USCC-National Carrier....Since when?
Im not trying to pick on US Cellular, but I have recently seen ads that say "Get the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier".
My question is, since when did US Cellular become a national carrier? I, as well as the industry itself, have always considered it a regional carrier (sometimes I have heard "super-regional carrier"). I hope it isn't that someone decided to call USCC a national carrier in one survey, and USCC started running with this description of itself, saying it is a national carrier all of a sudden.
Maybe this should not bother me as much as it does. But I feel like US Cellular is always trying to be what it is not. It always tries to portray itself as one of the big carriers, when it is ...
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My question is, since when did US Cellular become a national carrier? I, as well as the industry itself, have always considered it a regional carrier (sometimes I have heard "super-regional carrier"). I hope it isn't that someone decided to call USCC a national carrier in one survey, and USCC started running with this description of itself, saying it is a national carrier all of a sudden.
Maybe this should not bother me as much as it does. But I feel like US Cellular is always trying to be what it is not. It always tries to portray itself as one of the big carriers, when it is ...
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You are right. USCC has begun a new marketing campaign claiming to be a national carrier. The problem is when people say "I'm going to be in Texas this week, where is your store?" and you have to tell them the truth. Furthermore, USCC doesn't plan to expand into any new markets to try to actually become a national carrier. The market maps you see now will be the same 5 years from now. I guess you could say it's "creative advertising." 😳
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Both of you are exactly right and there is no denying that we are not a national carrier by nature of the world, however if you use the term reginal carrier then that leads the customer to believe that thier cellphone service will only work in thier areas only. Which is not true. The campaign is to let the customer base know that USCC provides national service so the phone works anywhere you travel within reason.
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Actually, you are all wrong. US Cellular isn't just saying it to say it. We are now considered a national carrier. The FCC standards for a national carrier is that they must have a presence in 50% of the nation. USCC is present in 26 states making them a national carrier. Now granted we just made it, but those are the standards.
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Can you show me proof of these standards from the FCC supporting your claim? I am not saying that you are not right, but I want to see proof. Perhaps this 50%= national carrier is something that has changed, that no one else knows. Because all I see is statements like this:
"U.S. Cellular, a regional carrier serving just 26 states mostly in the South and Midwest..."
"U.S. Cellular, a regional carrier that provides service in 26 states..."
"U.S. Cellular’s roadmap for the rest of the year has been revealed in all its glory, and for a little regional carrier, they’ve got some solid hardware on the way...."
"Regional carrier U.S. Cellular today announced availability of the HTC 7 Pro, the carrier's first Windows Phone 7...
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"U.S. Cellular, a regional carrier serving just 26 states mostly in the South and Midwest..."
"U.S. Cellular, a regional carrier that provides service in 26 states..."
"U.S. Cellular’s roadmap for the rest of the year has been revealed in all its glory, and for a little regional carrier, they’ve got some solid hardware on the way...."
"Regional carrier U.S. Cellular today announced availability of the HTC 7 Pro, the carrier's first Windows Phone 7...
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So where can I find these FCC standards that you discovered? So if a carrier has service in just one city in each of the 26 states, that makes them a national carrier? Or if a carrier only has 1 tower in 26 states, that makes them a national carrier? That's a pretty loose definition then. US Cellular is more not in most areas versus being in most areas. New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle...I could go on an on and name off 50 of the biggest cities in the US and ask if US Cellular is there and the answer is no. Most Americans have never even heard of US Cellular. They have to be the "national carrier" that 80% of the US has never even heard of. It's almost like false advert...
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This company is so hurting for business that now they must resort to lying to stop the people from leaving in droves.
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How is it false advertising? Our service will work just like any other carrier. USCC just doesn't have a store in every city in the US. And that also goes for every other carrier. Not just by adding an agent in these other cities. There area areas in this county that certain carriers service cannot be activated. They can certainly be used but the phones will roam. If you use more than 50% of your use in a roaming area the carrier has he right to cancel you w/o an ETF and let you go to a carrier that works in your area. It clearly states that in the customer agreement. So by that statement every carrier is a false advertisment.
