Professor
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Coverage for Prepaid Phones
I have a question regarding wireless coverage:
Under Terms and Conditions, if I click coverage, this is what I get for Pay As You Go:
http://www.wireless.att.com/support_static_files/images/maps/payasyougo.gif
and this is what I get for Pick Your Plan:
http://www.wireless.att.com/support_static_files/images/maps/pickyourplan.gif
There is another coverage map on the AT&T Coverage Viewer, with Pay As You Go clicked:
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/#?type=gophone&opt=payg
So for Pay As You Go type, which map do I use?
Thanks.
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Official Solution
hme83
Master
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5.9K Messages
13 years ago
As already noted, at&t ceased offering Pick Your Plan service for new customers quite some time ago. I would use the GoPhone information from the coverage viewer (it's for PayGo service). The other map looks like it is something put together for a brochure - it gives no "effective" or "update" date, as is given at the coverage viewer. Also if you look at the final sentence, it pretty much indicates there may be quite a bit of wishful thinking included in the map - not only in terms of terrain issues, etc., but also plans for future coverage. Since there is no distinction between the two on the map, I'd want to know what at&t actually states their current coverage footprint is.
Additionally, with the coverage viewer you can drill down into a specific area of interest. It's easy for it to appear there is complete coverage in an area on the highest level maps; but in many areas once you start drilling down you can see there are really very large coverage gaps.
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cammurphy208040
Tutor
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2 Messages
13 years ago
Well, over AT&T under GoPhone "brand" of plan options, there are two types of plans available which are: Pay As You Go, and Pick Your Plan. So, if you want to go for Pay As You Go then you should look at the Pay As You Go network coverage, the link of which is following:
http://www.wireless.att.com/support_static_files/images/maps/payasyougo.gif?01AD=3snqOH9ttYkHEYW3Zg2zwfvxyxvRqU-cIlsk68nR6iqZWcKtruAuwmg&01RI=524D4DF6301429E&01NA=
Pick Your Plan options are a different kind of plan offering from AT&T. They are not Pay As You Go offering. Meanwhile, AT&T has stopped offering Pick Your Plan options to new customers.
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ilikewireless
Professor
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13 years ago
Thanks hme83. I have another question. When I drill down to an area say:
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/#?type=payg&lat=45.26593796060786&lon=-111.2528504289296&sci=9
how do I interpret the shaded area with different colors?
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hme83
Master
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5.9K Messages
13 years ago
Once you've drilled down into a specific area, you should be able to scroll down slightly and see the legend. I hadn't looked at the coverage viewer for GoPhone in awhile; interestingly enough, they are now indicating specifically where there is 3G coverage for GoPhone service, as well as having an indicator for roaming partner coverage (although I couldn't find any areas indicated on the map for roaming partner coverage).
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ilikewireless
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13 years ago
Interesting. I just happened to pick an area with no roaming partner.
Would you think that areas shown as 3G is overlaid on 2G?
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hme83
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13 years ago
Yes - they seem to be indicating the moderate/good/best categorization and then overlaying the 3G indicator - so the areas with 3G coverage will also have 2G coverage.
I found it interesting that in many states in my area of the country (I live in Oklahoma) where there are pretty large GoPhone coverage gaps, they are indicating what coverage they have *is* 3G coverage (ex. New Mexico, Colorado). Yet in Oklahoma where they have a significant footprint of native network 3G coverage for post paid customers, they do not indicate any of the GoPhone service is 3G (and realistically, my post paid service is no faster in terms of data access than my prepaid service is anyway). And in South Dakota, the entire state is pretty much blanketed in GoPhone 3G coverage *except* for the primary interstate corridors - which seems odd to me. lol.
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ilikewireless
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1.8K Messages
13 years ago
lol. That's incredible. No 3G along the East Coast???
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ilikewireless
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13 years ago
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hme83
Master
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13 years ago
I believe you can only edit a post for an hour. 🙂
You may be correct in your interpretation - I really don't know. It does seem strange that there isn't more 3G indicated over the eastern half of the US - just a couple of little pockets in Alabama and Virginia. Because of the way they have overlaid the 3G indicator on top of the good/better/best indication, the way I was taking the comment was just that it requires a 3G capable device to receive 3G service, but that you'd still have the GSM network if you aren't using a 3G capable device. And I was presuming that maybe at&t has given GoPhone access to the 3G network in areas of the country where they feel they can do so without compromising the quality of service for all customers. Since the introduction of the iPhones, at&t has taken the worst rap for their service level along both coasts; so maybe within the interior, western part of the US they can give prepaid customers access to the 3G network - either due to their own original network footprint or recent acquisitions. (?)
I really don't know - someone who keeps up more with the network/at&t "history" side of things (acquisitions/technology acquired) might be able to shed some light on it.
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ilikewireless
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13 years ago
hme83,
Thank you very much for all your replies. I really appreciate you for sharing your thoughts with everyone.
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