cell phone monopolies in a free market?

[HYENA 4]

If you own a cell phone or wireless device, you’re being held hostage by the giant telecom companies. You discovered this if you recently shopped for a new phone -- you’re forced to use AT&T if you want a new iPhone, and you’re stuck with Verizon if you want a Blackberry Storm. I just took action and I hope you will join me.

In fact, eight of the 10 most popular wireless devices on the market today are shackled by “exclusivity deals” meaning you can only get service from a certain provider, or your phone is basically worthless. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In Asia and Europe, up to 80 percent of cell phones sold can work on any network. Yet here in the United States, you’re chained to one company, so you can’t shop around for the best service deal. That’s not a free market that’s just un-American!

I just sent an email to Congress asking them to change the wireless market, and Free Our Phones so we can shop around for the phone we want, and the service deal we want. Would you take a minute to do the same?

Just go to Consumers Union’s special action page at http://cu.convio.net/FreeYourPhone to send an email. A few years ago consumers’ outrage forced the industry to let us take our cell phone numbers with us when changing companies. Let’s use our voice20once again to Free Our Phones from exclusivity deals.

Thank you!

[pedroh 21]

well.. with some providers it's kinda useless.. USA is the only country to use that primitive CDMA technology (Sprint or Verizon), so unless all the providers switch to GSM technology, it's not worth it

[NickD 202]

Just want a damn phone, the hell with all that other BS, been shopping around for rates, they are all the same! And yes they all use that CDMA technology or locked or dedicated phones as they call them forcing you to buy a new phone if you change plans. They all force you to buy a phone with a rebate and then a two year contract with a 150 buck get out of it early clause. As a very experience electronic engineer, all cell phones are pure ####### and very cheaply made, a drop of water will render them useless.

Then they rip you off on accessories, $49.99 for a Motorola BN-60 battery, 20 bucks for a cheap #### plastic belt holder you can snap into tiny pieces with your finger, 30 bucks for a car charger, it's crazy.

Only major difference I found is coverage, trying demos from seven different carriers, only two would work in my home, four would work outside, one I had to climb a tree for to make a call.

Wife's co-worker got one of those AT&T monsters, needs a wheel barrow to haul it around, and does not reception in her home, has to go outside. Wishes she stuck with Cellcom, but played around for thirty days, will cost her 150 bucks to go back. They all rip us off.

[sara..... 371]

I dont know we signed up with t-mobile and did manage to get our phones unlocked mainly cuz i wanted to use mine in India by just changing the sims card didnt work out too good or i didnt know what i was doing either way.........we are stuck t-mobile has been good to us but i dont like the idea that ur stuck

sara

[SMR 368]

I dont know we signed up with t-mobile and did manage to get our phones unlocked mainly cuz i wanted to use mine in India by just changing the sims card didnt work out too good or i didnt know what i was doing either way.........we are stuck t-mobile has been good to us but i dont like the idea that ur stuck

sara

The American system is different than the European system. I agree that the European system is better, but you have to realize what is going on in the American system. Iphone, for instance, has a sticker price of $200 in the US. Or you can buy it without a contract for a lot more. Most Americans get their phones for cheap by signing a contract with a certain company. Basically, we're just buying our phones on credit and pay for the phone over the duration of the contract. If you don't like that, you can buy your phone out right and then get a plan to pay by the minute. Just remember that you are going to be paying $200 up front for a basic slider or flip phone (the type that comes free with a lot of basic plans) and $500 plus for a black berry or Iphone type device, because that's what they really cost. Or you can buy out of the contract for a couple hundred bucks (basically pay off the balance you owe for the phone).

[mawilson 2,133]

you’re forced to use AT&T if you want a new iPhone

Not for long. Their exclusivity agreement expires in 2010.

[Amby 490]

my blackberry storm works all over. I can change the sim card if I want. my uk sim card works in it.

