AT&T => T-Mobile Switch

[JackNaylorPE]

Right now we have a 5 phone plan with AT&T that costs me as follows:
(all numbers rounde dup to next dollar, all "group charges" on 1st line

Line 1:
Family Talk (850 minutes) w/ rollover - $60
Unlimited Microcell Calling* - $20
Family Messaging - $30
Unlimited Data - $30
AT& T Total: $140 T-Mobile Offering $70 for Unlimited Everything

Line 2:
Family Talk w/ rollover - $10
Unlimited Microcell Calling* - $0
Family Messaging - $0
Unlimited Data - $0
AT& T Total: $10 T-Mobile Offering $50 for Unlimited Everything

Line 3:
Family Talk w/ rollover - $10
Unlimited Microcell Calling* - $0
Family Messaging - $0
Unlimited Data - $30
AT& T Total: $40 T-Mobile Offering $30 for Unlimited Everything

Line 4:
Family Talk w/ rollover - $10
Unlimited Microcell Calling* - $0
Family Messaging - $0
Unlimited Data - $30
AT& T Total: $40 T-Mobile Offering $30 for Unlimited Everything

Line 6:
Family Talk w/ rollover - $10
Unlimited Microcell Calling* - $0
Family Messaging - $0
2GB Data - $25
AT& T Total: $35 T-Mobile Offering $50 for Unlimited Everything

AT& T Total $265 + $40ish in taxes / surcharges etc. T-Mobile Offering $210 for Unlimited Everything + taxes / surcharges etc.

* MicroCell is AT&T's booster which strengthens signal indoors in home / office and sends out calls VOIP .... all such calls not charged towards voice minutes..... unfortunately all data is.

All looks good on paper but have been an Cingular / AT&T Wireless customer since 1982 .... On paper picking up $55 in savings a month, adding unlimited phone minutes and adding unlimited data on 2 more lines. Should also note that this month Lines 3 and 4 were 'speed curtailed" for exceeding AT&Ts new 3 GB limit ..... apparently "unlimited" (to AT&T) now means unlimited data, not unlimited speed.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1112493556/att-loses-suit-in-small-claims-court-for-throttling-data/

On the other side, I have no information on quality of service in Long Island area or what it's like to deal with T-Mobile.

Potential Deal Killer: We have low signal indoors at home so we use the AT&T Microcell to make calls (get 5 bars indoors) which go out over VOIP. Apparently T-Mobile offers no equivalent. I would expect that tho both companies are GSM, AT&T has somehow handicapped the device to to transmit calls from other GSM carriers. Anyone have any knowledge here ?

Comments, suggestions, fine print ?

 

[mayer10]

I am pretty satisfied with T-Mobile's signal strengt (we're in Philadelphia), but never tried to use VoIP. Why don't you call their customer service and just ask a couple of questions, last time I talked with them, they were patient enough to respond to all of my silly questions, here some customer service info. I'm now curious if it's actually going to work and will write here, once I try it.

 

[Austin R]

t mobile is just ok, I have it now and they throttle you whenever they can its ridiculous. Their customer service is one of the worst now a days and they don't offer contracts anymore which is sad.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Since this has been given a new life, just checked again and if we switched to the new plans ya see on TV last week, we'd save about $85 a month ..... but that includes a $25 discount per line that would be capped at 10GB total between them that now have unlimited data. But as soon as any are upgraded ....eligible in 45 dats, ya lose any discounts. So in effect, with the new deal, ya save $10 a month but give up unlimited data on 3 lines. Not worth it.