[JASTECH]

Howdy! I am new to this Forum but have been on computers sense DOS3 (ouch)
Anyways, I am going to jump ship from VZW to AT&T do to moving to a different state and I Like the SGH-i907 Omnia. But how well do your GSM phones work on the CDMA networks? Call quality?<--People say it's not as good as CDMA? Missed calls or no signals ect. Please let me know as I will have the phones before I move in VZW and AllHell network. Thanks, JASTECH

[EChid]

Did you want to use GSM phones a CDMA network? That is not possible. But in the case of comparisons between the two you might find that CDMA is slightly higher quality, but only slightly...and it depends a lot on the cell phone you are using too. Is the state you are moving to better known for good AT&T coverage? Make sure you compare coverage maps in your two states before switching. I personally prefer GSM to CDMA, but in reality operation is very similar between the two.

[JASTECH]

EChlid, I will be moving to Texas and Verizon is only "extended network" over there so any tower or phone updates would not work. So I would have the choice of AT&T or Sprint. The Samsung SGH-i907 Omnia is going to AT&T. I live in Western Nebraska and has AllHell for 5 years and got tired of the poor service here and where we traveled so I jumped ship and drove 113 miles to get a Verizon setup.
VZW keeps crippling the phones before they release them to limit the extras therefore keeping the phones very basic to there network that way they can say it's the best for dropped calls ect. So I was thinking of going to AT&T and the phone I like is GSM and sense AT&T get is :-) But we travel to many states for APBT dog shows and we use the phones for internet at hot spots all over and of course motels and I like the idea of the SIM card incase you need to change phones. Thanks, JASTECH

[Rob]

To be clear.. ALL of AT&T's phones are GSM. Their network is fine but many would claim Verizon's to be better. The Omnia, however, will run on AT&T's new 3G network and should have pretty good connectivity (or so its rumored).

[JASTECH]

I know all of AT&T's network is GSM. So I will be using the "Extended Network" when I travel so their GSM phones will work on other providers towers or else they would have lost a lot of customers that travel in the U.S.A. so I was just wondering how well they work on the other towers for which are CDMA.

[EChid]

They don't. While Sprint and Verizon can piggy-back on each others networks, AT&T can only use use other GSM networks (such as T-Mobile). However, their site coverage map should include all the areas in which they have coverage or can roam on other GSM carriers networks. If you're area (or an area you frequently travel to) is not covered by either their own or another's GSM network, you are out of luck.

[Nick]

I am not sure exactly what you meant by that, since GSM and CDMA are not compatible. You cannot take a GSM phone (which uses a SIM Card) and place it on a CDMA network and it doesn't work the other way either. They simply aren't compatible.

People who use GSM instead of CDMA report that their call quality is equivalent to that of CDMA's analog service (which has been retired).

GSM is known as the global technology. It is the primary technology elsewhere, but in the United States, CDMA is the primary technology.

Carriers that use CDMA include: Verizon Wireless, Alltel (bought by Verizon), US Cellular, CriKet, Metro PCS, Sprint PCS, RCC Wireless (bought by Verizon), SureWest (bought by Verizon), and more!

GSM carriers include: AT&T and T-Mobile. Some other sell off carriers do exist.

Notice that there are many CDMA carriers and not so many GSM carriers. This limits roaming agreements. This makes coverage smaller due to lack of roaming agreements.

Most people who go from CDMA to GSM go back to CDMA within four months.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by JASTECH

EChlid, I will be moving to Texas and Verizon is only "extended network" over there so any tower or phone updates would not work. So I would have the choice of AT&T or Sprint. The Samsung SGH-i907 Omnia is going to AT&T. I live in Western Nebraska and has AllHell for 5 years and got tired of the poor service here and where we traveled so I jumped ship and drove 113 miles to get a Verizon setup.
VZW keeps crippling the phones before they release them to limit the extras therefore keeping the phones very basic to there network that way they can say it's the best for dropped calls ect. So I was thinking of going to AT&T and the phone I like is GSM and sense AT&T get is :-) But we travel to many states for APBT dog shows and we use the phones for internet at hot spots all over and of course motels and I like the idea of the SIM card incase you need to change phones. Thanks, JASTECH

Verizon Wireless now owns Alltel. If you give them 5 months or so, the coverage in that area will be local and not extended network. Alltel is the primary provider.
Verizon Wireless To Acquire Alltel; Will Expand Nation’s Most Reliable Wireless Network

[JASTECH]

Thanks for the reply. I have to move to Texas zip 76834. A friend has 2 phones by Sprint and one by AT&T. I need a phone with all the stuff the i900 has which will help with my disability and sense the i900 goes to AT&T that kinda somes it up. I will have to look at their coverage I guess. I hate this i760 and had it for less then 3 months but was talked into it by the store manager that my wife drove me to 113 miles away. Thanks, JASTECH

Here is something from another forum...

First of all its not a CDMA phone. Yes you can use it on any network since its a quad band GSM phone.

You can get the phone from e-bay or samsungs website and it will ONLY work with Verizon if it's a CDMA phone (dosen't use simcards). Before buying the phone do make sure to contact verizon and ask them if they are gonna support the phone if it's meant to be used with another CDMA carrier such as Sprint or Alltel also if the phone is not meant to be used with verizon you must have the phone "Flashed"