From: johnl@iecc.com   
      
   >> That has everything to do with frequencies.  AT&T (GSM) and Verizon   
   >> (CDMA) are mostly at 800MHz, while T-Mo (GSM) and Sprint (CDMA) are   
   >> at 1900 MHz.   
   >   
   >All the carriers have space in both blocks in various places around the   
   >country, due to the rather messy spectrum auction process and M&A   
   >activity over the years.   
      
   Believe me, Sprint and T-Mo would love to get 800 spectrum, but it was   
   all handed out long before they were around.  T and VZ are the   
   corporate descendants of the telcos that got most of the 800 spectrum.   
   Some places T-Mo got 700 MHz in recent auctions, some places, like   
   here, they didn't.   
      
   >> The 800 MHz carriers have much better coverage because 800   
   >> propagates better than 1900.   
   >   
   >For cellular networks, that's not necessarily a good thing.  Ideally,   
   >you'd use 1800/1900 for small, urban cells and 800/900 for umbrella or   
   >rural cells.  But that's not how FCC spectrum auctions work.   
      
   No kidding.  Around here, what we need is just plain more cells,   
   regardless of band.  Doesn't matter what frequency a tower uses if   
   it's on the other side of a hill.   
      
   --- SoupGate/W32 v1.03   
    * Origin: LiveWire BBS -=*=- UseNet FTN Gateway (1:2320/1)