Analog cell service nears the finish line By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY Regulators are poised to send the crackling and bulky analog cellphone to the scrap heap next February, denying a last-ditch appeal from a business group. The shutdown of analog wireless networks Feb. 18 will mean lost service or disruptions for 500,000 GM car owners with OnStar emergency wireless service, up to 1 million alarm customers and a few million diehards who refuse to trade in their analog phones. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is recommending the agency deny a petition by the alarm industry to delay the shutdown two years, FCC officials say. The industry says providers need more time to convert analog customers to digital. Most commissioners are likely to support Martin, officials say, noting alarm firms have had five years to upgrade subscriber equipment. They requested anonymity because commissioners have not voted on the matter. In 2002, the FCC permitted cellphone carriers to turn off their analog networks by 2008. AT&T and Verizon, the only two national carriers with analog systems, say less than 1% of their combined subscriber bases, or about 1 million people, still use analog handsets. Wireless carriers say it would cost several hundred million dollars to maintain the systems two more years, and the airwaves can be better used to improve digital coverage. Tell that to subscribers of OnStar, a General Motors subsidiary. About 500,000 OnStar customers have analog systems that can't be converted due to their cars' electrical designs, says Bill Ball, OnStar's public policy chief. Most are in 2002 or earlier GM models. OnStar features include emergency services, remote door unlocking and vehicle diagnostics. The company is offering a second free year of service to affected customers who buy an OnStar-equipped car. But that's little solace to Bob De Vries of Queens, N.Y., whose 2005 Buick Park Avenue will lose service Dec. 31. "A safety feature is supposed to be good for the life of the car," says De Vries, 68. A Pennsylvania couple are seeking class-action status for their lawsuit against GM. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2007-04-15-analog-wireless_N.htm?csp=34
No more analog means more room for 3G improvements! Thank god the end is near for analog, I still can't believe that people haven't upgraded. Getting a new cell phone is one of the best feelings!
I feel the same, after a couple of months I get bored of my phone. We still have TDMA and analog running and some people love it. Ill be at a shopping center and see people with the old big blue Nokia 6100 series phone. Only thing is those phones seemed like the batteries lasted longer. Ever notice with new phones the battery seem to die when your 2 year is up, hmmm.
I used to have that problem when I had TDMA phones, but I have never replaced a battery on any of my GSM phones, and they all operate just as long on a charge as when they were new. I remember my old StarTac. After about 18 months the battery would only last about 5 or 6 hours. I ended up replacing the battery. On my V60t I needed a new battery, but I limped the phone along for like 2 months until I qualified for an upgrade. I didn't want to put $40 into a phone that was being replaced in 2 months. -Jay
The last analog capable handset that I had was the Motorola V325, and although I do miss the coverage that it was able to provide in my house, I don't miss the way it killed the battery life of the phone.
