Im currently with US Cellular and my area is going to be affected by the buyout with sprint. Would I have to get new phones? I have htc desire of which i dont think that sprint has and a sibling under my plan has recently got a Samsung Galaxy S3 of which I think Sprint carries. For me I would probably have to get a new phone, but would my sibling have to get a new phone or can it be transferable?
About the US Cellular buyout by Sprint...
- Thread starter pmb88
- Start date
Your phones will probably work just fine. If I had to venture a guess, they'll just let you keep what you have now until you would normally be due for an upgrade and you'll just pay contract price (they may force you to do so to move you to the new rate plans, but I doubt they'll make you do it before your contract is up.)
No, the phones will not be activated by sprint. the USCC GS3 supports different frequencies compared to Sprint and cannot access Sprints LTE network and thus Sprint will not support or allow it just like how they will not support or activate Verizon phones. You'll need to purchase a Sprint device to utilize Sprints network.
I looked up bands for both carriers and I'm pretty sure they are both the same.
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Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
I work for Target Mobile and both of my parents have us cellular. So I asked my sprint rep about if their current phones will work. He told me as far as he knows that they will not work. They will have to get new phones all together. Now that is just from a sprint rep. So take it with a grain of salt at that.
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Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Nope not close bro. Uscc uses lte in 700 range thanks to their lte parent company king street wireless. Sprint uses 1900 and soon 800 and 2500 bands.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus rockin 4.2.2 using Tapatalk 2
And yeah u have to get new phones but the good news that u guys shouldn't be complaining about is that not only do u guys get lte finally but u not only get the new customers discount but a sprint is giving uscc customers discounts as well. Ex the new HTC one is 99$ for new customers but u us cellular might pay less than that possibly dam near free lol. Things is looking real good for u guys that come to sprint. Look what I get on lte on the westside of Chicago.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus rockin 4.2.2 using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus rockin 4.2.2 using Tapatalk 2
Attachments
U.S. Cellular Info & Phones (Phone Scoop)
Sprint Info & Phones (Phone Scoop)
Both Sprint and USCC (in some areas) use 1900mhz PCS, but in other areas USCC uses 800 and Sprint uses 850. Never looked up / mentioned LTE.
USCC uses cellular 850 and Sprint uses SMR 800. Big difference between those two band classes and they're incompatible. The only thing the USCC GS3 is compatible with is PCS. LTE wise it "supports both 5 MHz x 5 MHz and 10 MHz x 10 MHz LTE bandwidths in bands 2/4/5/12 (i.e. PCS 1900 MHz, AWS 2100+1700 MHz, Cellular 850 MHz, and Lower 700 MHz)."
Sprint SMR 800 = 806-824- 851-896 MHz
USC Cellular 850 = 824.70-848.31 MHz
https://apps.fcc.gov/eas/GetApplicationAttachment.html?id=1729264
Sprint SMR 800 = 806-824- 851-896 MHz
USC Cellular 850 = 824.70-848.31 MHz
https://apps.fcc.gov/eas/GetApplicationAttachment.html?id=1729264
The reason Sprint is buying some of US Cellular is because they have Spectrum that Sprint already uses and plans to use it for increased capacity. The US Cell sites will get network vision same as every other Sprint site.
As far as devices, I'm not sure, but they will technically work, I'm not sure how Sprint will handle that, though.
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As far as devices, I'm not sure, but they will technically work, I'm not sure how Sprint will handle that, though.
Sent from my Sprint HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Sprint already stayed that they are gonna have to buy new phones.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus rockin 4.2.2 using Tapatalk 2
AFAIK, Sprint didn't buy the towers, just the spectrum and customers. Neither towers nor the network itself are part of the deal. The carriers very rarely own their own towers, anyway. They almost always lease them from other companies. It's possible that Sprint may buy the few towers that US Cellular owns, or that they may continue the leases, but it's much more likely that Sprint won't touch any of the towers. In fact, US Cellular towers often overlap Sprint coverage (especially by me in Schaumburg), so it would only cause more problems than it would solve. Sprint doesn't need the towers, anyway. Coverage was never really the problem. Sprint is already known for generous coverage areas. The problem was the spectrum and backhaul. Network Vision is fixing the backhaul problems, and this deal is fixing some of their spectrum problems.
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http://my.chicagotribune.com/#story/chi-us-cellular-sprint-switchover-20130426/
Sent from my still relevant Galaxy Nexus.
Sent from my still relevant Galaxy Nexus.
gnr_2
Well-known member
Sounds like US Cellular is essentially going out of business and during the transition period, their customers get to decide what carrier they want to move to. This only seems like a bad deal if you bought a phone at full price specifically to use on US Cellular. Otherwise you just need to pick another company.
Sent from my totally awesome Sprint Galaxy Nexus, even if I don't know all its secrets yet.
Sent from my totally awesome Sprint Galaxy Nexus, even if I don't know all its secrets yet.
Not at all. US Cellular is actually doing well for themselves overall. The problem is Chicago and the lack of spectrum here.
This article explains everything.
http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/...0-mhz-broader-in-the-city-of-broad-shoulders/
gnr_2
Well-known member
Oh. Alright. More like closing up shop in that area then. It's like if your Daewoo car dealer sold all their local locations to another dealer and since no one else services Daewoo, you can either buy a new car from the dealer that moved in, or pick a different dealer and buy a car from them. But, you have to do something if you want to keep driving because three months after they leave, all Daewoos on the road in that area will cease to work.
Sent from my totally awesome Sprint Galaxy Nexus, even if I don't know all its secrets yet.
I too am affected by the Sprint buyout of US Cellular. I have educated myself very well on all things cellular. The 2 networks are not compatible, so you both will have to get new phones. However, Sprint does have a buy back program so you can sell your phones to them to get a credit on the new phones. Currently the S3 is free through them; and we are supposed to be getting "robust" savings if we stay with Sprint. Hope this helps. 
Yes you have to buy new phones & sign a new contract with Sprint! Once the sale is final your US Cellular contract is void! Sale will be final between May 7th-17th.
Yes you will need to purchase a new phone. I am also under the area that will be affected and confirmed with both companies that our current phones will not work with sprint.
gnr_2
Well-known member
But you don't have to sign the new contract with *Sprint*; you can go anywhere. You no longer have a phone contract.
Sent from my totally awesome Sprint Galaxy Nexus, even if I don't know all its secrets yet.
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