[Redbird1]

I'm kicking around the idea of breaking my Verizon contract and going with T-Mobile. I hate to ditch VZW, since I've been a customer for 6 years or so. Verizon is just too expensive for what you get. I realize they have a great network that rarely drops calls, but the cost and their tendency to disable features on their devices is getting old.

I would love to get the BB Curve with Wi-fi, but will I constantly be losing calls in the western suburbs of Chicago?

I would appreciate any input, especially from TMO faithfuls. Thanks.

[EyeNeedBBRehab]

My best advice is to go to T-Mobile homepage and do a personal coverage check with the zipcodes of where you work and play. Alot of people think T-Mobile has a bad network when in fact we are on par with Verizon if not better in a lot of the metro areas such as Chicago. If you want to count rural farmland and areas where the cows outnumber the people then VZW has us beat but do your research and check out JD Powers and other independent network studies.

Plus the upside of the curve with tmobile is the UMA calling over WIFI. I'll put it to you this way, on Superbowl Sunday I was at my friends house in his basement watching the game and every one of my other friends are either with AT&T or VZW and I was the only one able to make calls, sms, mms, data, etc because i was connected to his home network. Hands down the best feature out there right now and i was able to convert 4 of them over to T-Mobile.

Hope this helps!!

[alarabee]

I concur. I was IN LOVE with Verizon for years! Then....I moved to an area that didn't have as good of coverage on the Verizon network. I keep thinking that, someday, I will go back to vzw, but I'm REALLY diggin TMo. I haven't even been with TMo for a year and have DEF gotten my $$$$ worth. Their cust service dept is EXCELLENT and I think that the reception is better than Verizon! TMo was recently voted in the top 3 of all wireless providers in the nation. DEF do your research though. Good luck!

[conmetal]

I had Verizon, originally Primeco for about 7 yrs. I dropped the expensive plans and outrageously priced phones for Tmobile 2 yrs ago.

[raylol16]

I would probably use tmobile but verizons service is just too good to give up in the nyc area.

[sunkast]

See if they can give you a test phone for a couple days so you can check out the coverage for yourself. Or don't cancel VZW and try out TMO for a couple weeks to see if it will work for you.

[bjsgarda]

Try TMO and the 8320. I have been with TMO since it was Omnipoint. The customer service is great. I switched to a BB several years ago and the Curve with UMA is the best one so far.

[kcarter3]

i wonce was lost but now im found had verizon but dropped it for tmobile chi-town. i hated verizon 2. to high. been with t-mobile for 3years. dont drop calls unless im on lake shore dr. by illinois st. other that that, no problems.

[uncheels23]

I know that tmo works well in Napierville I visit family a lot there

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[FloridaBerry]

I was also a long-time Verizon customer...five years. I decided to switch to TMobile not only because I wanted the Curve so bad, but also because my parents and a couple of friends were very happy with the TMobile service. I love my Curve and the TMobile service is outstanding. I also feel that I am getting more for my money with the plan I have. I was able to switch from a 900 per minute plan with Verizon to a 300 minute plan with TMobile because of the Faves and the wifi ability. I'm paying less a month now...WITH A BLACKBERRY...than I was before with my crappy Razor phone with the crappy battery.

[lanerya2]

I kept my verizon phone when I first switched (~6yrs with Verizon). The call quality is somewhat murky. Overall, I like T-mobile's better, but sometimes you get spurts of something like whitenoise. It goes away quickly and is a minor irritation (I've found that using a bluetooth headset seems to give better call quality for me) However, the price difference is HUGE.

Getting the Tmobile blackberry was about $7 more a month than my verizon razor with no data. Verizon's curve package was about $30 more per month. I switched in KC area about 2mo ago.

old Verizon package (Razor)- 450minutes, unlimited nights/wkends, 200txt
Tmobile (Curve)- unlimited BIS txt/email/data, 1000 minutes

[wirelessforever]

I'm kicking around the idea of breaking my Verizon contract and going with T-Mobile. I hate to ditch VZW, since I've been a customer for 6 years or so. Verizon is just too expensive for what you get. I realize they have a great network that rarely drops calls, but the cost and their tendency to disable features on their devices is getting old.

A shame you have to pay that ETF extortion fee. I'd suggest letting your contract expire assuming it doesn't extend into the next decade. With all that said, I've had Verizon in the past. Coverage is good. But CDMA technology is glitchy and doesn't work in most of the rest of the world.

I've been delighted with T-Mobile and can tell you that I can't think of a carrier that offers more for the most competitive pricing.

I used to travel to Chicago in the past and never had any coverage issues whatsoever. With that said, others have suggested that you take a look at the T-Mobile coverage map and I would add that that's probably a good idea.

