Monday, October 6, 2014

How to switch to AT&T (with your existing phone)

These I am thinking to switch my wife from Verizon to ATT where I get better offer but her Iphone5 64gb capacity is a problem to left behind with her old carrier,so I am getting deeper on this .to get the most information and from very serius resource,so far I feel lucky to have these two summary from the webpage whistleout.com


Summary: How to use your device on a new network if you plan to switch carriers.
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We’ve been championing the benefits of a BYOD cellphone plan for a while now – if you’ve got a handset that you’re still happy with, but want to ditch your current carrier, keeping your old device instead of buying a new smartphone on a contract can result in big savings.
But the problem here in the US is that the carriers themselves aren’t making it easy for customers to take their handsets to a rival’s network. Differing technologies and phone unlocking policies mean it can be confusing determining if your smartphone will work with a different network.

CDMA vs. GSM: a quick overview

Not all phones can be used on all networks, as US carriers don’t all run on the same kind of technology.
Cell phone companies operate under one of two types of networks; either CDMA or GSM. Out of the biggest US carriers, AT&T and T-Mobile run on GSM networks, while Sprint and Verizon Wireless use CDMA.
GSM-compatible phones use a SIM card, a small removable plastic card that stores the data needed to identify a subscriber on a wireless network. You can remove your SIM from your current phone and insert it into another compatible device, provided it’s either with the same carrier or you’ve ‘unlocked’ it from its original network.
In contrast, while phones running on CDMA networks can be unlocked from a network, they will usually need to be reprogrammed to work perfectly with a different carrier, as CDMA networks use electronic serial numbers to identify subscribers, and don't have a removable SIM card.
Below is an overview of taking your device from each of the four big carriers. Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of guesswork involved and much of it will depend on your exact model of cell phone.

AT&T phones

  • GSM carrier
  • Uses 700MHz and 1700/2100 MHz spectrums (bands 4 and 17)
  • Phones should be compatible with T-Mobile, although LTE speeds may be underwhelming
  • Phones can't be used on Sprint and Verizon networks
AT&T runs on GSM technology, meaning AT&T phones all come with a SIM card. This means that, in theory, you should be able to take your AT&T branded device to fellow GSM network T-Mobile – and for the most part, this is true.
The newer your phone is, the more likely you’ll have success switching from one carrier to another. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.
As T-Mobile and AT&T still run on different frequencies, your phone might not work as well with T-Mobile as it did on AT&T’s network. Voice calls and text messages should work well, but you may find that data speeds are slower than expected, even on LTE-capable devices in cites covered by T-Mobile’s LTE network.
However, if you’re prepared to give it a try, you’ll need to have an unlocked device to do so. AT&T will grant customers up to five unlocks on devices, provided each handset is fully paid off and no longer under contract.
Once your phone is unlocked, you’re free to take your business to T-Mobile and purchase a T-Mobile SIM. The carrier has plenty of info on its website as to which phones are compatible, so if you have your handset’s make, model and serial number, you can easily find out if you can make the switch.
However, if you have an iPhone, you’ll need to adjust settings on your handset in order to use the internet and send and receive MMS. T-Mobile has an easy to follow guide on their website here.
If you’re interested in taking your AT&T phone over to Sprint or Verizon Wireless, you’re unfortunately out of luck. Both carriers use the CDMA standard, so AT&T’s GSM devices are incompatible with Sprint and Verizon’s technology, and can’t be activated on either network.

Sprint phones

  • CDMA carrier
  • Uses 800MHz and 1900MHz spectrums primarily (bands 26 and 25), and 2.5 GHz for Sprint Spark (band 41)
  • Does allow devices to be used on selected Sprint resellers such as Ting
  • Phones will not work with Verizon
  • LTE devices and iPhones may work with GSM networks, although service possibly limited
  • Still not an 'unlock friendly' carrier
Sprint has recently launched a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ campaign for selected MVNOs (smaller wireless providers who operate on its network).
This means that some (not all) Sprint devices will be able to be used on either Ting or Boost Mobile (unfortunately, Sprint’s prepaid MVNO, Virgin Mobile, doesn’t accept phones from any other carrier – you’ll have to buy a Virgin Mobile handset to sign up for service).
Outside of carriers on the Sprint network, taking your Sprint phone to Verizon Wireless is more or less impossible. We’ve heard of people trying, but so far no success stories.
If you wish to take a Sprint device to T-Mobile or AT&T, you may be able to do so with LTE-capable devices and Apple iPhones...but there are no guarantees. Some handsets sold by Sprint are marked as ‘global’ phones, meaning they are also have room for a SIM card despite running on Sprint’s CDMA network and have dual CDMA/GSM capability.
As confusing as it is, if you can get your Sprint phone unlocked, there is a chance you can have it activated for service on a GSM network – but you’ll need to speak with your new carrier and ask whether they’ll accept the make and model of your handset.
Even if you do get the all-clear, getting your phone unlocked is the tricky part. While Sprint are happy to unlock phones for international use (provided the device is paid off and the customer’s account is in good standing), the company isn’t as enthusiastic about unlocking devices when customers wish to take them to another carrier. There’s more info about the unlocking process – and what a headache it can be – here.
And if you do manage to get your Sprint phone unlocked and find a carrier that agrees to let you bring it on to their network, it’s unlikely that the phone will work in quite the same way as it did on Sprint, due to the differences in carrier networks we’ve discussed above.

