Alltel joins Sprint Nextel in requesting E-911 handset delay

[TNDan21]

Alltel joins Sprint Nextel in requesting E-911 handset delay
By Jeffrey Silva
Oct 3, 2005

WASHINGTON-Alltel Corp. said it will not meet the Dec. 31 enhanced-911 handset deadline and asked the Federal Communications Commission for a year-and-a-half extension.

"Alltel has initiated numerous marketing and communications campaigns encouraging consumers to upgrade their handsets, including eliminating fees, reducing prices for handsets, and using promotional campaigns through bill inserts, retail outlets and the company's Web site to encourage conversion," the company said. "However, customers in Alltel's predominantly rural areas, and many of the company's low-usage customers, have resisted converting to location-based handsets."

The FCC requires wireless carriers that chose E-911 handset solutions to have 95 percent of their in-use handsets capable of locating subscribers (within 50 meters 67 percent of the time and within 150 meters 95 percent of the time) by Dec. 31. Alltel said about 85 percent of its consumers will have E-911 capability by that date. The carrier asked the FCC to extend the deadline to June 30, 2007.

Last week, Sprint Nextel Corp. petitioned the agency for an additional two years to meet the E-911 handset requirements on its iDEN networks. In July, CTIA, the largest mobile-phone association, and the Rural Cellular Association asked for an E-911 rule waiver because various members of their organizations cannot meet the Dec. 31 handset deadline.

http://www.rcrnews.com/news.cms?newsId=24373

[Jay2TheRescue]

I'm suprised that they didn't pull one of those "If you don't upgrade your handset by dec 01, you may experience a loss of service" like Cingular did in some markets to get people off GAIT handsets. Certainly they can say that they won't support the old handsets after a certain date.

[WirelessBeachBum]

Many alltel customers I come across have analog bag phones and car phones still. Not to mention allot of really old equipment. More old equipment than I see with any other carrier.

I think it is a side effect of not have anything like "New Every Two" or other programs for equipment replacement in place. Plus having most markets in rural areas doesn't help either.

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I'm suprised that they didn't pull one of those "If you don't upgrade your handset by dec 01, you may experience a loss of service" like Cingular did in some markets to get people off GAIT handsets. Certainly they can say that they won't support the old handsets after a certain date.

They may have to go this route if the FCC won't give them the extension, especially since the people have been disregarding the incentives that Alltel has been offering.

[MOTOhooligan]

Originally Posted by WirelessBeachBum

Many alltel customers I come across have analog bag phones and car phones still. Not to mention allot of really old equipment. More old equipment than I see with any other carrier.

Yeah, and combining with CellularONE-Western Wireless didn't help with that. In fact, WWC probably had a higher percentage of customers on analog phones than Alltel did.

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I'm suprised that they didn't pull one of those "If you don't upgrade your handset by dec 01, you may experience a loss of service..."

Originally Posted by Fire14

They may have to go this route if the FCC won't give them the extension, especially since the people have been disregarding the incentives that Alltel has been offering.

I guess I sort of understand why people wouldn't take advantage of a new phone when their DPC 650 MicroTAC, 3-watt Bag Phone, StarTAC 3000, Nokia 252, etc. still workswell for them. And, on top of that, they see people around them struggling with .3-watt digital handsets, why would they "upgrade?" I think Alltel may have to stop service to non-E911 compliant handsets until 90% of their network is compliant, otherwise there is no way they will be able to meet the 90% goal.