How long will IDEN last?

[rjniles]

I am considering changing to NEXTEL. There IDEN 800 mHZ is the only service that works at my home (outlying Georgetown County SC). However I have heard that now that SPRINT owns NEXTEL they will be converting all sites to PCS (CDMA 1900mHZ). Any one have any insight as what will happen to my service? Will SPRINT increase CDMA coverage to get to the old IDEN locations? Also if I buy a IDEN phone, will SPRINT replace it with a CDMA model?

[budney]

I think the key word is adding, not replacing. Sprint will be adding CDMA to Nextel sites for a while. If you need to switch to Sprint in the future, they will work with you but don't expect them to give away the farm. You will have to probably switch plan and don't expect any more discounts over what a new customers.

[Fire14]

I think you have time, I believe they weren't talking about removing iDEN till 2010 or somewhere around that time.

You could go with one of the new combo phones, that has CDMA for talk & iDEN for PTT abilities, if Sprint has coverage at your house, if not then go with a straight iDEN phone for now.

As Budney stated, eventually they will decide to convert everything to CDMA & will make you change over.

[TelcomJunkie]

Personally, I think once Qchat is released and the bugs worked out they will stop signing up new subscribers to the Nextel network. All new subscribers will be brought directly onto the CDMA network. If you sign up for the iDEN network now, they've stated they'll support the network till at least 2012 but that could be subject to change it they've migrated most people off before that point.

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by TelcomJunkie

Personally, I think once Qchat is released and the bugs worked out they will stop signing up new subscribers to the Nextel network. All new subscribers will be brought directly onto the CDMA network. If you sign up for the iDEN network now, they've stated they'll support the network till at least 2012 but that could be subject to change it they've migrated most people off before that point.

Thanks for the date, I wasn't positive of when they were talking about.

I also agree, once they get the Qchat working right they will go this route, it would only make sense.

[Rollindown95]

so is IDEN kinda "old school" i mean 800mhz is not the hippest thing currently out when it comes to cell phones is it? i thought nextel technology was the most current and updated and advantageous over cmda stuff, whats the deal?

[TelcomJunkie]

Originally Posted by Rollindown95

so is IDEN kinda "old school" i mean 800mhz is not the hippest thing currently out when it comes to cell phones is it? i thought nextel technology was the most current and updated and advantageous over cmda stuff, whats the deal?

The frequency has nothing to do with the technology. iDEN, in it's basic form was developed in the late '80s early '90s. It's had a few updates to add features such as text messaging but it's really the same as it was over 10 years ago. The other technologies, GSM and CDMA, while their theory is old. The current implementations of them were designed in the late 90's and deployed within the last few years. The technologies that both are migrating to, UMTS and EVDO is a more recent advancement of existing theories and practices. iDEN, 15 years later - Is still the same.

[strunke]

You should be fine to go with iDen for now. Unless you are looking for good data speeds. Are you sure Alltel doesn't work at your house? They are also in the 800 in most areas.....although iDen is just a little lower then even Alltel, so it is possible that if you have a weak but usable Nextel and Alltel is on the same tower or nearby it may not be better. But have you checked into Alltel at all?

[SmArTeStChIlD421]

yeah make sure you check all of the providers.......

Cingular
Verizon
Sprint
Nextel
Alltel
US Cellular

make sure you check them all cuz you could get a good deal........but here is my recommendation because im sure everyone else here will agree.........if you go with Sprint.........go to this site:

http://www.sprint.com/sero

then there will be 2 halfs to the site....on the right is the Nextel side........enter in either:

savings@sprint.com

-or-

openaccess@sprint.com

then select phone......and pick a phone.........then select one of the employee referral plans.....these will give you up to 65% off their standard plan prices.......


if you sign up for that one year contract now........you can be on Nextel until 2009..........then you can switch over to the Sprint side cuz by then the should have Sprint service in your area with the rate they are building towers........


keep in mind that the hybrid phones suggested by others in the beginning of this thread cant be used with a SERO plan.........why i dont know.......all i know is when i test drove the site the hybrid handsets werent listed............my guess s that it is an issue in the billing system

anybody know why that is.???????

ohh and also.......if good Sprint coverage comes to your area sooner.........you are allowed to switch to the opposite network at no charge.......they will not charge you an Early Termination Fee although they will make you sign a brand new contract but wont put and extension on your existing one.........im not sure but even though you would be keeping your number......they might charge you an activation fee.....

[bonoriffic]

iDEN is on life support. The iDEN division within Moto has recently seen massive layoffs. That said, iDEN is the technology and Nextel/Boost are the carriers. The carriers aren't going to turn off a perfectly fine system that is generating them money. Think of iDEN as a 5 year old car. It is paid for, runs fine, but isn't brand new anymore. You can expect to get many more years of great performance, but one day you'll have to trade it in.

[TelcomJunkie]

Originally Posted by bonoriffic

iDEN is on life support. The iDEN division within Moto has recently seen massive layoffs.

I'd hope so... there hasn't been any revolutionary upgrades to iDEN in the last four years...

[SmArTeStChIlD421]

people make these investments with the hopes that the technology will keep improving.......once they cant expand upon it anymore.........you have to move on.....

[Connex]

Bottom line people iDen is not going to where, the future plan, is with nextel, is to stop the use of calls on the iDen network

As you can see on Nextels coverage map, they have little coverage,so nextel is not good in that field, the thing that there really good at and they work to perfect is the PTT feature.

Sprint plans for Nextel is this. A little after there going to make all of Nextel Hybrid, just like the Ic502, all of Nextel is gonna be hybrid, Nextel for cherp and Sprint for calls that about it.


The thing that i want Nextel Customers to worry about is the, keeping a Nextel to the side, because if u dont, once nextel becomes all hybrid, Nextels phones wont be sold ever again, so customers look out.

[SmArTeStChIlD421]

yeah thats what i thought before and thats how i figured it would stay...........with Sprint as voice and data and Nextel as chirp but some educated people who did contract work for Sprint and even a Sprint employee or two have told me otherwise cuz in case you havent noticed.........Sprint is rolling out EV-DO Rev A to pave the way for its QChat service which is almost identical to the PTT except for the platform difference

the QChat is a lot like the DCirect Connect in that it doesnt use servers like Cingular and Verizon and Sprints old ReadyLink service.......this will bring customers over eventually

and also in another thread there is a convo going on about how CDMA and GSM are rapidly expanding and are becoming more complex and are beginning to handle more..........iDEN is the only technology that hasnt made any advances.................sure people love the Direct Connect.........but by the description of QChat its prolli gonna be just as good if not better than the Direct Connect.........so im sure that iDEN is gonna definitely fade out eventually..........most people i have heard from are saying that they will keep iDEN running through 2012 so im gonna say that they are gonna do forced migration by 2015 or 2016..........cuz by then Sprint will a force to reckon with