...

> In article <8ktt6m$t8s$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, txd...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> > AT&T Wireless is purchasing Verizon's (old PrimeCo) wireless system in
> > Houston. Verizon operations will soon switch over to their newly
> > acquired GTE system.
> >
> > My question is this: What happens to us old "out of town" PrimeCo
> > customers who have used the Houston system without paying any
> > roaming/long distance fees? Will Houston now become one of the
> > preferred PrimeTravel areas...with $0.15 per minute fees?
> >
> > Anyone have any intelligence on this? When will the switch over take
> > place?
>

> This is not a direct answer to your question, but Verizon is only selling

> 20 MHz of the 30 MHz of spectrum to AT&T. They are keeping 10 MHz for
> themselves, on which they could (if they wished to) continue "PrimeCo"
> service in Houston indefinitely.
>

> - Jonathan
>

[Cellphone Rick]

I would bet that customers caught in this issue will if they ask get very
good deals on Trimode/Dual Band Phones as the AT&T system will be TDMA when
the conversion is done and then the CDMA 1900 phones won't work anyway.

I know someone who had a dual mode (7760) on GTE and was refused Single
Rate. After complaining a few times she was sold the phone for $49.00 and
then credited on account $49.00 plus the tax. That is free to me.
<txd...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:8lcvv5$ma7$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

>
>
> >
> > Former PrimeCo Houston customers would have to sign up for Verizon
> > Wireless service, but former GTE customers will remain on Verizon
> > Wireless WITHOUT upgrade.
> >

> > Non-Houston Verizon Wireless customers can continue to roam there as

> > part of their hometown plans. No upgrade.
> >
> > Digital coverage (CDMA) is available in Houston and Austin.
> >
> > JL
> >
>
> JL:
>

> You said: "Non-Houston Verizon Wireless customers can continue to roam
> there as part of their hometown plans. No upgrade".
>
> You're partially correct according to Verizon. Non-Houston Verizon
> customers will be charged to roam. It will no longer just be part of
> their hometown plan.
>

[Justa Lurker]

It was Sun, 23 Jul 2000 16:57:29 GMT, and "Cellphone Rick"
<cellph...@hotmail.com> wrote in alt.cellular:

| I don't think that Verizon can use the spectrum they are keeping for
| mobile phone service as that would give them more than one system in
| the market which is not legal. They should have already transferred
| the 1900 to AT&T as their current property list no longer shows
| Houston as 1900. Maybe they are going to do broadband at 1900 in
| Houston.

All they have to do is come in under the cap. A 800mhz band cellular,
plus 10mhz of PCS in the 1900mhz band comes within the cap. They can
do voice in the PCS Band.

BTW: Although the press release was less than clear, I believe what
they are doing is swapping the 30mhz PrimeCo for the 10mhz AT&T
already had licenses for in Houston.

JL

[MAF]

"Cellphone Rick" <cellph...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ZtFe5.2367$ga2....@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...

> as their current property list no longer shows Houston as 1900. Maybe
they
> are going to do broadband at 1900 in Houston.

Where is that map? I can't find one on www.verizon.com that distinguishes
bands.

MAF

[MD]

The FCC spectrum cap is 45 MHz; which is likely to be lifted sooner rather
than later.

They are under that limit with 30 MHz (cellular @ 800 MHz) and 10 MHz (PCS @
1900 MHz).

---
MD

Cellphone Rick had this to say:

> I don't think that Verizon can use the spectrum they are keeping for
mobile
> phone service as that would give them more than one system in the market
> which is not legal. They should have already transferred the 1900 to AT&T

> as their current property list no longer shows Houston as 1900. Maybe
they
> are going to do broadband at 1900 in Houston.