Call Priority and Wireless Priority (WPS). Are they the same thing? I'm getting mixed answers from friends. Some say it's the same, others no. One side says Call priority is something on your phone that's added and the higher the # your phone is assigned (both at the company and on your phone), the more likely the call will go through (you will either bounce someone else off the system with lower priority than you or else the call will go through before anothers with lower). You're assigned a number from 1-6. This is always on your phone and always in effect. This service proper paperwork is given to Nextel (I'm told only nextel has it along with the walkie-talkie service priority) and they fix it. For WPS, http://wps.ncs.gov/ You need to punch *272 before each call (during an emergency) and the call will go through. This service proper paperwork is given into the WPS and they contact the cell provider to add it. I'm a paramedic and have Nextel both for personal and work. On each bill I pay three dollars more and it's listed at "Public Service Value Package L3." Howevere nobody at Nextel knows the difference or if they're both the same! Yet, they know how to hook it up!!! Ideas here?
call priority is different from wireless priority: say for example you have sprint and virgin mobile.....virgin mobile piggybacks on sprints home network if there is a virgin mobile phone and a sprint phone making a call at the same time on the same tower.....the sprint phone would have the higher call priority say for example T-Mobile customer is roaming on Cingular......a cingular and a T-Mobile customer make a call at the same time on the same tower......cingular has the higher call priority WPS callers are callers that have filed for their status....if a number has been tagged as a WPS caller than all providers have to give them top priority if I understand correctly. ....even in states of national emergency. for example......i have a t-mobile phone and i attempted to make a phone call on new years eve......6 times it blocked the call saying that the network was busy. i borrowed my dads phone and asked him if i could make calls on his phone and he said yes......it blocked the call 3 times....the 4th time the call went out and was then dropped i asked one of the other guys if i could borrow their nextel.....he was a cop and had applied for WPS calling......the call went straight out.....this was at 12AM on new years eve. however even when i placed the call.....my cingular friend still couldnt receive the call cuz the tower that he was on as jammed and it didnt even forward me to his voicemail....it just beeped a couple times and dropped itit was definitely his phone though cuz it was ringing....and....according to consumer reports.... "cingular circuits have been known to overload quickly" ........obviously not directly quoted since i dont have the direct issue any more but it was something like that
OK, that makes sense! One thing confuses me though as on my Nextel (I'm a Paramedic) each month I pay 3 bucks extra and it says "public Safety Value Package L3" and I joined through work and they signed me up (I use the phone for personal and work, technically it's my private phone as I pay the bill). Before I had that I'd have a bugger of a time making calls (I'd get the same message both verbally and on my phone that the network was busy and a error code) at peak times both for work and personal. Now ever since I got that added my calls always go through and I've not gottten it. This even when I travel to the Philly area and use the phone at commuter times, and even once when leaving an accident on the Schuykill (you could see everyone on their phone), I called the hospital and the call went right through and it was just after 5PM on a Friday. WPS, I find is very difficult to get. Many people are not approved and where I work only the director has it. A friend is a trooper and he says only one person at his entire barroks has it. May I ask, when you used your friends phone with WPS. Did you just dial the number or did you punch in *272 then the number? If you did dial that *272 then it was true WPS. If not, then I think your friend has what I have the "public safety value package L3" on Nextel. L 3 is police, paramedics, etc. stands for Level 3. Level 2 is Military officials and Federal personnel with Gov. Respon. L1 is the President, Governor and Mayors and county commissoners. And there is L4 and L5 and L6. Higher the number the more more priority. I *think* this is Nextels system only (or what I'm told) and trying to verify. If you could please tell me how you made the call?
Yesterday at 3:39 PM (Tuesday) was the first in a LONG time (since I joined Nextel and had the Public Safety Value Package L3 added) that I got the message "system busy try again later, hit redial or exit" when I was trying to make a call. This I think was due to the storm and everyone using the tower. However it worked on the next dial and ever since.