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Well, it is a very simple concept...If US Cellular is still considered as a Regional carrier and it advertises that it is a National carrier, then that is false advertising.
The fact that it has roaming agreements to provide nationwide coverage, does not make it a national carrier. If so, then Ntelos could claim it is a national carrier, and it is smaller than USCC.
To say that Verizon, ATT, Sprint, and T-Mobile are not really national carriers is just plain ridiculous...Try convincing the rest of the industry and government that.
The difference is that you can get their service in the majority of the places in the USA, including major markets. However, US Cellular, the majority of the major markets can not even get its service.
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The fact that it has roaming agreements to provide nationwide coverage, does not make it a national carrier. If so, then Ntelos could claim it is a national carrier, and it is smaller than USCC.
To say that Verizon, ATT, Sprint, and T-Mobile are not really national carriers is just plain ridiculous...Try convincing the rest of the industry and government that.
The difference is that you can get their service in the majority of the places in the USA, including major markets. However, US Cellular, the majority of the major markets can not even get its service.
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The point im trying to make is not that USCC is a national carrier, I agree 100% that it is not. I do consider VZW/AT&T to be national carrier b/c more often then not you will see a store in most locations throught the US. What I am saying is that USCC claims that thier service is better in markets where other national carriers exist... which 9/10 times is totaly accurate. In downtown Chicago my service is perfect, my wifes iphone through AT&T horrible, my friends VZW android almost died...that is all...
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I am not going to argue that it is not true that US Cellular may have better service in markets where also national carriers exists. I have seen this to be true in some places.. My point simply is not to mislead in advertising and pretend to be what it is not.
If that is what it wanted to say, then why did it not say it? Instead, it wanted to obscure the truth by some clever way of wording things, or just blatantly lie by saying it is a national carrier.
If that is what it wanted to say, then why did it not say it? Instead, it wanted to obscure the truth by some clever way of wording things, or just blatantly lie by saying it is a national carrier.
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I'm not positively sure but maybe USC is saying it is a national carrier because it only offers national post-pay plans, no longer do they have a regional plan to offer.
Don't know if thats the reason or the answer you were looking for but I hope it helps.
Don't know if thats the reason or the answer you were looking for but I hope it helps.
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Yeah, I do not know of the reason either...but thanks for your input
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Now going back to the orginal statement... the areas that USCC does have coverage, thier coverage and service quality has routienly surpassed the quality of other national carriers in those areas. Nowhere does it say that USCC is actually a national carrier. But the service does work throught the country and it is better than other carrier too...
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"Get the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier".
To me that implies that US Cellular is a national carrier, and compared to the rest, they have the highest call quality and network satisfaction.
Now if they was not trying to imply that it is a national carrier, perhaps it needs to reword that...Because I know I am not the only one that got that impression.
To me that implies that US Cellular is a national carrier, and compared to the rest, they have the highest call quality and network satisfaction.
Now if they was not trying to imply that it is a national carrier, perhaps it needs to reword that...Because I know I am not the only one that got that impression.
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To add to what I was trying to say, lets consider similar sentences...not involving US Cellular, and see if you would not get the same type of impression:
Burger King- Get the best tasting hamburgers of any burger place
(It is assumed that Burger King is a burger place)
Pizza Hut- Get the most authentic pizzas of any pizzeria
(It is assumed that Pizza Hut is a pizzeria)
So Fresh and So Clean- Get the cheapest cleaning and altering service of any cleaners
(It is assumed that So Fresh and So Clean is a cleaners too)
Now back to US Cellular- "Get the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier"
Get the point
Burger King- Get the best tasting hamburgers of any burger place
(It is assumed that Burger King is a burger place)
Pizza Hut- Get the most authentic pizzas of any pizzeria
(It is assumed that Pizza Hut is a pizzeria)
So Fresh and So Clean- Get the cheapest cleaning and altering service of any cleaners
(It is assumed that So Fresh and So Clean is a cleaners too)
Now back to US Cellular- "Get the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier"
Get the point
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Yeah i get your point, and its totally valid, im not arguing that, so when you see these commercials, are you in southern cali, or florida, or anywhere we aren't...NO.... they are only shown in areas USCC has service and stores. I'm just explaining the other side of the coin...