[mawilson 2,133]

well.. with some providers it's kinda useless.. USA is the only country to use that primitive CDMA technology (Sprint or Verizon), so unless all the providers switch to GSM technology, it's not worth it

There are people on both sides that claim that either GSM or CDMA is superior to the other.

CDMA = Code Division Multiple Access

It assigns each transmitter a separate code to allow multiple channels (e.g. data and voice)

to be multiplexed over the same physical channel. A wide frequency range is available for

transmission, so in theory there's more space left for data transfer - 3G and such.

[Dan J 277]

well.. with some providers it's kinda useless.. USA is the only country to use that primitive CDMA technology (Sprint or Verizon), so unless all the providers switch to GSM technology, it's not worth it

There are people on both sides that claim that either GSM or CDMA is superior to the other.

CDMA = Code Division Multiple Access

It assigns each transmitter a separate code to allow multiple channels (e.g. data and voice)

to be multiplexed over the same physical channel. A wide frequency range is available for

transmission, so in theory there's more space left for data transfer - 3G and such.

CDMA is technologically superior, but in most countries its only GSM. This US is split between both technologies and only Japan is almost exclusively CDMA.

[HYENA 4]

I dont know we signed up with t-mobile and did manage to get our phones unlocked mainly cuz i wanted to use mine in India by just changing the sims card didnt work out too good or i didnt know what i was doing either way.........we are stuck t-mobile has been good to us but i dont like the idea that ur stuck

sara

I've got Tmobile (cheapest ripoff I could find). They told me they'd unlock so I bought it...went overseas, not unlocked. Called them from Thailand and they said 6 months till they'd unlock. I was pissed as hell! Someone needs to torture each person who decided on this communist stick it to ya plan.

Most the phones overseas are 3 and 4 band so they all use our cheap cdma #######. Asia is so advanced cell phoneiwse than we are. We suck!

[AlHayatZween 2]

Just remember that you are going to be paying $200 up front for a basic slider or flip phone (the type that comes free with a lot of basic plans) and $500 plus for a black berry or Iphone type device, because that's what they really cost. Or you can buy out of the contract for a couple hundred bucks (basically pay off the balance you owe for the phone).

Are you sure that this is how much they really cost? I mean for the basic phone, not the iPhone and BB... How come you can buy the same kind of phone in other countries for like $40 bucks and it works fine?

[NickD 202]

I got a nice Audiovox Virgin Mobile celluar phone for 15 bucks, and it's mine. Cost about 18 bucks for 200 minutes for a prepaid card that would last me about six months. Just call my wife when I am on a business trip to let her know I am okay. Only thing I had against it was very limited coverage, son gave me his US Celluar phone and could add it to their plan for ten bucks a month, so I went that route. Neither my wife nor daughter can live without a cell phone. When I drive, like to take all the back roads, have to say, the US Cellular phone works.

City passed an ordinance against any cell phone usage, that's crazy, but some people can't even get in their vehicles without talking, get around that with the speaker function holding the phone below the window line, but keep my conversations short. Also an IFR pilot so can do more than one thing at once, should try making a radar approach landing using a hand microphone that needs to be keyed to talk while watching a ton of gauges. But can't explain that to a cop, a 70 buck fine for the first offense.

All cell phones are essentially the same, it's the firmware that makes them exclusive. The kind you buy from a cell phone company here has that firmware embedded as opposed to a reflashable ram or a SIM chip. So while you may have paid for that phone, it ain't really yours.

Did dig out my old Virgin Mobile, still works, could even call a number on it with the prepaid card well expired, got the American Roaming Company asking me for my CC number to make a call. Would be good for an emergency.

Also found it handy to carry even a dead cell phone around, like to talk to myself out loud, and just by carrying that phone, people don't think I am crazy.

We are paying 35 bucks a month for a land phone with unlimited minutes and no extra charges for calls in the USA. When I had a modem, used a line 24 hours a day. Compared to this, cell phones are a complete ripoff.

