I have had service with many different wireless providers over the years. My first cell phone was an early Nokia model offered by what was then Southwestern Bell Wireless, which then became SBC Wireless, which became Cingular, which then became AT&T Wireless. I used them for a couple of contract cycles and upgraded to a Nokia 6150 during that time period. I really liked the service and the coverage, but as a working college student, I was always looking for a better deal.
My next cell phone service provider was VoiceStream Wireless, which later became T-Mobile, because they offered very affordable service plans. By this time I had gotten married and paying for two cell phones was a challenge on a couple of teachers’ salaries. What we found with T-Mobile, however, was that the service wasn’t available anywhere except for large metropolitan areas and along Interstate highways. Because my wife is from rural East Texas, it was hard to have a cell phone that wouldn’t work when we would visit my in-laws.