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Ok, but there are situations even in areas that US Cellular provides coverage that this could make a difference...and these are everyday situations.
Let's say I am in Chicago and want to send my child to Syracuse University and add a line for him. It is assumed, that US Cellular is a national carrier and this should be ok..we are talking about Syracuse, which is a big area..But then I come to find out that there is no native coverage there and the 50% rule would hurt me. If my child had a problem with his phone, there is no where for him to go there..
One more example...I am some type of business executive, who travels the country all the time. I may spend 2 weeks in Seattle, a month in Washington DC, several weeks in NY city, and th...
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Let's say I am in Chicago and want to send my child to Syracuse University and add a line for him. It is assumed, that US Cellular is a national carrier and this should be ok..we are talking about Syracuse, which is a big area..But then I come to find out that there is no native coverage there and the 50% rule would hurt me. If my child had a problem with his phone, there is no where for him to go there..
One more example...I am some type of business executive, who travels the country all the time. I may spend 2 weeks in Seattle, a month in Washington DC, several weeks in NY city, and th...
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You arguement is flawed. Watch.
Statement - Sacklunch has the strength of any lion.
I read this and logically came to this conclusion: I claim that I am as strong as a lion. We have read the statement and taken from it what is stated without assuming more than what is there.
You read this and assume "He claims to be as strong as any lion therefor he must be a lion".
Statement - I have the horsepower of any sportscar.
By saying this, I am saying I have the power of any sportscar, but it should be easily noticed I am not a Ford Mustung that is good with a keyboard.
While U.S. Cellular seems to be pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable advertising, they are not lying based on the above arguements. Just clever word pl...
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Statement - Sacklunch has the strength of any lion.
I read this and logically came to this conclusion: I claim that I am as strong as a lion. We have read the statement and taken from it what is stated without assuming more than what is there.
You read this and assume "He claims to be as strong as any lion therefor he must be a lion".
Statement - I have the horsepower of any sportscar.
By saying this, I am saying I have the power of any sportscar, but it should be easily noticed I am not a Ford Mustung that is good with a keyboard.
While U.S. Cellular seems to be pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable advertising, they are not lying based on the above arguements. Just clever word pl...
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I do not want to get into an endless debate about minor points, especially when others see that US Cellular's advertisement is misleading at best, and lying at worst..But I will briefly comment on your comparisons:
1. If you say US Cellular cleverly worded their advertisements, than perhaps your comparisons should be worded in the same way. You worded your comparisons in a different way, which alters the understanding. In contrast, the comparisons I used were worded in the exact same manner as US Cellular's advertisements. When reading those comparisons I made, could you not see how things could be confused? If you can see that it could be confused, then that is my point.
2. Unlike US Cellular's ad and my comparisons, your compari...
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1. If you say US Cellular cleverly worded their advertisements, than perhaps your comparisons should be worded in the same way. You worded your comparisons in a different way, which alters the understanding. In contrast, the comparisons I used were worded in the exact same manner as US Cellular's advertisements. When reading those comparisons I made, could you not see how things could be confused? If you can see that it could be confused, then that is my point.
2. Unlike US Cellular's ad and my comparisons, your compari...
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Your argument is simple and you give examples of what you mean. You get people trying to attack your examples rather than the issue at hand. I don't know how much easier you can spell it out for them. I agree with you that the wording of their ads is misleading at best and false at worst. If USCC is a national carrier due to having roaming agreements, then USCC has been a national carrier since around 2001 when they rolled out their Span America plans. To be a national carrier, you should at least have a presence in most of the country. That's not the case here.
