Corp office and CS are arguing over GAIT set-up on acct
I have an issue with being able to access the GAIT calling area on my GSM plan.
My plan shows the "GAIT Calling Area" as an option. I have not been able to access TDMA or AMPS on my 6340i phone, however, and recent storm damage in my area really brought this home. I could not get any GSM signal but an old pre-paid TDMA phone was getting 4/4 bars of strength.
I approached a corporate store about the problem. He stated my plan is simply GSM; it needs to be "something else"...which he never specified...and that explains why I cannot access TDMA or AMPS. When I pointed out that I have the GAIT calling area on my plan and asked why the companywould include that if I couldn't use it, he shrugged his shoulders and was finished with me, ...
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My plan shows the "GAIT Calling Area" as an option. I have not been able to access TDMA or AMPS on my 6340i phone, however, and recent storm damage in my area really brought this home. I could not get any GSM signal but an old pre-paid TDMA phone was getting 4/4 bars of strength.
I approached a corporate store about the problem. He stated my plan is simply GSM; it needs to be "something else"...which he never specified...and that explains why I cannot access TDMA or AMPS. When I pointed out that I have the GAIT calling area on my plan and asked why the companywould include that if I couldn't use it, he shrugged his shoulders and was finished with me, ...
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Okay... I used to sell GAIT phones, so I'm not a total idiot about those things. I just wanted to get that out of the way before going on to your problem.
Originally GAIT phones were programmed in as TDMA/GAIT. This was because we had fewer GSM towers. Being under this, would make it search for a TDMA tower first, and then a GSM second. When we got our GSM plans, they were cheaper. People wanted to be one them to save money, but they required a GSM handset. For awhile we couldn't put GAIT phones on them. When I say "couldn't", I mean we weren't supposed to. You could do it, but I'm sure that caused a few problem for people. Eventually they allowed us to provision it as GSM/GAIT, which was basically adding the IMEI to the account ...
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Originally GAIT phones were programmed in as TDMA/GAIT. This was because we had fewer GSM towers. Being under this, would make it search for a TDMA tower first, and then a GSM second. When we got our GSM plans, they were cheaper. People wanted to be one them to save money, but they required a GSM handset. For awhile we couldn't put GAIT phones on them. When I say "couldn't", I mean we weren't supposed to. You could do it, but I'm sure that caused a few problem for people. Eventually they allowed us to provision it as GSM/GAIT, which was basically adding the IMEI to the account ...
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okay...
So now we have GSM/GAIT phones in the system. They can still pick up TDMA, but look for that last. If they have your IMEI in the system, this is what it's likely registered as. If there's an IMEI but no ESN, then it's strictly in as GSM. If it's a GSM/GAIT phone you should be able to manually select which network you want to use, the trouble is finding out which of the available is TDMA. If it's listed only as GSM, the TDMA shouldn't be available to you.
Then there's also the chance I'm completely wrong. They "updated" the retail centers point of sale customer service module, and the GAIT and TDMA phones I've seen recently wont even show me what the old ESNs were.
So now we have GSM/GAIT phones in the system. They can still pick up TDMA, but look for that last. If they have your IMEI in the system, this is what it's likely registered as. If there's an IMEI but no ESN, then it's strictly in as GSM. If it's a GSM/GAIT phone you should be able to manually select which network you want to use, the trouble is finding out which of the available is TDMA. If it's listed only as GSM, the TDMA shouldn't be available to you.
Then there's also the chance I'm completely wrong. They "updated" the retail centers point of sale customer service module, and the GAIT and TDMA phones I've seen recently wont even show me what the old ESNs were.
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So...will having the GAIT calling area on a GSM plan with a 6340i incur the extra charge or avoid it?
I understood that if you had a phone/plan whose primary coding was that it was to access tdma technology first, then you incur the extra charge.
The gsm/gait options from what I know only allow you to get tdma/amps IF gsm is 100% unavailable at a moment in time and you decide to place a call at that same moment. I know it does not transfer mid-call from one technology to another. Since GSM is set up to be your "first" technology, you should avoid the $5 charge...deal or no deal?
I'm going to call back in tomorrow. IF I can get a rep that will definitively tell me my ESN isn't in the system, then adding it should b...
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I understood that if you had a phone/plan whose primary coding was that it was to access tdma technology first, then you incur the extra charge.
The gsm/gait options from what I know only allow you to get tdma/amps IF gsm is 100% unavailable at a moment in time and you decide to place a call at that same moment. I know it does not transfer mid-call from one technology to another. Since GSM is set up to be your "first" technology, you should avoid the $5 charge...deal or no deal?
I'm going to call back in tomorrow. IF I can get a rep that will definitively tell me my ESN isn't in the system, then adding it should b...
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If it's a GSM/GAIT, it wont get the surcharge. I've heard that all GAIT phones are currently exempt from the $5 surcharge anyway. You're correct about the handing off, but if you select the TDMA network manually instead of having network selection on "automatic" that should get around it trying to hop on GSM first.
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ralph_on_me said:
If it's a GSM/GAIT, it wont get the surcharge. I've heard that all GAIT phones are currently exempt from the $5 surcharge anyway. You're correct about the handing off, but if you select the TDMA network manually instead of having network selection on "automatic" that should get around it trying to hop on GSM first.
Only problem you will now have is that the Gait option has been blocked, The ESN portion has been removed and cannot be re-added back on, its part of the phase out process for TDMA.
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That's kinda what I figured happend with the most recent update and me being unable to "see" ESNs on peoples accounts. I wasn't sure if it was a POS thing or if it affected telligence and care as well.
Did they remove the ESNs or just make it unable for us to change them though? I suspected the latter.
Did they remove the ESNs or just make it unable for us to change them though? I suspected the latter.
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ralph_on_me said:
That's kinda what I figured happend with the most recent update and me being unable to "see" ESNs on peoples accounts. I wasn't sure if it was a POS thing or if it affected telligence and care as well.
Did they remove the ESNs or just make it unable for us to change them though? I suspected the latter.
They removed the ESN's since TDMA is no longer being supported or GAIT options are no longer supported, just the same way as you can't add on ESN's as they won't stay in the system. Its in all markets both care and teligence, and on the old att side, they went into the accounts of the GAIT plans and were placed on non gait plans
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