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Verizon News
Topic Started: December 2, 2012, 2:29 pm (855 Views)
ShadowDancer
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Verizon News

Verizon leads among major carriers in latest 2012 Consumer Reports cell-phone
service ratings


Verizon Wireless was the highest-rated major carrier in Consumer Reports’ annual cell-phone service ratings,
based on a survey of 63,253 subscribers by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. The report also
found that prepaid, no-contract plans can be major cost-savers.

http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/verizon-leads-among-major-carriers-in-latest-consumer-reports-rating-2012


ShadowDancer :)
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Tarkio101

And Tracfone is Number One in prepaid! In addition, their numeric score puts them very high compared to any carrier,
large or small. What's funny is, I have heard of so many people having horror stories when dealing with Tracfone. And
in that regard, they are not much different from any carrier.

However, they have designed their service to be so simple to use, that by design it eliminates a lot of potential issues.
That must be why they are so high. There are a large number of people who just buy a phone, put some minutes on it,
buy more once in a while and never, ever have any issue whatsoever... Prepaid=virtually no billing issues.
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ShadowDancer
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Wonder how this will affect Tracfone/NET10/Straight Talk and their CDMA phones . . . ???

Verizon planning to drop 2G and 3G to favor pure LTE in 2014

The time may come where carriers will eventually drop 2G and 3G networks to focus on the more efficient LTE
networks in the future... Verizon shares a vision that by 2014, the carrier will only sell pure LTE devices without
the CDMA chips installed . . .

http://www.technobloom.com/verizon-planning-to-drop-2g-and-3g-to-favor-pure-lte-in-2014/2224268/


Verizon hints at LTE-only phones in 2014 to lower subsidies

Carrier's chief financial officer says removing handets' CDMA chips would result in lower costs and subsidies.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57572505-94/verizon-hints-at-lte-only-phones-in-2014-to-lower-subsidies/


ShadowDancer :O
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Turk
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* Well, I don't know what will happen with the basic Tracfones, Net10 Phones and Straight Talk phones that use CDMA.

* If this happens, maybe the basic CDMA Fones will stop being produced, and we'll will have to switch over to GSM Fones?

* I can't see the basic CDMA Fones start using LTE on them ... gosh, we'll be charged like 50 minutes to send a MMS! (LOL)

* If Tracfone would ever drop CDMA, at least I have good AT&T coverage around here, so this wouldn't affect me that much.

* Oh well, I don't know what to say, really ... I guess we'll just have to wait and see.. ;)


The "T" in LTE stands for Turk B-)
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ShadowDancer
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Turk B-) --

I agree with you. It's too early to tell what will happen to Tracfone CDMA phone users like ourselves.
One scenario could indeed be that we will be forced to switch to GSM phones.

I think GSM phones work okay in my area, although not as good as CDMA. . . . Turk B-) , have you used any of
your previous GSM phones here when you have visited? Did they work okay?


Of course, in the articles, it says that Verizon will continue to maintain its 2G and 3G networks. If that is the case,
then who will be using these 2G and 3G networks? Do you think that Verizon might "rent" their 2G and 3G networks
to MVNOs like Tracfone Wireless, while it puts its own customers on 4G LTE? If that is the case, that would be good
for us, wouldn't it?

Remember, Sprint still uses CDMA technology. So, with the demand for CDMA phones from both Sprint and the
various MVNOs would that constitute a sufficient demand to encourage phone manufacturers like Samsung and
LG to continue to produce CDMA phones?

Any additional thoughts?


ShadowDancer :blink:
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Turk
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ShadowDancer:
 
I think GSM phones work okay in my area, although not as good as CDMA. . . .
Turk, have you used any of your previous GSM phones here when you have visited? Did they work okay?
* ShadowDancer .... I have been up there plenty of times in the past with GSM Tracfones and they all worked great.
* I always tested my Fones (CDMA and GSM) wherever I went just to see how the signal reception was in each Fone.

* All my CDMA and GSM Fones got great signal up there in Punxsy, PA, in and around the town, and going back home.
* I don't know how good the signal is going out of Punxsy headed towards Dubois or Brookville, I never go that way much.

* My way back home is towards Indiana and so on (which I also get good signal reception that way too on CDMA and GSM.
* So, I think if you ever had to use a GSM Tracfone up there, I think you would be ok... AT&T is good all across PA. ;)


AT&Turk B-)
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ShadowDancer
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Thanks for the information, Turk B-) !

So, if Tracfone Wireless, Inc. ever quits handling CDMA phones, it's good to know that I do have a GSM option.


ShadowDancer :)
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ShadowDancer
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When Will Verizon Shutter its CDMA Networks? 2021 Maybe ...

