This post is one of a series. Get up to speed:

• Part 1 - why switch?

My first call was to Joel at Dr. Wireless; he’s extremely knowledgeable about mobile carriers and specifically Symbian devices. Could he source me an unlocked Nokia smartphone and set me up on AT&T Wireless? The handset was easy (and a great price) but he was at a loss for suggesting a data plan. AT&T offers too many and their features overlap.

I contacted AT&T Wireless by telephone and explained what features I wanted from my data plan. All said, a plan equivalent to T-Mo’s $20 would cost me $70 per month. I asked the AT&T rep what more I was getting for it to cost three times more than T-Mobile’s (and, btw, AT&T’s wi-fi hotspots cost even more). He spouted a bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo that might have impressed anyone else and didn’t amount to squat.

So began the negotiation game but he was firm: no deals. The price is the price and if you don’t like it, stay with your current carrier. AT&T is emerging as the Verizon Wireless of GSM carriers: charge a lot and deliver little value compared to the competition.

Thus began a number of calls to AT&T with surprising outcomes. Not only is AT&T arrogant but they’re slippery. Very slippery. Stay tuned for part 3.

Related posts:

• Switching to AT&T Wireless ain’t easy to do - part 1
• Switching to AT&T Wireless ain’t easy to do - part 5
• Switching to AT&T Wireless ain’t easy to do - part 4
• Switching to AT&T Wireless ain’t easy to do - part 3
• Nokia E61 as a wireless modem for your Mac

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