klugja@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> John Navas wrote:
> > On Thu, 12 Oct 2006 14:23:13 GMT, Dave <daves1955@verizon.net> wrote in
> > <ldsXg.7596$W35.4923@trnddc06>:
> >
> > >Jer wrote:
> > >
> > >> I've heard unconfirmed rumors that Verizon is also ditching TDMA after
> > >> 1Q08.
> > >
> > >Verizon uses CDMA not TDMA.
> >
> > I'm guessing he meant AMPS, not TDMA.
> Not necessarily. Verizon bought Cellular 2000 of St. Cloud MN, and
> Cellular 2000 had TDMA customers. There was a time Verizon customers
> roamed on Cellular 2000 in analog mode, but not today.
>
> 1Q08 is when Cingular is supposed to shut it down too, I believe.
>
> The real question is when Verizon will not allow analog roaming
> anymore.
>
> GSM in rural Ohio is still spotty, let alone rural MN. And I go to
> both places.

I keep hearing about the inevitable shutdown of AMPS/TDMA systems. It
got me wondering about some of the non-voice mobile services that these
systems support. For example, GMs OnStar, which has been around since
the late '90s, is based on the cellular networks in operation at that
time. Undoubtedly, the newer OnStar systems use the current cellular
protocols, but I just don't see the older customers bringing their
Caddilacs in to the local Cingular store for an upgrade.

Worse yet, there are quite a few utilities that bought into remote meter
reading systems based on the cellular networks in existence back in the
mid-90s. I'm not sure what the contract terms are between the utilities
and the network operators. But I don't see the remote metering equipment
being upgraded and I don't see anyone making plans to do so.

Many other cellular-based telemetry systems were sold to various
industries back in the old days and I just haven't seen much of it being
upgraded. I'm wondering if the analog systems are really going dark, or
if the network operators are just trying to throw consumers off of them.

--
Paul Hovnanian mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com
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