XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone, comp.mobile.android   
   From: arlenholder@newmachine.com   
      
   On Sat, 1 Aug 2020 19:29:42 +0000 (UTC), badgolferman wrote:   
      
   > I have T-Mobile One Military with four lines. Same things you mentioned   
   > plus free calls to Canada/Mexico, free SMS to Europe, free 2G data Europe,   
   > Netflix Basic. $102.00   
   >   
   > I¢ve shopped around to the other carriers since T-Mobile sometimes has   
   > spotty coverage but haven't found it worth it to switch yet, especially   
   > considering the excellent customer service T-Mobile provides.   
      
   Hi badgolferman,   
      
   I apologize for thinking you were "The Real Bev", which was a momentary   
   "thinko" (where the apologists would be all over me were you an apologist,   
   for having gotten a "material fact" wrong, hehhehheh).   
      
   I am pretty sure I get the same stuff you get, where I don't call Canada or   
   Mexico where I also get free SMS/MMS to/from Europe, with unlimited data in   
   Europe but no tethering for the iPads that have the free-for-life T-Mobile   
   SIM with 200MB/month of data.   
      
   Your plan seems very similar to mine with the exception of the Netflix   
   Basic, where mine, for four lines, would be almost exactly what yours is   
   for four lines.   
      
   Dunno how the Sprint merger will change things though, but like you, I've   
   had Verizon, AT&T, and then T-Mobile in series in the Silicon Valley, where   
   I've assessed the coverage is "about teh same" (but don't let Steve Scharf   
   see that, where on purpose he ignores facts so he won't see this).   
      
   Shockingly, nospam and I have been explaining patiently to Steve for years   
   that, sure, coverage is spotty for all carriers, but the coverage by   
   T-Mobile is pretty good and, better yet, the prices (last I checked) were   
   damn good.   
      
   My history with T-Mobile is that I was on Verizon from the start of   
   cellphones (those analog things with pullout antennas that lasted about   
   half a day at best with LED displays) but I got mad at Verizon when they   
   upped my 2-year contract (which the company was paying but it was the   
   principle) when I had a phone replaced under the maintenance contract.   
      
   When I switched to AT&T out of dislike of Verizon's practices, I was   
   pleasantly surprised that the coverage was "about the same" and that the   
   price was 'slightly lower'. Again, the company was paying, so it didn't   
   really matter that I was paying a decent amount for a "data plan" on my   
   blackberry at that time.   
      
   Then when my blackberry clit stopped working, I wanted a new phone but I   
   was retired by then, so I simply wanted the data block to apply to a new   
   "smartphone", where AT&T told me they'd charge me for data even if I had a   
   data block. I was livid. I complained to the FCC in fact, and the FCC made   
   AT&T call me, where they made the kind of comments nospam makes all the   
   time.   
      
   The VP told me a smartphone was no good without data!   
      
   I had to ask that VP if she ever graduated from high school, since a   
   smartphone is just fine on WiFi or off the net, but she _insisted_ that a   
   smartphone is worthless without a data plan.   
      
   Just as with the apologists, I shook my head in sad assessment:   
   a. Either this AT&T VP was really that incredibly stupid, or,   
   b. She was simply bold in her brazen lies that she, herself, didn't believe.   
      
   Either way, I dropped AT&T the moment the contract ran out (we had   
   contracts in those days as you know) and then went to T-Mobile who didn't   
   ask for a contract, said I could have voice & text without data (although   
   the text was limited to something like 200/month which the kids couldn't   
   keep to) and best of all I could use any phone I wanted to, smart or   
   otherwise.   
      
   I've been on T-Mobile every since, where my initial plan was about $15 per   
   month, but I needed European perks (which you noted you also have), so I   
   upped it to a $25/month per line plan which I've used many times in Europe,   
   which started, I think, at 1GB of data, then 2.5GB, and now it's 4GB where   
   I don't ask them for data - they just keep giving it to me (I use only   
   kilobytes, but, again, the kids and grandkids are data hogs as they don't   
   have any concept of setting switches on a mobile device to keep their stuff   
   off the net).   
      
   As for the excellent service, I agree, although Verizon was pretty good and   
   AT&T ok, but for a while, T-Mobile gave us "personalized" people, where,   
   astonishingly, we got the SAME people time and again, which is a nice perk.   
      
   I like that t-Mobile doesn't make me wade though a ton of automatrons to   
   get to a human, as I almost always ask questions only a human can answer.   
      
   I simply say "representative" and one comes on within a minute or less in   
   most cases, which is really nice (have you had the same experience?).   
      
   Over time, I think all the carriers now offer no contract plans, where you   
   can use your own phone, and unlimited everything (except perhaps data),   
   but, like you, I haven't found the need nor desire to switch.   
      
   In fact, I'm still (professionally) mad at Neflix for doubling their rates   
   (effectively) a few years ago by halving their service and charging for the   
   second half, such that... on principle... I'll never have a paid Netflix   
   subscription for the rest of my life, nor will I give it as a gift.   
      
   Hence, on principle, I doubt I'd switch back to Verizon or T-Mobile because   
   they screwed me and didn't care that they screwed me, which T-Mobile hasn't   
   done to me.   
      
   Again, let's keep this away from SMS because if he catches wind we're   
   saying good things about T-Mobile, he'll start claiming the coverage is far   
   worse than the other two - and - in my experience - where I live - it's   
   just not.   
      
   Besides, I'm in mountains, where nobody has good coverage, but they all   
   give us femtocells for our homes, and cellular repeaters (I have both) for   
   free, so, at least INSIDE the house, we have perfect coverage.   
      
   That coverage doesn't extend to the barn or to the pool or even to the end   
   of the driveway, but inside the house, it's perfect.   
      
   To my knowledge, just like everyone here has a rooftop antenna for WiFi, we   
   all have either the femotcell or the repeater in our homes (I have a big   
   house so they gave me both).   
      
   Good to know you're also happy (so far) with T-Mobile, where I don't know   
   how Sprint matters.   
      
   As an aside, I got a handful of the $300 Moto G7s for $100 from Google   
   where I signed up for Google Fi as part of the deal and then dropped it in   
   a few days after (with no penalty). Google Fi was, as I recall, $20 per   
   month with essentially the same coverage, but the data was an extra charge   
   (but I barely use data).   
      
   Hence, Google Fi, for me, without much data, might have been a lower-cost   
   approach, but, I only got Google Fi because the phone price required it   
   (and I checked with Google very bluntly beforehand that I could cancel the   
   very next day with no penalty - which they honored).   
      
   I haven't gotten any calls yet on my phone so I'll have to let you know,   
   and you can let us know, how the Scam Blocker works.   
   --   
   There are all types of people on Usenet... some of whom are well educated.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)