AT&T/DoCoMo Deal For W-CDMA Deployment In U.S.

murky.waters writes "The specifics of several amendments to the original deal are spelled out in a news.com article: AT&T gets $6.2 billion from NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest telecom, for deploying a third generation wireless network in four of the top fifty cell phone markets by December 31, 2004. The chosen few are San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas and San Diego. However, there's a city-swap provision to possibly include either Miami or Detroit for Dallas, Phoenix or Houston for San Diego. Last, AT&T could get out of the deal if they chose an alternate third generation technology."

Comments

I just want my cell phone to work as a phone

[Powercntrl]

As I write this, my cell phone is chirping to inform me that it is switching in and out of roaming mode. The reception at my home is horrible.

Every time I read an article about "next generation network features", I'm curious as to when they'll make the first generation feature - voice communication work better.

Maybe it's different in other parts of the country, but here in Lake Mary, FL, Sprint PCS and their suppose-ed "next generation network" is a bunch of features and fluff surrounded by unusable service.

I think I'm going to make my New Year's resolution to switch cell phone providers.

So what use is it?

[Captain Kirk]

I worked for a wireless Interent start-up. The problem was not the technology itself. Its that there are no real uses. I mean, who cares that you can stream video on your mobile phone? Who is dumb enough to pay for it?

IMO, Wi-fi has removed all the need for umts. The mobile phone operators should concentrate on making voice work better, especially in the US where coverage and incompatible networks are a joke.