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US Cellular has been playing catch up with the big guys for years now. While other carriers had online account access back in 2003, US Cellular didn't get that feature until around 2009 or so. Even now, you can't change your phone ESN on their website. The company wants customers to make unnecessary trips to the store or call in and tie up reps. They just got OTA phone programming, again being about 7 years behind the competition. They don't spend any money going into new markets either. They have been losing customers for a couple of years now. They have dropped below 6 million customers this past quarter. I'm not sure how much longer they can keep losing customers before selling out. Don't get me wrong, USCC is among the best, if no...
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yourvoiceofreason said:
"Get the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier".
To me that implies that US Cellular is a national carrier, and compared to the rest, they have the highest call quality and network satisfaction.
Now if they was not trying to imply that it is a national carrier, perhaps it needs to reword that...Because I know I am not the only one that got that impression.
Key word here in that statement is "of" national carriers. It is not implying that USC "is" a national carrier...it is only comparing itself to the national carriers.
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These complaints are silly. None commercial says they are a national carrier. If you want to be a typical fool and not research before you buy, make assumptions off of marketing tactics, and later think you were lied to or deceived... you are more than welcome to. They say call quality and satisfaction OF ANY national carrier, not A national carrier. This is how marketing works. I wouldn't consider USCC a national carrier, and after a quick call to 611... they do not either.
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These complaints are silly, huh? Let me guess, you work for US Cellular (or at one time did). Because any person with objectivity can easily see how it can be implied by their advertisement that US Cellular is a national carrier too..
"Get the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier".
Perhaps it was not meant in that way, but that is how I read that, and others too. Did you read my examples earlier of similar statements? That advertisement can imply that it is a national carrier.
Tell me this: Why is it that one person (possibly current US Cellular employee) says that they are considered a national carrier, and you say that they are not and it is not even implied anywhere? Why is there such variou...
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"Get the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier".
Perhaps it was not meant in that way, but that is how I read that, and others too. Did you read my examples earlier of similar statements? That advertisement can imply that it is a national carrier.
Tell me this: Why is it that one person (possibly current US Cellular employee) says that they are considered a national carrier, and you say that they are not and it is not even implied anywhere? Why is there such variou...
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I have not and will never work for US Cellular. I'm sorry, but I'm better than that. If I were to work for a phone company it would be for a national carrier in one their corporate offices.
That being said, I'm a single customer who thinks highly of USCC in the industry. I've been with three other companies and my best experience has been with USCC. Have I had complaints, yes. Their service on the west and east coast sucks. They are usually (if not always) behind on everything. These are things I've come to terms with as a customer. I've has numerous opportunities to leave, but I haven't. No sense in me complaining and griping when it's fairly easy to say bye-bye USCC.
Just wanted to clarify that. Please, do not mistake me for an emp...
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That being said, I'm a single customer who thinks highly of USCC in the industry. I've been with three other companies and my best experience has been with USCC. Have I had complaints, yes. Their service on the west and east coast sucks. They are usually (if not always) behind on everything. These are things I've come to terms with as a customer. I've has numerous opportunities to leave, but I haven't. No sense in me complaining and griping when it's fairly easy to say bye-bye USCC.
Just wanted to clarify that. Please, do not mistake me for an emp...
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Well said. I agree, the idea behind the advertising is that US Cellular is a national carrier. The company is also marketing itself as a national carrier. It's not because of any FCC green light, it's because the marketing department decided to start doing it. And I agree, listening to employees and their blind allegiance is not a good idea. They will back whatever the company says without any thought.
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The reason the add says "of any national carrier" is because in a poll it was number one in customer satisfaction in the US over national companies like Verizon and AT&T
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If it was not trying to say it is a national carrier, but ranked higher than them, I think a better way of saying it is "US Cellular ranked higher than the national carriers" or something like that...
