Cingular and Data/Internet

[T-Man]

I will more than likely be getting a new cell phone from Cingular, and I want to know how Cingular works their data rates. Do I need to select that MEdia Net or whatever as part of my plan to have it or can I still use it and just have it taken out of my minutes or, even worse, be added onto the $40 plan??? It would be helpful to know this ahead of time.

-T

[dragonsgames]

Why not ask them? :p

[zackepceo]

You can just get the $20 unlimited data plan. That will work with any GPRS-enabled phone (even smartphones, don't pay them $40 for their exploitive smartphone data!).

[T-Man]

I was looking at that; so getting that technically gives me a $60 plan...Also, I was looking at COAM(E) [Customer Owned And Maintained(Equipment)] which would give me a month by month plan instead of two yeart contract. And online is a refurb of the Adiovox SMT5600 for $50, and I dont know how to get that phone online for $50 with the COAM...And I wonder how much I would use data.

EDIT: Just realized; the $50 for the SMT5600 is only with, as my friend calls it, 2yr SCA, or Soul Contract Agreement. I could try eBat and Amazon...anyone know of $75≤ WM devices (preferably WM5)?

[zackepceo]

Not a chance of a $75 Treo 180, much less a WM5 smartphone! Sorry, but those things are expensive. Gotta make a compromize somehow.

[T-Man]

Yes...I guess I shall try and go for the $50 5600 with 2year SCA.... I've had my LifeDrive for nearly a year, how hard can it be to keep a cell phone I use less?

-T

[T-Man]

Long shot @ $200. (http://www.wirefly.com/specialoffer.aspx?referringdomain=wirefly&oflag=specialoffer&zipcode=26101&refcode1=gcing8125&refcode2=&eid=&agent=&carrierid=62&phoneid=23890) But who knows, eh? (ZIP Code 26101, if it asks.)

[zackepceo]

Those rebates at Wirefly take a long time to be eligable, just so you know. Otherwise, it's a great deal!

[T-Man]

Yeah, they have to be postmarked between the 181st and 200th something day of owning the cell and paying? Oh well, found another site:

http://www.letstalk.com/product/product.htm?prId=30181 :)

-T

[JackAxe]

I don't know if this has changed, but when I was first looking at switching providers from Verizon last year, I looked into Cingular first. Anyways, one of the reasons I didn't choose them, is because their unlimited plan wasn't truly what it stated. They like Verizon were grossly overcharging customers for what they deemed as excessive data use.

<]=)

[T-Man]

Though Cingular is really the only carrier around here with that phone or any other good phones. No T-Mobile here, Sprint has ONE cell phone under my ZIP, Alltel doesnt have too much of a selection, no Verizon...so Cingular and Alltel is all there really is...How long vould 1 or 5MB of data last me?

[zackepceo]

1MB of data is enough for about 5 websites. 5MB of data is enough for only email and AIM usage and *no* web use (or email attachments). Cingular actually does do unlimited, the only way they would shut off your data account is if you tethered the phone and used it as a modem.

[Claes Nordahl]

Does anybody out there have a good overview of the rates charged per Kbit or MB for GPRS usage by US operators. I am having a real hard time figuring it out!

[zackepceo]

If you don't elect to get some kind of data package, all the US carriers charge about $10 or $20 per megabyte.