US CELLULAR SWITCH TO CDMA

[Slickerdoodle]

When is US CELlLULAR going to switch their network to CDMA in the New England area. Vermont and NH and maine. Have they done it and when are they going to do it.

[liamfm]

I think its scheduled for this summer or fall of '03

Sure will be nice to be able to roam digitally on their towers (aka, Manchester, VT, etc)

[emag0rad]

USCC is working on it as we type. So much for Cingular's TDMA roaming partner in the Manchester area.

[northform]

They will still have TDMA service when the conversion is complete.

[emag0rad]

Originally posted by: northform They will still have TDMA service when the conversion is complete.

I meant long term, eventually TDMA will be phased out.
I'm involved with a transistion from TDMA to GSM - eventually TDMA will be shut-off when a certain percentage of customers have been transitioned to GSM - I would imagine USCC will do the same.

[liamfm]

There would have to be such a huge change in equipment both on the provider and the user side to phase out TDMA and ANALOG service in the next 5 years. GSM and CDMA technologies do not cover anywhere near the percentage of the country as digital services. There are many areas where analog is the only service availible currently, even when I had USCC I noticed this. TDMA providers and companies who offer nationwide calling plans (USCC, ATT, VZW, CINGULAR) would be SOL if they cut analog service, much less TDMA and analog. The GSM and CDMA infastructure just isnt big enough yet to offer good service to consumers without analog backup.

Yes, too bad for Cingular on roaming on USCC, although part of the towers will still be reserved for TDMA I'm sure USCC is trying to phase in CDMA shortly. Since I dumpped USCC for VZW this only makes my service better.

I just got off the phone with a VZW rep and was credited almost 30 dollars to my plan (I was calling to up my plan, but still) The lady was polite, although you knew she has stuff in her back pocket so to speak on the calling plans, she was polite and met my need on my very first call. I wish I could have said the same for USCC's customer service. I gave my old phone to my parents when I switched to VZW and they informed me that they will be canceling the service soon.

[emag0rad]

Originally posted by: liamfm There would have to be such a huge change in equipment both on the provider and the user side to phase out TDMA and ANALOG service in the next 5 years. GSM and CDMA technologies do not cover anywhere near the percentage of the country as digital services. There are many areas where analog is the only service availible currently, even when I had USCC I noticed this. TDMA providers and companies who offer nationwide calling plans (USCC, ATT, VZW, CINGULAR) would be SOL if they cut analog service, much less TDMA and analog. The GSM and CDMA infastructure just isnt big enough yet to offer good service to consumers without analog backup. Yes, too bad for Cingular on roaming on USCC, although part of the towers will still be reserved for TDMA I'm sure USCC is trying to phase in CDMA shortly. Since I dumpped USCC for VZW this only makes my service better. I just got off the phone with a VZW rep and was credited almost 30 dollars to my plan (I was calling to up my plan, but still) The lady was polite, although you knew she has stuff in her back pocket so to speak on the calling plans, she was polite and met my need on my very first call. I wish I could have said the same for USCC's customer service. I gave my old phone to my parents when I switched to VZW and they informed me that they will be canceling the service soon.

Most of the wireless users are in urban or suburban areas which are for the most part richly covered with digital services such as CDMA, GSM, iDEN and TDMA. The transition from digital to analog (where 95% of the users were using a digital service) usually occured with in three to three and half years from the day digital service was turned on in a particular market.

USCC will be running both techs simultaneously.

[northform]

Eventually TDMA will be gone, but all current tech might be gone by then. I just don't think that wireless providers want to loose customers in the conversion (or TDMA roaming - I'm sure that US Cell gets a lot of money this way). I'd say they'll support TDMA for a minimum of 2 more years. Just a guess/hunch though.

[lacrosse76]

Originally posted by: liamfm Sure will be nice to be able to roam digitally on their towers (aka, Manchester, VT, etc)

Looking at verizons new prl, they seemed to have removed the digital extended network roaming from US Cellular in vermont... Its listed as analog only now. So when USCC is cdma in vermont, verizon looks to still be using analog.