I have already decided that I want to purchase a Blackberry Curve. My dilemma is which service provider to choose - AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, or T-Mobile. I would like to purchase a plan that includes unlimited email, texting, and internet. Also, it would be nice to have a provider that has knowledgeable techinical support representatives. Please provide some insight on which provider you chose, and what you like about them?

Coverage, coverage, coverage.
Nothing matters if you don't have good coverage where you live, where you work, where you travel to, and where you play.
Determine which carrier you want, then choose the device and the plan.

Having the nicest BB, with the carrier with the best technical support doesn't matter one bit if they don't have excellent coverage where YOU need it most.

that is very true. i have been through tech support from tmo and sprint. i can say that both have excelent support if you get the right people. but as it is with any company *cough microsoft* youll get some people who are complete dumbf*cks and have no clue what you are telling them. but those 2 have good support from my experience.

but coverage is the main thing to be concerned about map your areas off use and make sure u got coverage in them all then select ur phone

Another vote for coverage first. Look at where you use the device - where you live, work, travel and play.

As with any thread like this -- pick your carrier based on coverage first (notice a trend?).

The BEST for coverage is T-Mobile and AT&T... Both have great tech. support and great coverage! Go with one of those!

That couldnt be further from the truth. While these two maybe great for you for some they are the worst. I cant get a signal on either one in 30% of the areas I work and travel. While I get a signal 98% of the places I work and travel with Verizon.

So to the OP go with the carrier that gives YOU the best coverage.

ha, does any service provider have knowledgeable tech support?


but yes, go with the SP with the best coverage in your area.

tmobile...cheapest full data plans, good coverage and great support

Just to add one more opinion to the thread:

Coverage for YOU should be the first factor in the decision. Without coverage, it doesn't matter if the plan is cheap or customer service is good.

Don't evaluate coverage based on people posting online - unless there's some kind of major coincidence, they're not your next door neighbors, and don't frequent the same routes that you do. Every time my contracts come up for renewal, I tend to check in with friends, neighbors and work associates who have similar commutes, and I compare notes re: coverage, dropped calls, customers service, etc.

In my case, T-Mobile has been the best deal for many years - since Voicestream days. I've reevaluated each contract renewal, and keep coming back. For me, the coverage is excellent, uptime / availability is excellent, and customer service is generally excellent. Sure - I get the occasional dweeb who really shouldn't be in customer service, but 99% of the time T-Mobile customer care is quick, responsible - and when I escalate I can get on the line with real techs who truly understand the device I'm using (be in my old MDA with windows mobile) or any of my Blackberrys). I am also pleasantly surprised, more often than not, when T-Mobile comps me with free minutes as "their way of saying thank you" at the end of a service call. For example: A recent project had me burning most of my 1,000 minutes with still another week to go in the month: the customer care rep looked over my history and suggested that it might not make sense to upgrade to the next tier yet -- and instead gave another 250 free minutes for EACH of my three lines, and the unused ones carried over into the next month as well. I didn't ask - but it was offered and accompanied with a "thank you for being our customer". Now THAT is customer service.

The pricing has been great for me as well:

I only have blackberry service on one of my lines via T-Mobile, and it is costing me $19.95 a month on top of the voice plan. That provides unlimited BIS and unlimited data.

I have a grandfathered messaging add-on that, for $9.95 a month, allows up to 5 in my family plan (which we use for business) unlimited messsaging of any type (SMS, MMS, etc). As long as I'm a T-Mobile customer, I can keep that simple $10 monthly charge grandfathered in.

All told: T-Mobile has provided me with excellent coverage, customer service, uptime and pricing. But I *do* know people for whom the coverage doesn't work, and I *do* get envious when AT&T or Verizon gets new devices first -- but that's not enough for me, personally, to consider switching. If I have to wait a few more months to get a subsidized 9000, so be it.

In the end:
- do some homework on coverage for YOUR personal needs
- eliminate the carriers that don't cover you well
- compare features and pricing

- Jon

TMO is certainly much better than at&t.