>From dari@uiuc.edu Mon Jul 24 00:14:26 2006
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:14:26 -0500
From: dari@uiuc.edu
Subject: Re: T-Mobile vs. Cingular

> I want to update on this tread. Cingular is WORTHLESS in its prepaid
> -INCOMING calls to your cell on anything off their own network is 95 c/min.
> ALMOST A DOLLAR A MINUTE!!! Maybe I am behind the times, but is just
> stupidly expensive.

Correct, Cingular is not good as a prepaid service. Too expensive,
tricky $1 a
day fee for using the phone or checking voice mail. Or 95c/min on
domestic calls.

T-Mobile is the best out there in terms of prepaid service. If you are
most of
the time in town and only want the phone for little use T-Mobile can't
be
beaten. Service including their cheap phone (nokia 6010) from a kiosk
in
Market Place is $30 and it comes with $15 or air time and lasts for 2
months.
However if you actually take the plunge and spend $100 on the refill
card, you
are gold rewards customer. Aka, your minutes with the $100 card are
10c/min
including the $15 the phone came with and last 1 year. That's 48 hours
of air
time for a year, not to worry about calling time too much since the
idea was
using the phone little. Next year buying only a $10 card will give
another
year to spend those minutes. Looks like a good investment in the long
run,
mainly as compared with those thiefs of Cingular with their sneaky
advertisement (nowhere they say about the 95c/min domestic rates for
prepaid).

T-mobile only provides their own limited version of internet. Meaning
you can
only read news, but it is free without time limit. SMS and text
messages go
for regular prices (10 and 25c). E-mail for regular prices also. So far
so
good. I drove to KY with good signal, I haven't left the highway so I
cannot
tell how is their coverage but for the same reason I don't care. I
usually
stay within the cities.

Hope it helps.

d.