AT&T Buys Unicel, Vermont Gets iPhone
Confession: the US broadcast news networks I get up here in the frozen north come mostly from Vermont with a side of Northern New York. So, lo and behold, I caught part of the Burlington CBS station’s teaser last night, and the big news? They’re finally getting the iPhone 3G!
It means dozens of new jobs in Vermont and that the heavily-hyped iPhone will soon be here in Vermont. [...] AT&T officials say their products and services will be available at ten former Unicel locations in mid-January. They will honor current contracts for up to a year.
Is that the last state in the Union to get with the iPhone? Anyone else still missing out?
December 24th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Still no iphone in south dakota where i live. I live in sioux falls. Pop. of about 200,000. No at&t and no t mobile. so no iphone…no bold…no G1…
December 25th, 2008 at 3:28 am
I have a unicel wehre i live but no at&t. 3G?!
December 26th, 2008 at 9:10 am
The iPHONE is important but not the most important part of this deal… Now the GSM retailers and dealers in Vermont and Upstate New York will have one of the biggest names in the business, with a more competitive handset selection, on the regions number one network for coverage (Unicel has about 30% more coverage than the closest competitor here). iPHONE is not the messiah… it had a winning user interface that helped reshape the cellular phone UI in the present and for the future. VZW has always had the best coverage advertising could buy here… now we will be able to attract “grass is greener” customers that were reluctant to switch to “a smaller carrier” whose handset selection was juvenile by comparison. My 2 cents… M
December 28th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
About time! I was just back in VT for my grandfather’s birthday with my son and got AT&T branded coverage everywhere, but 611 didn’t work and TXT’ing was spotty. No 3G coverage, but I had WAY better coverage than Unicel customers with my Moto Q. Even was able to receive calls in Calais which is VERY rural.
Before this visit, I had to go out to the beach where my parents live to pickup towers across the lake in NY for AT&T coverage.
February 8th, 2009 at 11:57 am
att uses unicel towers…if you have coverage now you should have had it then. too bad, ATT is only honering plans for 1 year. Unicel had the best plans in the industry.
February 9th, 2009 at 10:09 am
MORE to Note for all former UNICEL 2 ATT migrants…If you owned your own phone outright under UNICEL you could have contract free mo 2 mo service… guess what? NOT with ATT!!! Thats right – if you have a phone you own outright (either purchased unlocked online or from a friend who got new and gave you their “old” one) YOU must SIGN A MIN 2 YEAR CONTRACT TO CONTINUE TO GET A SIGNAL ON YOUR PHONE!!!
I am sure this is illegal and anti consumer law enforcable… I have been on fcc url and called washington dc on this. FACT – same issue occured in recent past with someone going after VERIZON for saying they couldnt get service on their own phone without a contract- they were challenged and LOST big time. NOW anyone can bring their own phone to verizon and get it turned on without a contract… WHY DIDNT THE POWERS THAT CHANGED THIS WITH VERIZON MAKE THIS MANDATORY FOR ANY CELL CO???? why should it depend on someone GOING Shark attack on unscrupulous consumer practices one company at a time???? HOW DO YOU CHANGE THIS?
if i want i can change to the less receptive 3g phone type and move to verizon where NO ONE NEEDS A CONTRACT TO UTILIZE A PHONE THEY OWN OUTRIGHT… but 3G doesnt work here in rural mountain vt/ma border mayberry-rfdville.
WANT TO COMPLAIN AND CHANGE THE WAY WE GET SERVICE CONTRACTUALLY (MONTH TO MONTH V BI ANNUAL)? CALL OR VISIT http://WWW.FCC.GOV 1 800 649 2424
February 28th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
A friend with unicell changed over recently and was told that if you do NOT change over before year grace period, you do not aotomatically become ATT, you will be Verizon.
March 8th, 2009 at 11:13 am
From a customer’s standpoint here in Vermont, currently on Unicell – this merger means the same as any other merger: worse service and a higher bill.
April 7th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I’ve been waiting for years for Vermont to get service with AT&T. I used to have it, and AT&T kicked me off the network because I was basically roaming the whole time. I switched to Verizon, and pay out the wahzoo for phone service now. Can’t wait to get back on the family plan and get an iPhone like the rest of my family!
May 19th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Still no iphone in most of NH!