SUMMARY: Verizon has given a date on when it expects to retire its 2G and 3G networks: 2021. But even that date
isn’t hard and fast. According to the company, Verizon will keep them running as long as its customers need them...

http://gigaom.com/2012/10/11/when-will-verizon-shutter-its-cdma-networks-2021-maybe/


ShadowDancer :)
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Tarkio101

They can say whatever date they want, but if they want to force people off of a 3g network, they will. And if it's better
for them to do so, they will. There will be a point at which it just doesn't make sense anymore. It will likely be a handful
of low paying customers who never upgrade their phones... At that point, it won't make any sense to reserve a huge
block of spectrum for virtually no people.

And when everything does switch to LTE for voice, it won't really be a big deal. It's like the switch from analog to digital
networks basically. Whichever network Tracfone is using, they will still be making dumbphones for a long, long time.

And instead of having a cdma radio, they will have an lte radio. It won't automatically mean that prepaid phones will
have access to data, let alone fast data. They will still limit the speed to limit usage to the highest paying customers.

LTE is more efficient for voice. More calls can be crammed into the existing bandwith at the same time, so voice rates
should continue to fall over time.
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ShadowDancer
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@Tarkio101

I agree with you. When the 2G and 3G Networks no longer make a significant contribution of Verizon's bottom line,
it will close the networks down. But, at least, 2021 gives us a ballpark figure.. Isn't 5G supposed to begin to appear
in 2020??


ShadowDancer :)
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Tarkio101

It's a ball park figure, I suppose. But I don't see any reason for it take so long. Or why they wouldn't want to make the
process faster. Customers would nearly all have their phones upgraded numerous times by then. All it would take it
to include an LTE radio in new phones.

If they have LTE coverage to 95% of their customers, it would seem like it would be a minor process to upgrade the
rest. Perhaps there are reasons I don't know about that would explain why they would want to keep the 3g network
up for so long? LTE Voice is still fairly untested. Perhaps that is why voice isn't going over LTE more.
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mharris127

I remember the analog to digital switch well as one of my cousin in laws still had an old analog phone (this was in
about 2009 IIRC) that she had been using for at least 15 years. She ended up being notified that it was urgent for
her to get herself to one of the company stores to get a new phone or she would be left without service altogether.
I think she bought her new phone with two or three days to spare. No one died due to the switch that anyone heard
about.

The old Nextel networks shut down on June 30 of this year. I am sure that Sprint had customers on the old network
right up to the deadline as well. No one died because of the switch here either. In 2021 or whenever Verizon et. al.
wants to shut down 2 and 3G they will be able to do it without any major issue.

AT&T has already shut down 2G data service in some areas, I haven't seen much about it even in the media. I expect
that AT&T will shut down 2G voice sometime in the next two to three years (preferably at least two years, anyway) with
Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile doing so quickly thereafter.
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ShadowDancer
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@Tarkio101

I suspect that Verizon’s seemingly sluggishness to abandon its 2G and 3G networks is all about its bottom-line.
Right now, its 4G is about 95% complete and is its “gold standard.” Consequently, Verizon only wants its contract
customers on 4G, and I’m sure that they will pay a premium price for their 4G access. In fact, I have a friend who
currently pays about $110 per month for Verizon’s lowest tiered 3G & 4G access. And, once she switches to a new
phone that will handle only 4G LTE, everything indicates that her monthly bill has only one way to go –up.

At the same time, it appears that Verizon wants to keep its pre-paid customers for the present limited to 2G and 3G,
and with contract customers no longer clogging its 3G, that now makes room for Verizon to offer its extra 3G capacity
to other MVNOs such as Tracfone. So, that will create new revenue streams for Verizon while at the same time
reinforce Verizon’s current position that people who are not contract customers and people who subscribe to discount
MVNOs will not have access to its “latest and greatest” network.

Moreover, keeping its 2G and 3G networks up and running satisfies the government that Verizon is not operating a
monopoly because it can point to the fact that it is offering MVNOs access to these networks.

In addition, I’ve read in several articles that Verizon has a number of lucrative contracts with companies which have
CDMA Radios imbedded in shipping containers, industrial equipment, automobiles, vending machines, jukeboxes,
etc. that rely on Verizon’s slower networks. So, Verizon’s overall strategy apparently includes a lot more than simply
a consideration of individuals with cell phones.

Verizon undoubtedly has other reasons, too, but I feel that it’s the profits, which Verizon is still able to reap from its
2G and 3G, that play the key role in its decision.


ShadowDancer :)
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ShadowDancer
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Verizon Begins CDMA Spectrum Refarming In 10 Cities For LTE Service

Verizon has begun the process of refarming the 1900Mhz band currently used for CDMA and EV-DO service
in 10 selected cities for LTE data access as a long-term trial that will eventually expandnationwide...

http://www.phonenews.com/verizon-begins-cdma-spectrum-refarming-in-10-cities-for-lte-service-29635/


ShadowDancer :)
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ShadowDancer
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With Verizon Vehicle, carrier muscles into auto club business

Verizon Vehicle is an aftermarket service that can work with virtually any car, providing diagnostic services, roadside
assistance and a hotline to mechanic support...

http://www.cnet.com/news/verizon-muscles-into-auto-club-business-with-verizon-vehicle/


ShadowDancer :)
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