Understanding Cell Service Providers
Who's who in this gallery of rogues
If you've been following our Parents Guide to Cell Phones you've probably got a good idea of your needs in a cellular service plan. Whether you're looking for a comprehensive minutes plan or prepaid option, you'll find wireless companies have a wide variety of service products aimed to make you their client. Now let's take a look at some of the individual providers.
Outside the local and regional providers, the big national names are fewer nowadays because of mergers that have taken place since 2005. This is good for you because it makes choosing between all those service providers a little easier. The big guns in the mobile network industry include some of the biggest wireless companies: Cingular, now merged with AT&T Wireless; Sprint - Nextel, another big merger that took place in 2005; T-Mobile; and Verizon Wireless.
Verizon - A consistent top scorer in customer satisfaction surveys. According to Consumer Reports it topped the list of all national cellular service providers in 2005. For reliability of the service and customer responsiveness, Verizon Wireless is one of the top companies in mobile telecommunications. Verizon uses CDMA for its digital network and in some areas they may have an advanced form of CDMA in use called EV-DO (Evolution Data Only).
Verizon Wireless is on the forefront of providing exceptional services to customers and will push the technology along in the coming years with wider EV-DO coverage. More high speed means more mobile data services. Verizon also uses analogue networks, but the phones that are compatible with analogue in Verizon's selection are getting fewer and fewer. If you're a globetrotting sort who likes to take his phone on trips to Europe, Verizon might not be the best choice as GSM - not CDMA - is the wireless network of choice across the ocean.
- Learn more about cell phone service providers by region of the USA
- Why does the USA drag behind on mobile technology? Learn about America's mobile technophobia
T-Mobile - Gets high marks in the 18 largest cities in the United States but tends to have thin coverage outside those metropolitan areas. According to Consumer Reports 2005 surveys, T-Mobile is second only to Verizon in customer support. T-Mobile is a good choice if you travel outside the US because it uses a GSM network which will work in Europe and Asia.
Sprint / Nextel - Sprint and Nextel have only recently merged and represented the middle and low respectively in customer satisfaction surveys. Sprint / Nextel provides CDMA digital networks in most cities. It's the service of choice for those living in rural areas because Sprint has most of the nation blanketed in its analogue network.
Cingular - Despite the popular of its store, consistently rates to mid / low levels in customer service surveys according to a 2005 Consumer Reports document. Cingular uses GSM for digital service so it might be a good choice for those who travel overseas.
Let's take a closer look at the difference between a GSM network and a CDMA network.