[SMR 368]

Just remember that you are going to be paying $200 up front for a basic slider or flip phone (the type that comes free with a lot of basic plans) and $500 plus for a black berry or Iphone type device, because that's what they really cost. Or you can buy out of the contract for a couple hundred bucks (basically pay off the balance you owe for the phone).

Are you sure that this is how much they really cost? I mean for the basic phone, not the iPhone and BB... How come you can buy the same kind of phone in other countries for like $40 bucks and it works fine?

Where are you buying them? I recommend an import business. Most places I have seen them in Europe and Russia for the $150+ range. Unless they're hot...

Edited September 29, 2009 by SMR

[SMR 368]

I got a nice Audiovox Virgin Mobile celluar phone for 15 bucks, and it's mine. Cost about 18 bucks for 200 minutes for a prepaid card that would last me about six months. Just call my wife when I am on a business trip to let her know I am okay. Only thing I had against it was very limited coverage, son gave me his US Celluar phone and could add it to their plan for ten bucks a month, so I went that route. Neither my wife nor daughter can live without a cell phone. When I drive, like to take all the back roads, have to say, the US Cellular phone works.

City passed an ordinance against any cell phone usage, that's crazy, but some people can't even get in their vehicles without talking, get around that with the speaker function holding the phone below the window line, but keep my conversations short. Also an IFR pilot so can do more than one thing at once, should try making a radar approach landing using a hand microphone that needs to be keyed to talk while watching a ton of gauges. But can't explain that to a cop, a 70 buck fine for the first offense.

All cell phones are essentially the same, it's the firmware that makes them exclusive. The kind you buy from a cell phone company here has that firmware embedded as opposed to a reflashable ram or a SIM chip. So while you may have paid for that phone, it ain't really yours.

Did dig out my old Virgin Mobile, still works, could even call a number on it with the prepaid card well expired, got the American Roaming Company asking me for my CC number to make a call. Would be good for an emergency.

Also found it handy to carry even a dead cell phone around, like to talk to myself out loud, and just by carrying that phone, people don't think I am crazy.

We are paying 35 bucks a month for a land phone with unlimited minutes and no extra charges for calls in the USA. When I had a modem, used a line 24 hours a day. Compared to this, cell phones are a complete ripoff.

T-mobile has simcards. Don't know about others.

[HYENA 4]

I got a nice Audiovox Virgin Mobile celluar phone for 15 bucks, and it's mine. Cost about 18 bucks for 200 minutes for a prepaid card that would last me about six months. Just call my wife when I am on a business trip to let her know I am okay. Only thing I had against it was very limited coverage, son gave me his US Celluar phone and could add it to their plan for ten bucks a month, so I went that route. Neither my wife nor daughter can live without a cell phone. When I drive, like to take all the back roads, have to say, the US Cellular phone works.

City passed an ordinance against any cell phone usage, that's crazy, but some people can't even get in their vehicles without talking, get around that with the speaker function holding the phone below the window line, but keep my conversations short. Also an IFR pilot so can do more than one thing at once, should try making a radar approach landing using a hand microphone that needs to be keyed to talk while watching a ton of gauges. But can't explain that to a cop, a 70 buck fine for the first offense.

All cell phones are essentially the same, it's the firmware that makes them exclusive. The kind you buy from a cell phone company here has that firmware embedded as opposed to a reflashable ram or a SIM chip. So while you may have paid for that phone, it ain't really yours.

Did dig out my old Virgin Mobile, still works, could even call a number on it with the prepaid card well expired, got the American Roaming Company asking me for my CC number to make a call. Would be good for an emergency.

Also found it handy to carry even a dead cell phone around, like to talk to myself out loud, and just by carrying that phone, people don't think I am crazy.

We are paying 35 bucks a month for a land phone with unlimited minutes and no extra charges for calls in the USA. When I had a modem, used a line 24 hours a day. Compared to this, cell phones are a complete ripoff.

T-mobile has simcards. Don't know about others.

att and just about all others uses sim except verizon (verizon sucks....i hate them)