>> Any idea if this applies to those of us with GAIT phones that do GSM
>> as well as TDMA, and analog?
> The issue is that the new digital protocols use less than 1/50 of the
> radio bandwidth of a cell tower. So what they really want is for all
> the older analog phones to be tossed in the trash. But that would
> upset some folks. So this is a nudge for them to switch to s new
> phone. And I'm sure they'll "make a deal" if it helps you to switch.
Except my phone already does GSM. I called them, asked if I can just
keep the plan I have as GSM-only, and not is there no deal, the
cheapest plan they offer is ten bucks more than what I'm paying now.
Time to look at T-Mobile.
R's,
John
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I hope we can get a definitive answer
on this sometime soon. I'll tell you what my conversation was like
with them on Monday afternoon: After reading the original Monty
Solomon item here on Sunday, and the newswire item earlier Monday, I
called customer service to ask them. I have _two_ cellular phones from
Cingular Wireless, in a 'family plan' type of arrangement: both phones
draw from the same 500 minutes per month, share the same unlimited
nights and weekends arrangement, etc. The phone _I_ use is Nokia 6010
which is GSM exclusively. The other phone is GAIT, Nokia 65-something,
which is used by my caretaker, a fellow who now stays around here with
me when the nurse or the meals-on-wheels lady is not here. The Doctor
says it is good for me to have someone around much of the time, given
my poor health. So seldom was I using the cell phone in recent months,
there was a _huge_ amount of rollover minutes accumulating, so Raymond
(the caretaker) was given the GAIT phone to stay in touch with me when
he or I was out, etc.
Now the GAIT phone can do both the old style calls and the newer GSM
calls. I called customer service Monday afternoon to ask if this was
going to apply to me, at least to the GAIT phone. I was assured it
will _NOT_ apply to me. To those of you who are on contracts with
Cingular who wish to break their contracts, this might be an ideal
time to do so; after all, Cingular is changing the terms of their
contract with you. PAT]
John Levine (johnl@iecc.com)