AT&T and Alltel Merger

**valour** · January 16th, 2011, 02:33 AM

I left At&T for a number of reasons. First they sent my new phones to the wrong place, I overlooked and said no problem and gave them the correct address again. This happened again and everytime I would go they did not have me in the system, like I didn't exist. This went on and on as they lied to me so I finally spoke to management and she told me that she woudl upgrade me to the Torch free of charge.

I was like, okay this will be cool, so I gave her my number and she said she would call me when I arrived at the AT&T store in Norton and notify them there. I told her to call within an hour and I would be there. Well, long story short she never called.

So, what did I do? I went and bought a Droid Incredible today from Verizon, actually did it through Wal-Mart. I got the Droid for 28.88 and it is an awesome phone and the service works great. It is like carrying a computer around in your pocket.

**centennialdawg** · January 16th, 2011, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by SBG

Our problems aren't hit and miss. It's been this way for us from day one.

Yeah, and remember the problem early on with not being able to call your cell from a comcast home phone? Well, that came up again for me a few days ago. Took the modem back to comcast and they tested it and said it wasn't the modem this time aand that the problem lies with AT&T

**red66** · January 16th, 2011, 10:08 AM

AT&T working on coverage in Southwest Virginia
By Wes Bunch

GATE CITY — With cellular service from Alltel Wireless quickly becoming a thing of the past in Southwest Virginia, AT&T Wireless says it is working to ensure its new customers in the region will have adequate coverage.

While a majority of former Alltel customers in Scott County and the surrounding region transitioned to Verizon Wireless, nearly 30,000 subscribers in Southwest Virginia, including those in Lee and Wise counties and the city of Norton, were switched to AT&T.

Verizon had originally intended to take over Alltel’s service in Lee and Wise counties, but was forced last year by the Federal Communications Commission to divest those and a number of other markets as a condition of the merger.

AT&T was present in portions of Scott County prior to acquiring parts of Alltel’s former network from Verizon in June 2010, and rolled out its mobile broadband service in certain areas there in December, but the provider had never offered widespread coverage in Lee or Wise counties before.

Since taking over Alltel’s network and customers, AT&T Tennessee/Kentucky Market Manager Cathy Lewandowski said her company has made significant investments in transitioning and upgrading the infrastructure it acquired.

Read the expanded version of this report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.

Edit: Didn't realize the article was cut off. The rest of the article doesn't say a lot though, just gives quotes from Lee and Wise County sherriff's saying they will test out both AT&T and Verizon before deciding which to go with.

**TheBeast** · January 16th, 2011, 11:18 AM

My service was fine with ATT but I switched to Verizon and got two Droid 2 Globals since ATT doesn't have a smartphone I care for. Works great at work and a little better than ATT here in KY. Now if I can get the same service at my house in Flatwoods all will great.

**R13** · January 19th, 2011, 07:08 PM

What the ****? I lost service today and thought it was something wrong, but after a few calls, they told me that AT&T will not have service in my area and that I have to switch to a new carrier. ****ing great, they said they had known this for a month and somehow we weren't told - even after they sent us new phones and everything.

**centennialdawg** · January 19th, 2011, 07:26 PM

Been warning everybody about it

**The_Sage** · January 19th, 2011, 08:03 PM

I've sent and received texts all day long..

**R13** · January 19th, 2011, 08:30 PM

I've not said it happened to everyone, but they said it would eventually and they're scrambling to tell everyone - also said it'd be months until they could get a new tower up. Mine was fine as of 1230ish when I went to bed last night.

**The_Sage** · January 19th, 2011, 08:45 PM

Doesn't everyone access the same towers now??
What did they say about affecting some and not all??
I don't understand what they told you... So you still don't have cell service??

**R13** · January 19th, 2011, 09:01 PM

I realized I didn't have service at about 3 when I couldn't call out, internet, text and bbm gone too...we thought it was just a minor problem, maybe something with payment. Called alltel and they informed us that we would not have service in the area(first he said just norton, then we said we live in coeburn and he said that wise co. was effected too and there was no tower close enough we could use - meaning no service). We told him they sent us the new phones(even though we never requested them) and if that was the case why did they send them. They gave us an 800 number to call AT&T, we talked to them and they said exactly the same thing - the towers aren't working and that we could wait until they get it fixed/new one which would at least be several months or go with another carrier because we would not have service..also that they've known about this for awhile now. I have zero service, haven't left the house all day and there's a tower very close by and I always have full service. It has 1x, won't let me call, text or use internet at all. My grandfather is the only other one on the plan, we called him and he checked and his is exactly the same way - he lives in st. paul and when I *****ed about it on FB some messaged(only a couple) and said the same thing happened. So we have to switch tomorrow, it won't be a real problem since my mother went with Verizon and we already had the extra droid incredible, but my grandfather will have to switch everything.