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Saturday, February 16, 2008

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Analog Sunset Coming On Monday

- Matt Faulkner

topiccellphone This is something that I really didn't know about till the other day that might be interesting to know...  Monday is the day that those old analog networks for cell phones are going to be shut down.  I didn't really know they were still being used or even on.  I wonder how much it has been costing these companies to keep these things up and running??  I would assume that would mean that their operating costs would go down right?  Does that mean my rates will go down? :)

The biggest U.S. mobile operators, AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless, will close down their analog networks that day. At the same time, AT&T will turn off its first digital network, which uses TDMA (Time-Division Multiple Access) technology. (Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA don't have analog networks.) Calls to some small, rural mobile operators indicated that most of them plan to shut down AMPS, too.

I do have one question though - I remembering donating my old phones to some organizations that gave phones to different organization like battered women.  I hope that all of these organizations have been replacing all those phones in time for this cutoff...

Wow - remember those old Motorola Startec phones?  I think I still have an old Motorola v60 hanging around (who else replaced about 5 antennas with that phone??) - also one of those old Grey Motorola flip phones with the green numbers...  poor analog, you served us well.

Via Slashdot




2/16/2008 2:24 PM MST  

Analog Sunset Coming On Monday     Comments [4]  |  Digg This |  del.icio.us |  Citations 
Saturday, February 16, 2008 10:49:06 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)
I *think* those organizations that accept cell phones stopped taking analogs a couple of years ago. I remember donating a TDMA phone and an ancient analog in about 2005, and they only credited me for the digital. I suspect that they've seen this one coming and are ahead of the curve-- have been for a while.
Mike
Sunday, February 17, 2008 11:25:06 AM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)
I also think it means the end to some very early Onstar systems as well. Some, apparently are still in use and can not be upgraded....unless you buy another Caddy.

David
DaveTN
Sunday, February 17, 2008 11:17:20 PM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)
You mean my bag phone won't work anymore?
SAM
Monday, February 18, 2008 8:23:58 AM (Mountain Standard Time, UTC-07:00)
Until about four years ago, digital coverage between population centers here in Minnesota was so poor that I would not even consider owning a phone that couldn't switch to AMPS in the absence of a CDMA signal (I was with Verizon at the time).

Now, in many of those same former digital deadspots, I can surf on my iPhone.

I'm sure that this decision will still be controversial, that there are still places digital doesn't reach well yet that will result in unhappy customers when AMPS goes down. But really, it had to come sometime, and I think there's sufficient digital coverage now that it should be mostly OK.
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