So much misinformation in this thread. I’ve had Verizon for a year now and with the exception of the higher costs of the plans, I could not be happier.
First off, Verizon has THE BEST Data network for this area of the country PERIOD. It’s a 3G CDMA2000 network. Sprint is second but only because they are barrowing Verizon’s towers and bandwidth. WCDMA is what Cingular and T-Mobile are using for their data networks that are not up yet. WCDMA encompasses UMTS and HSDPA which in their own are comparable to EV-DO (pre-rev A) but they are not out yet and probably won’t be in this area for a while. The only area that GSM (2.5G wireless) is superior to CDMA2000 is the SIM card and more cell phone manufacturers support that standard than the Qualcomm standard. Nokia makes some kick-ass phone but since they do nothing (or at least very little) for the CDMA market, they give us shit.
Verizon has the best voice network as well for this area. I know Cingular technically has more subscribers but their power and strength exists in the midwest to western region where AT&T Wireless and Cingluar were strongest before the merger.
I have personally called Verizon customer support and ALWAYS was treated with respect, courtesy and kindness. Everyone was extremely polite and helpful. I’ve had no issues getting a broken phone returned, etc.
Here is a tip for you guys, if you get the “free” phone, what are you exactly expecting? It’s FREE which means it’s going to be a piece of shit in a year or even 6 months. If you want a phone that works and is reliable, then spend some fucking money and invest in a decent one. Morons.
“My free phone broke, gimme gimme gimme a new one because I deserve it!!”