Defination?? Is there anyone who works or who worked for Nextel and can tell me what exactly is the "Public Safety Value Package L3?" I've asked Nextel several times and each time I did I was told that I have it and it's available for all Public Safety workers and it helps direct connect and calls go through better. But asking the exacts of it, nobody has told me yet!
it might be the same thing as WPS calling....you know kinda like how nextel has direct connect and boost has the same thing but its called CHIRP
Smart: When you made the call on New Years Eve with your friends phone, did you just dial the number regular or did you punch in *272 before the number?
i agree.....the public safety value package from nextel is probably their personal form of WPS calling.....real WPS calling I believe is a government run thing.......if you want real WPS...you would probably have to go through the government and then submit some paperwork to your cell phone carrier cuz cell phone companies probably dont have access to public records about your jobs
No. Your ambulance/LE submits the paperwork on belhalf of you (on their stationary, etc.). Or else you can submit it yourself, but I'm told the chances of you getting it alone are slim to none if done this way (just what I was told on this).
It's my phone (I pay the bill and it's in my name) and I paid for it (but discounted). However it's authorized through work for Nextel (group connect, Public Services Value Package L3) and they gave in paperwork for me. Work it's used (in addition to my personal calls) to call hospitals to give info on incoming patients, calling the base/comm center, or a patient family.
ohhh ok........well i think everyone wishes they had WPS calling but if everyone had it........no one would.........lol
Right. However I was always under the impression it was for all first responders (WPS). And this leads me back to the Nextel system. I'd thought on the board at least one person would be from or work with Nextel and know more on it to give a definate answer.
Medic 7, This link may help answer some of your questions: http://wps.ncs.gov/ This web site discusses the Wireless Priority Service and also the 1-5 level classification system that the government uses. I believe Nextel uses the same system to classify their Priority Nextel Direct Connect. I have the Public Saftey Value Package L3 also on my account but I have the same problem when trying to find out exactly what this service for $3/month intitles me to. I'm almost sure that it involves the direct connect side of Nextel service and not the telephone side. I hope this helps you. I will be looking for any further discussions. Thanks!
According to the WPS Eligibility Criteria part of http://wps.ncs.gov/ "These criteria were selected to meet the needs of the emergency response community and provide access for the command and control functions critical to management of and response to national security and emergency situations, particularly during the first 24 to 72 hours following an event. WPS should only be requested for key leadership personnel and their direct supporting staff who are in NS/EP leadership positions. WPS is not intended for use by all emergency service personnel." Like I said before I have the Priority Direct Connect (I think) because I have the Public Safety Value Package for $3/month on my bill, but as far as the WPS I have not aquired that service as of yet because of the amount of paper work you have to get and then give the government and then they contact Nextel from what it appears.
I have a WPS mobile and GETS landline. Ask away...let's just say that on 9/11 I was able to make calls. NCS is a customer of mine. If anyone wants further info on some of the programs, PM me. My company's product was one of the technologies used in their Back Up Dial Tone/Route Diversity Project for wireless applications.
All, I work for Sprint Nextel and I believe I can shed some light on this issue. WPS is Wireless Priority Service. It is a feature very similar to the GETS system and it allows priority access to carriers towers on interconnect (cell) calls during times of network congestion. To be approved for this service you must submit a request to the National Communications System (NCS) via their website: http://www.ncs.gov and monthly service and per use charges apply (generally $4.50 per month and $.75 per call for most carriers). Public Safety Value package - level 3 is a package offering on Sprint Nextel iDEN phones of several Public Safety features including: Priority Direct Connect, Talkgroup scan, Priority Group Connect (for talkgroups) and Emergency Talkgroup. Other than Priority Group Connect, the remaining features require additional setup and/or special equipment to operate and are only used by limited groups. Additionally, the monthly recurring charge for WPS is reduced to $1 for units with a Public Safety Value package. Furthermore, although, bundled with other services, the most inexpensive way to purchase priority direct connect is the current setup you are under at $3 per unit. In the past the feature was sold as a standalone service for as much as $10 per month. I hope this helps.