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Do U.S. carriers get a bum rap for their wireless networks?

You will often see stories about the evil U.S. wireless carriers and I have to admit that I sometimes rant about some of the frustrations I experience with the carriers. However, I have to say that I am currently paying for service with both AT&T and T-Mobile and have been very happy with their services for 1 and 5+ years, respectively. Sascha Segan put together a great post on the unfair treatment that U.S. wireless carriers often get in the press as it relates to building new networks.
Written by Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer

We often read stories about the evil U.S. wireless carriers and I have to admit that I sometimes rant about some of the frustrations I experience with the carriers. However, I have to say that I am currently paying for service with both AT&T and T-Mobile and have been very happy with their services for 1 and 5+ years, respectively. Sascha Segan put together a great post on the unfair treatment that U.S. wireless carriers often get in the press as it relates to building new networks.

The U.S. is a much different market than Europe and other countries with our expansive geographic landscape with large population centers, strict regulatory and governmental agencies, and generally cheap consumer who wants a free or just about free mobile phone. As Sascha points out, there are a large number of carrier options for U.S. consumers, Verizon has had a 3G network since 2003, and AT&T is rolling out HSUPA, just like European carriers currently are.

We also benefit from readily available unlimited data plans that let us consume huge amounts of wireless bandwidth every month without worrying about keeping a close eye on the meter (unless you happen to exceed the common 5GB monthly download limit). I have been enjoying cheap, US$20, unlimited data on T-Mobile for years and while it is still only EDGE at this time I can surf, email, and upload to my heart's content without worry. There are often data limits and levels of data usage in Canada, Europe, and elsewhere that require consumers to carefully watch their consumption. The iPhone users here in the U.S. also benefit from a cheap US$20/month unlimited data plan and as the latest numbers show iPhone users are consuming lots of data, even on the EDGE network.

I do think that carriers slow down the roll-out of the latest and greatest devices, including a total lack of high powered S60 devices, but then again I don't think too many "normal" consumers care as much about that as the mobile enthusiasts like I do so it may not be such a major issue. The U.S. does have the best in BlackBerry services and Windows Mobile is pretty well supported too.

Some people may gripe about the cost of wireless data, but if you look at the daily cost a hotel may charge you for WiFi access (Why do the cheaper hotels always give you free access and the expensive ones charge you an arm and a leg anyway?) then IMHO the monthly data fees are very reasonably priced at US$20 to US$60.

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