Cingular Vs. Verizon Wireless

by Rebecca C. Jernigan
Choosing a cellphone service provider can be difficult.

Choosing a cellphone service provider can be difficult.

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In 2007, the Cingular Wireless brand name was replaced by the AT&T name in the United States, as a result of a series of purchases and mergers between AT&T, Cingular Wireless, SBC and BellSouth. AT&T and Verizon Wireless are competitors in the cellphone business, using different technologies and offering varied services.

GSM Vs. CDMA

Global System for Mobile Communications and Code Division Multiple Access are the two main technologies used for mobile communications. According to the market data summary published by GSM World in 2009, GSM is used by nearly 80 percent of cellphone users worldwide and is the system Cingular Wireless operates on. CDMA is used by Verizon Wireless and is employed by about 10 percent of cellphone owners. GSM users traveling outside the United States will often have better service than CDMA users, though CDMA boasts faster transmission speeds.

Phones

AT&T and Verizon Wireless offer similar phones, though the models and brands vary by company. Both companies have smartphone options like BlackBerry, Palm and iPhone, as well as less expensive selections from a wide range of manufacturers. Verizon and AT&T both have phones at a wide range of price points, ocasionally offering basic models as free with a new contract. The companies also list refurbished phones at a discount on their respective websites.

Plans

Both AT&T and Verizon offer individual, family and prepaid plans at a variety of price points. The included features, however, vary. AT&T has wireless rollover minutes, letting you keep your unused minutes from one month to use anytime within the next year. AT&T also offers A-List Unlimited calling with select plans, enabling you to select the numbers you call most and continue to call those numbers without using your minutes. Verizon Wireless has unlimited Mobile-to-Mobile minutes, which provides subscribers with free calling to any Verizon phone at any time. Verizon also offers Family and Friends calling with certain plans, which lets you add frequently-dialed numbers, either cellular or landline, to a list that then doesn't use your monthly minute allowance.

Other Features

Both Cingular and Verizon will let you keep your phone number from a previous service provider and transfer it to you new phone and plan. Verizon Wireless also runs a trade-in program for old mobile phones, appraising their values and giving the former owner a Verizon gift card for the device.

About the Author

From 2006 through 2009, Rebecca Jernigan wrote and edited articles for Laurin Publishing, where she was published in "Photonics Spectra," "BioPhotonics" and "Europhotonics" magazines. She has experience in fields ranging from ophthalmology to photonics, and holds a master's degree in publishing as well as degrees in psychology, English and Spanish.

Photo Credits

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