On 2007-12-02, Grant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > What I'm trying to determine is, if AT&T or T-Mobile have the > type of service you're describing: > > 1. will it work in both "analog" and "digital" service areas > 2. does the phone need to support anything in particular to use it
AT&T and T-Mobile are both GSM (digital) only. They don't have any AMPS service. AFAIK, only the older CDMA carriers (Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, etc.) have AMPS service -- and not all of their phones will fall back to AMPS even if there is AMPS service available). Most/all of the AMPS service is going away soon anyway. I think that pretty much all GSM phones support data calls (I could be wrong). Whether or not the network will allow them without paying extra for a data plan is the question. > I don't think I'll have any luck finding a cell phone with an > analog modem jack. Were you using an analog modem plugged > into your cell phone with the service you were first > describing? No. The "free" low-speed service offered by Verizon (and apparently by Sprint) is all-digital. You just need a phone and a data-cable. NB: it's possible that not all phones are data-call capable or that the carrier has disabled that feature in some phones. The tough part is that at least Verizon's support for minutes-only data-calls is strictly unofficial. If you stop at a store, they will claim (probably truthfully) to know nothing about it. If you call Verizon support, the 1st line support staff will also know nothing about it. If you can work your way up a few layers, you can probably find somebody who does know about it, but even they might not be allowed to talk to you about it. > I've got to go with GSM. If both Sprint and Verizon offer it, > there is probably a good chance that AT&T and/or T-Mobile do > too. Could be. If you find out, let us know. :) What I do is use Verizon CDMA (far better coverage than any of the GSM networks) in the US and I have a GSM phone that I use internationally. You can get good used unlocked tri and quad-band GSM phones for $20 and up. You can get brand new ones for $30 and up. I got nearly new used Noka candy-bar phone that's US-only for $18 off craig's list and a brand-new quad-band Motorola V190 off ebay for $40. Just for giggles I have a AT&T pre-paid SIM for my GSM phones so I can use them as backups in the US. -- The other Grant -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list
