Sprint vs. Cingular vs. Verizon
Picking a mobile data carrier these days is a lot like picking your nose: disgusting. I was paying Verizon up to $80 per month for unlimited data, and it wasn't a very fast connection (at that). I learned that they were offering a $50/month “all you can eat” plan to new subscribers, but when I asked Verizon if they'd extend me the same price - they pretty much told me to bugger off. That's when I pretty much told them that I was taking my business elsewhere.
My general purpose mobile phone is with Cingular now, and I only pay $20 a month for a (even slower) data connection, but for as much as I use it - it's fine. There are times, however, that I wish I had a fatter pipe on the road. Yeah, I could buy one of those PCMCIA cards again - but I just can't justify spending more on a mobile plan than I do for my home ISP. If coverage were more pervasive, they'd have a stronger argument. As it stands, speed ubiquity is still spotty and unpredictable.
I was accepted into the Sprint Ambassador program a few months back, not knowing what I'd do with it. They gave us unlimited data access for six months on the Sprint network. For free, it's perfect - but the service has certainly proven itself worthy of a monthly payment. I needed Sprint when I was in Iowa, as nobody in my family has anything faster than a 56k connection to the Internet. The Samsung phone put me online via a USB cable (though it didn't charge the unit simultaneously). We continued to use it when we weren't in our hotel room in North Carolina, too.
At the end of the day, whoever can give me the fastest speed for the cheapest rate will win. Mobile brand loyalty is as foreign to me as Swahili. I'm thankful that Sprint is letting me dip my toes into their world, but we'll see how their rates compare when my one-year contract with Cingular is up. At least they didn't require me to buy a separate card to get semi-broadband access to the Internet.
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10 Comments
Brandon Paddock
April 26th, 2006
at 8:45am
For $15/month for EVDO (on a phone, not PC card) - it's hard to beat!
Anonymous
April 26th, 2006
at 9:49am
T-Mobile has a good deal: $100 for an entire year, with 1,000 minutes.
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DRMPro: http://www.drmpro.net
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Anonymous
April 26th, 2006
at 5:48pm
see: http://timheuer.com/blog/archive/2006/04/23/10065.aspx
Anonymous
May 6th, 2006
at 7:08am
Chris,
Thanks for taking the time to share with us your information on wireless broadband carriers. I am looking to hookup with someone and I want the speed vs price. If you have anymore information to share with me or help from anyone else, I'm interested. email: friend_to_be_4ever@yahoo.com I live in the Dallas/Fortworth, Tx area.
Have a Blessed Day,
Bradley Stock
Isaac Bowman
October 13th, 2006
at 9:01pm
Chris,
Thanks for your input on the mobile devices. Seems that most of the reviews out there are from the summer of 2005 when the 3G was first rolling out. I was thinking about a new Verizon card, but I really wish that Cingular had faster service with their cellphones. Like you said one device is easier than 2.
Thanks, World’s Greatest Guy
Joshua Devine
October 29th, 2006
at 12:57pm
Chris,
First you are awesome. I used to watch you all the time on Tech TV. I have since moved on and into the world of contracting in the Middle East. Needless to say no Tech TV so I didn’t even know you weren’t there anymore, or is the program gone all-together? The URL I have above is barely even started, and it will be a long time before I really get it up. Now for my comment.
I found your site looking for info on using my Sierra AirCard 850 with Vista RC1. I am currently in Kuwait and that is my link to the world beyond, outside of work. I will give the upgraded firmware/software a shot.
I have to say that when it came to the choice between an AirCard or tethering to my cell (which isn’t 3G anyways, but if it was…) I prefer not having to tie up my cell to surf.
Also, is it common knowledge in the US how BS all the proprietary cell shtuff is? Everywhere else in the world that I have been to you buy a SIM chip for a particular network, stick it in your phone, and PRESTO you can start burning minutes. If you don’t like the network, rinse and repeat with a different one.
Thanks for the help!
From Monitoring to Watching »
November 17th, 2006
at 11:43pm
mobile device, solar power, stocking stuffer, usb Related Content: Lockergnome’s Mobile Lifestyle Brian Mullen on Amp’d Mobile Verizon Where’s Waldo? ShopWiki Weally Wadical Sock It To Me? My First Audiovox Sprint vs. Cingular vs. Verizon Start of the Season Gourmet Wi-Fi [IMG]
Shane Hoefer
March 2nd, 2007
at 4:56pm
Chris,
Sprint currently has an unlimited data package for $59.99 (EV-DO Rev A)
Down 600-1.4 avg with 3.1 peak
Up 350-500 avg with 1.8 peak
They also have PCMCIA, PCIexpress and USB connectivity and operate with Windows and Mac.
wesley
May 23rd, 2007
at 9:51am
interested in Sprint broadband? email me.
scoot
July 27th, 2007
at 1:53pm
SONY, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???
The “Stupid Business Decision of the Week” goes to SONY! I just purchased a new super-duper laptop, the SONY SZ480 which came with a “ATT/CINGULAR 2 MONTH TRIAL”.
While traveling, the wireless did not work. After spending about 2 hours on the phone with tech support, the wireless works, but was running slow and then dropping. I called back (another hour), to download drivers, and all sorts of fixes. It was working again, but still really slow. I asked the tech support guy, Dave, who finally admitted that the Cingular Network was just a little faster than dial-up.
So, here’s the deal. You buy a terrific computer with a built in wireless card that hooks up to the slowest network out there! What were they thinking. Cingular should be ashamed to be offering such a bad product, and SONY made a terrible decision to offer this instead of Verizon or SPRINT. So for an extra few bucks you might get from Cingular, you cost yourself 4 hours of tech support, a dissatisfied customer, and earned the “Stupid Business Decision of the Week Award”!
QUESTION: What city was I in? ANSWER: LA, NY, Seattle, and Chicago.
Wireless broadband access anywhere, anytime for your laptop using a PCMCIA card.
TAGS: SONY, CINGULAR, AT&T, ATT, VERIZON, SPRINT, Broadband Internet, wireless broadband, Cingular Wireless, Sprint Communications, PCMCIA card, Verizon Communications Inc., laptop computer, wireless, broadband