T-Mobile phones

  • GSM carrier
  • Uses 700MHz and 2100MHz spectrums (band 4)
  • Unlocked phones should work with AT&T
  • Phones will not work on CDMA networks
As T-Mobile’s devices run on a GSM network and use a SIM, it is possible to use them on another GSM network (specifically, AT&T).
As with AT&T, you’ll need to get your phone unlocked from T-Mobile before being able to use it on another network. Unlike other carriers, T-Mobile is a little more understanding about letting its customers free their devices from the network to take elsewhere. However, the carrier still reserves the right to declare your device ‘ineligible’ if it doesn’t meet certain criteria.
To unlock your phone from T-Mobile, it will need to paid in full and your account must be in good standing. The device must be active on T-Mobile’s network for at least 40 days before you can request an unlock, and customers are only allowed to ask for unlock codes twice every twelve months.
If you’ve successfully unlocked your phone, you should be able to order a compatible SIM card from AT&T, either online or in-store. Again, it’s not guaranteed that your device will work flawlessly on the network, although T-Mobile and AT&T do both use the Band 4, 700MHz frequency - so you should be able to access LTE as well as 2G and 3G.
As for taking your T-Mobile phone to Verizon or Sprint, the same rules apply as with AT&T. Generally,T-Mobile and AT&T-branded devices just aren't compatible with CDMA technology.

Verizon phones

  • CDMA carrier
  • Runs on C-block 700MHz (band 13) and 1700Mhz (band 4) spectrums
  • Phones will not work on Sprint
  • LTE devices may work on T-Mobile and AT&T's networks, but may not access LTE
  • Phones may be compatible with Verizon MVNOs
Like Sprint, Verizon is a CDMA carrier, so taking your Verizon device to another network isn’t at all easy.
However, Verizon’s 4G LTE devices will all come network unlocked as soon as you buy them, as the carrier’s LTE spectrum has different restrictions placed on it than its 2G and 3G networks. So some newer LTE devices - for example, the iPhone - may support GSM voice and data, if you replace the Verizon SIM with a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM card.
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees and, even if the SIM does work with a Verizon device, you may only be able to access that network’s 2G and 3G networks. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile all use Band 4 spectrum for their LTE networks, so accessing high-speed from a Verizon-sold smartphone on GSM carriers is possible - it all depends on which bands your device is compatible with.
In terms of moving to another CDMA network, some small Verizon resellers, such as IQ Cellular and Net10, may be compatible with pre-loved Verizon devices. But you’ll need to run your device’s ID number through their websites to determine eligibility.

As with moving from Sprint to Verizon, taking your Verizon device to Sprint isn’t yet possible. Despite both carriers sharing the same basic technology, Verizon devices won’t respond to Sprint service as the two networks are currently not compatible.

retrived from
http://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/BYO-phones-how-to-take-your-phone-to-another-carrier

Porting your number

You can also check that your phone number has the OK to be ported to an AT&T plan via the carrier’s web portal. Running a check won’t affect your current service at all, so you don’t need to wait until you switch to find out if you can take your number with you.
To port your number, your new carrier needs to offer service in the same location where that number originated – so unless you're moved since then, this won’t be a problem. The most important thing to remember is not to cancel your old service until your new AT&T plan is set up, otherwise you won't be able to port your number.
If you do plan on using your current phone with a new AT&T plan, you'll also want to back up your data and contacts (if possible) before moving your service.

Can I bring my own phone?

You’ll need an AT&T SIM to join the carrier’s network, but not necessarily a new device. If you bring your phone from AT&T, or another carrier that uses a SIM card (such as T-Mobile), then you should easily be able to insert an AT&T SIM and get up and running, so long as your device is network unlocked.
If you’re hoping to bring a phone from Verizon or Sprint, things get complicated. As both carriers run on CDMA technology –as opposed to AT&T and T-Mobile, both of which run on GSM – neither rely on SIM cards to activate devices. However, if your handset is listed as a ‘world’ phone – that is, it has built-in CDMA and GSM support and a SIM slot, which many devices do – you may be in luck.
At the very least, an unlocked Verizon device with a SIM card should be able to access AT&T’s 2G and 3G networks, and basic features like voice calls and texts should work fine. But if you’re hoping for LTE service on an ex-Verizon device, it’s trickier.

LTE compatibility

All LTE smartphones sold by Verizon now come network unlocked, which is great, but older devices may not be compatible with the spectrum of LTE that AT&T uses. Generally, newer devices, such as the iPhone 5s, theMoto X, and the HTC One M8 will all work on both Verizon and AT&T, due to being able to support the AWS spectrum (Band 4) which both carriers use.
Technically, some Sprint devices should be compatible with AT&T’s LTE network and both 2G and 3G service, but AT&T currently states that Sprint phones aren’t eligible for bring-your-own-device plans. So if your old handset was supplied by Sprint, you're probably going to have to shell out for a new phone.
To sum it up, if your phone is an unlocked GSM device, or an unlocked GSM/CDMA device that can run on a compatible LTE band (so for Verizon phones, Band 4), you should be able to use it with AT&T plans.

http://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/how-to-switch-to-att-and-even-bring-your-phone

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