When I first heard and saw the new advertisement, it seemed like it was saying that it was at the top of national carriers (as if it was one of them).
But now I have 2 questions:
1st. Is it true, that the FCC said that if you are in the majority of the states, you are a national carrier?
2nd. Does US Cellular consider itself a national carrier? Some say yes and others (like you) say no...
When I first heard and saw the new advertisement, it seemed like it was saying that it was at the top of national carriers (as if it was one of them).
But now I have 2 questions:
1st. Is it true, that the FCC said that if you are in the majority of the states, you are a national carrier?
2nd. Does US Cellular consider itself a national carrier? Some say yes and others (like you) say no...
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You're right. If you don't want to give the impression you're a national carrier, then say "ranked higher than THE national carriers" not "ranked higher than ANY national carrier." US Cellular is now considering itself a national carrier. However, even in a press release they are called a tier 2 carrier. It is defined as:
*A tier-2 or tier-3 carrier is most likely a smaller, regionally-based carrier focusing on smaller networks, who can simply buy voice and data coverage from one of the big guys (a tier-1 operator-ATT, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile)*
So by that definition, it's highly unlikely that US Cellular is a tier 2 national carrier. Just because they have "roaming agreements" doesn't mean it's a national carrier. So Virgin Mobi...
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*A tier-2 or tier-3 carrier is most likely a smaller, regionally-based carrier focusing on smaller networks, who can simply buy voice and data coverage from one of the big guys (a tier-1 operator-ATT, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile)*
So by that definition, it's highly unlikely that US Cellular is a tier 2 national carrier. Just because they have "roaming agreements" doesn't mean it's a national carrier. So Virgin Mobi...
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No problem. You said it best in your previous posts about the advertising going on. I think we both agree it's the marketing department behind this whole new "national carrier" advertising, not the FCC.
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Allow me to point out that besides AT&T, US Cellular is the only nationwide player who has a true nationwide plan and a true unlimited nationwide plan. However AT&T requires a 2 year contract if you wish to get on one of their plans. US Cellular never makes customers sign contracts if they go to a new plan.
Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile have unlimited to mobile customers or their own mobile customers or within their network. Have a look at their web sites. Not difficult to find all the disclaimers, etc. Also, Sprint is raising their Early Term Fee to $350 to pretty much match AT&T and Verizon (US Cellular's is at $150 with proration). Sprint also announced they double their "Upgrade Fee" from $18 to $36 - that is if you attach a new or ref...
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Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile have unlimited to mobile customers or their own mobile customers or within their network. Have a look at their web sites. Not difficult to find all the disclaimers, etc. Also, Sprint is raising their Early Term Fee to $350 to pretty much match AT&T and Verizon (US Cellular's is at $150 with proration). Sprint also announced they double their "Upgrade Fee" from $18 to $36 - that is if you attach a new or ref...
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Wow...please explain yourself..
I almost reported you to the moderator because the inaccuracies in your post...lol..
Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint all have nationwide plans, and have true unlimited plans, not just to mobile to mobile. Do the research on the websites, in the stores, online, whatever you want...I mean seriously, what were you looking at? Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, but if you are saying what I think you are saying, you are completely wrong.
Not only have these companies had these plans, but they have had them for a while. Now Sprint does offer a unlimited plan to mobile phones, but that is not the only plan that they offer.
And once again, US Cellular is not a "nationwide player"...do we really have to ...
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I almost reported you to the moderator because the inaccuracies in your post...lol..
Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint all have nationwide plans, and have true unlimited plans, not just to mobile to mobile. Do the research on the websites, in the stores, online, whatever you want...I mean seriously, what were you looking at? Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, but if you are saying what I think you are saying, you are completely wrong.
Not only have these companies had these plans, but they have had them for a while. Now Sprint does offer a unlimited plan to mobile phones, but that is not the only plan that they offer.
And once again, US Cellular is not a "nationwide player"...do we really have to ...
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