[J_R_TheMotorMan]

Wait until the newest BBs come out @ least the 9930 and then go to SPRINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been a Sprint Customer for the past year. My only gripe with them was that they were giving some ****ty BlackBerry options! ex. 5/5 my contract allowed me to upgrade every year but the only BB offered were The BB style and the 9650! Att got the torch n Tmobile got the 9780! After doing my homework, I left n went to TMobile (9780!!!!) since they had an "unlimited everything" plan. Turns out that is NOT the case @ all!!!!! Once U reach 5gigs of data they cap u until the begining of the next billing cycle!!!! With Sprint, unlimited Data is UNLIMITED!!!! I spent $84.60 a month UNLIMITED Mobile calling PERIOD; 450 min. To call landlines and All the Data I could cram into my 8350i. Granted the 8350i isn't a 3G phone so I didn't get to take full advantage of the Data services but; If Sprint gets the 9930 I'm going Back Rapido. Ima UTube Junkie. **** TMobile in the *** with NO lube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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[kbz1960]

Mind you this was a few years ago but I live about 100 miles west of Chicago and when I had them it worked as long as I was near the interstate or in town, other than that as soon as I left the town I was living in I would have a brick the whole drive to and while back home (even further west).

If you don't ever leave town or always on an interstate it might work for you but for me I need something that works anywhere I am, not just at home.

[kbz1960]

A shame you have to pay that ETF extortion fee. I'd suggest letting your contract expire assuming it doesn't extend into the next decade. With all that said, I've had Verizon in the past. Coverage is good. But CDMA technology is glitchy and doesn't work in most of the rest of the world.

I've been delighted with T-Mobile and can tell you that I can't think of a carrier that offers more for the most competitive pricing.

I used to travel to Chicago in the past and never had any coverage issues whatsoever. With that said, others have suggested that you take a look at the T-Mobile coverage map and I would add that that's probably a good idea.

The maps all lie, you have to take it to the remote places and see if you still have coverage, as I said in my other post as soon as I left town or the interstate I had a brick until I got back home.

[papped]

The VZ feature reduction on phones doesn't really happen anymore...

[BoldtotheMax]

Had most carriers minus big red and can say without a doubt TMobile has been the best for me from choice of phones, coverage and price.

Had them 5 years now. Hated ATT and Sprint here as I kept dropping calls. Really hope that merger don't go through.

[blueyestm]

seriously? bringing back a 3 year old thread?

[v1rus2092]

i'm in NYC, i've had tmobile for nearly 10 years and it has been working smooth for the most part. once in a blue we have a service outtage for a short period of time. i'm def satisfied in the price and service i receive! however the phone selection isn't the best.

[clitrenta]

i'm in NYC, i've had tmobile for nearly 10 years and it has been working smooth for the most part. once in a blue we have a service outtage for a short period of time. i'm def satisfied in the price and service i receive! however the phone selection isn't the best.

I disagree on the phone selection. T-Mobile has a good selection of phones. It just seems like something "cool" is coming out by the other guy. Thing is, this will ALWAYS be the case no matter who your carrier is. I do think they could do better with the Blackberry selection but aside from that, their Android phones are petty good.

[karaya1]

T mobile has been fantastic. I have 4 lines with unlimited text/web, 3000 minutes for 200 a month. It's worked well everywhere i go, even in the rural areas in Wyoming and Nebraska because of roaming agreements. There 3g network has expanded radically in the last year also and they are still aggressively expanding despite the potential merger. Call Quality is great and the battery life on gsm devices just kills CDMA in my experience. Traveling around with a verizon phone drains the battery like pandora is running. Awful.

[menajemh]

here in brooklyn ny the service is average good, sometimes u can loose signal inside a building, but that is common with all carriers. the only one that i saw that has strong signal penetration into building is at&t, but if you have a window close by then you won't feel the difference. I started my cell with tmobile almost 8 years ago and switched between all the companies. came back to tmobile a month ago cause my wife uses the prepaid plan and never had a problem. i also switched to prepaid and i have the all unlimited prepaid plan for 50 and add 10 for BIS. if you have an android phone then 50 is enough.

[conan1071]

I'm kicking around the idea of breaking my Verizon contract and going with T-Mobile. I hate to ditch VZW, since I've been a customer for 6 years or so. Verizon is just too expensive for what you get. I realize they have a great network that rarely drops calls, but the cost and their tendency to disable features on their devices is getting old.

I would love to get the BB Curve with Wi-fi, but will I constantly be losing calls in the western suburbs of Chicago?

I would appreciate any input, especially from TMO faithfuls. Thanks.

Guessing by your avatar, you live near GBN H.S.??? If not, disregard my next words.

I live in Illinois in the North Shore area and I had Tmo and had to switch to Verizon because of lack of signal, dropping calls, and no 3g in most areas of the North Shore

[conan1071]

Also, click this link below for true coverage


Compare Coverage

[J_R_TheMotorMan]

**** AT&T-Mobile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Save urself some trouble and switch to SPRINT. Unlimited Data thats really UNlimited!

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