Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN)

[SolidOrange]

some of you may have seen my thread from last week about the alltel/verizon switch date, and i do appreciate the help. however, i got a letter in the mail yesterday stating that i would be switching to Atlantic Tele-Network instead of VZW even though the alltel and VZ websites both said i would be switching to verizon. my question is this: will i have the option to not join ATN when the switch is made? i have about 10 months left on my 2yr, so i know i will still be under contract regardless of when it happens. my concern is that i don't want to get put on a network i've never heard of who is probably going to have spotty coverage and a mediocre phone selection at best. it seems that if alltel can switch me to any po-dunk company they want, i should at least be given the option to switch to a company i want. i signed a contract with alltel, not ATN, and i have not/will not agree to switch to ATN unless i am forced to. somebody please tell me i'll at least get a chance to choose which carrier i want to give my $100/month to.


i'm sure this question will get asked a million times between now and November when the switch is supposed to occur, but just for the record, i did use the search button and found nothing.

[SolidOrange]

Originally Posted by tsguy52

No need to worry about being sold off to another company - you'll still be on your Alltel plan and keep your Alltel phone. Coverage should remain the same. After that's over with you can just switch to Verizon.

definitely worried about being able to keep my phone and having decent coverage after this thread: http://forums.crackberry.com/f72/all...l-help-259044/

also concerned about being able to upgrade to a storm 2 whenever they come out. i don't really want to have to wait until next may when they are supposed to come out before the end of the year on VZW. i somehow doubt ATN will get the storm 2 when it comes out, or ever for that matter.

[fantic]

I was just told we were going to switch to ATN. Have'nt got a letter yet. My service has been poor the last two weeks. Alltel said it was part of the transition. If it's going to be like this I want out. My contract is almost up and Alltel is offering one year contracts but if the service stays the same i'm going to look somewere else. Any one switched to ATN yet?

[SolidOrange]

i haven't switched yet, but i figured i would give an update. just like fantic, my service has been poor for about a week now. i recently went on vacation to myrtle beach and had no EVDO signal for the entirety of the time i was there. if this is any sign of things to come, they are going to have their hands full trying to keep me as a customer. ETF be damned!

[middbrew]

Has anyone heard anything about the move lately? All I get from my Alltel rep is the feds have not given their blessings yet and it will probably be a year from now (2nd or 3rd quarter) before it takes place. If that's the case it should give me time to finish my contract and decide if I will move to a new carrier.

[jordantheman]

wow sounds like yall are havin the same trouble as i am service within the last 2-3 weeks has really sucked!!!!!!! before then tho i had perfect service everywhere i went just about. i called alltel tec support about it and they said i needed to first do a tower update and go to my local alltel store and get them to do some kind of update and i had it all written down what i needed to do and when i wen tto the store they said that i shouldn be having trouble with the service cuz it was all the same and they had no clue what i was talking about the service update i was told to ask for by the alltel tec support! not only all that trouble but with three blackberries in the houshold one may have service at one point of the day while the others may not! what is up with that we pay to much for cell service to get [b][/b][b][/b][b][/b][b][/b]ty coverage like thiss all of a a sudden!!!!

[F34R]

as far as i know there havent been any transitions taking place for alltel blue/atn...

[kch50428]

Far as I know, the Government (FCC, etc.) has not passed on AT&T or ATN's purchase of divested markets - I presume the applications have been made, and are in the public comment process...

[SolidOrange]

i don't think there has been a transition yet, although i do know that my phone service/EVDO service have been much worse than normal lately. i still don't know who to contact for help either... if i call alltel they tell me will be switching to ATN who doesn't have customer service in place yet or put me in contact with Verizon who has no ability to help me. Every alltel store in my area has switched to a big red VZW sign and if i talk to them, all they suggest is paying my ETF and switching. i'm willing to ride it out until the storm 2 is released, but at that point i'm calling the Better Business Bureau and explaining the situation to them. no one should be stuck paying a company they didn't choose and who provides them with absolutely no customer service. where am i supposed to go if my phone breaks? it's pure BS.

[Dixie_Darlin214]

As far as reception goes, when alltel signed the contract to make the switch Verizon and other companies also signed over shared rights to the towers therefore the atlantic company you will be placed with has the rights to "borrow" the towers so that your reception remains the same. I too ended up in the same situation you were in so i inquired