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The Telecom Digest for August 9, 2012
Volume 31 : Issue 192 : "text" Format
====== 30 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 06:17:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: "John C. Fowler" <johnfpublic@yahoo.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: AT&T sets deadline for 2G sunset in 4 years
Message-ID: <1344431822.157.YahooMailClassic@web163902.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Replying to Message-ID: <157w78ewmxp86$.v01dqpy3u5c8.dlg@40tude.net>, which was a reply to <p06240838cc445b9565fd@[10.0.1.4]>.
tlvp wrote:
> So: what service(s) exactly is at&t classifying as "2G" here?
The information came from AT&T's 10-Q filing with the SEC, which states:
Also as part of our ongoing efforts to improve our network performance and
help address the need for additional spectrum capacity, we intend to re-
deploy spectrum currently used for basic 2G services to support more
advanced mobile Internet services on our 3G and 4G networks. We will manage
this process consistent with previous network upgrades and will transition
customers on a market-by-market basis from our Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM) and Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE)
networks (referred to as 2G networks) to our more advanced 3G and 4G
networks. We expect to fully discontinue service on our 2G networks by
approximately January 1, 2017. Throughout this multi-year upgrade process,
we will work proactively with our customers to manage the process of moving
to 3G and 4G devices, which will help minimize customer churn. As of June
30, 2012, approximately 12 percent of our postpaid customers were using
2G handsets. We do not expect this transition to have a material impact
on our operating results, but will continue to evaluate the financial
impact of transitioning customers from 2G devices to 3G or 4G devices.
They additionally define 4G as HSPA+ or LTE. I guess everything in the
middle is 3G.
John C. Fowler, johnfpublic@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 08:57:25 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Fastest texters in America face off in New York
Message-ID: <p0624080bcc4812939538@[10.0.1.3]>
Fastest texters in America face off in New York
August 8, 2012
NEW YORK-The nation's fastest texters are facing off in the annual LG
U.S. National Texting Competition.
Eleven contestants from all over the country are coming to Times
Square for the annual competition Wednesday afternoon. The winner
gets $50,000. Competitors range from 16 to 24 years old. Last year's
champion Austin Weirschke (Wear-Ski) is coming back to defend his
title.
...
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/08/08/fastest_texters_in_america_face_off_in_new_york/
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 13:36:48 -0400
From: "Michael D. Sullivan" <mds@camsul.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: AT&T sets deadline for 2G sunset in 4 years
Message-ID: <CA+K-Lfan9fQSQ5vwq+kF3VBSGj6PqvTpv=BDtCvbCNgujxK82Q@mail.gmail.com>
tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net>, in Message-ID:
<157w78ewmxp86$.v01dqpy3u5c8.dlg@40tude.net>, asks:
> So: what service(s) exactly is at&t classifying as "2G" here?
>
> GSM voice?
> CSD data?
> GPRS data?
> EDGE data?
> UMTA data?
> HSDPA data?
> HSDPA+ data?
> other?
2G includes GSM, GPRS, and EDGE. I have no idea what CSD is. UMTA
should be UMTS, which is 3G. HS(D)PA is 3G. HS(D)PA is characterized
as 3G or 4G by some.
Bill Horne <bill@horne.VALID-IF-THIS-IS-ELIDED.net>, in Message-ID:
<502131BF.9080002@horne.net> asked:
> More details, please: what is "2G", and how is it different than 3G or
> <n>G? Why would AT&T want to retire an architecture that represents
> billions in sunk costs which are probably not yet recovered?
2G is the initial 1990s generation of digital voice, before data was a
viable product. 3G is the faster, higher-bandwidth array of products
that are predominantly data-oriented. In the case of GSM-based
carriers, UMTS, also known as WCDMA, was the first real 3G technology
(EDGE was sometimes described as 3G, but it is now considered 2.5G at
best). The more advanced technologies enable more efficient
transmissions, allowing more conversations per MHz, so to speak.
Also, it is very unlikely that the "sunk costs" of 2G were not
recovered long ago.
> BTW, does this mean that AMPS is finally going away, that AT&T will
> phase out TDMA, or that some other branch of the "voice" cellular tree
> is to be pruned at the same time?
AMPS has been gone (at least from the major carriers) for years. AT&T
phased out the US-developed TDMA when it switched to GSM (which is
also a TDMA access technology) in the 1990s. The phaseout of 2G
(i.e., GSM) will end AT&T's use of TDMA.
--
Michael D. Sullivan
Bethesda, MD
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:22:12 -0500
From: pv+usenet@pobox.com (PV)
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: AT&T sets deadline for 2G sunset in 4 years
Message-ID: <O96dnQe4i93JM7_NnZ2dnUVZ_tednZ2d@supernews.com>
Bill Horne <bill@horne.VALID-IF-THIS-IS-ELIDED.net> writes:
>More details, please: what is "2G", and how is it different than 3G or
><n>G? Why would AT&T want to retire an architecture that represents
>billions in sunk costs which are probably not yet recovered?
If you had a first generation iphone, you know what 2g is like. It's not
a technology like a protocol, it's the hardware and backhaul that
supports it. Where did you get the idea that costs weren't recovered?
Considering how popular the iphone was even when it ran on that sucky
network, I don't think there's any amortizing to worry about. Nobody
wants that service now, even as a backup, because it gives an internet
experience that is almost worse than useless.
>BTW, does this mean that AMPS is finally going away, that AT&T will
>phase out TDMA, or that some other branch of the "voice" cellular tree
>is to be pruned at the same time?
Eh? Those are both retired technologies and have been for quite some time.
I don't think anyone even owns the spectrum to run AMPS/TDMA on analog
anymore. Dead like the dodo. *
--
* PV Something like badgers, something like lizards, and something
like corkscrews.
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:23:33 -0500
From: pv+usenet@pobox.com (PV)
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: AT&T sets deadline for 2G sunset in 4 years
Message-ID: <O96dnQa4i904M7_NnZ2dnUVZ_tednZ2d@supernews.com>
"John Levine" <johnl@iecc.com> writes:
>Because they want to make everyone get a new phone so they can try to
>upsell them to a more expensive plan than the grandfathered 2G plan
>they have now.
There is no such thing as a "2G plan". And if you've held out and still
have the original unlimited plan, you can still keep it. I've had the
same plan since I got the first iphone, and I pay the same amount as I
always have, and am still unlimited.
>>BTW, does this mean that AMPS is finally going away, that AT&T will
>>phase out TDMA
>
>They're long gone, shut down in 2008.
Yeah, thought so. *
--
* PV Something like badgers, something like lizards, and something
like corkscrews.
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:07:35 -0400
From: Pete Cresswell <PeteCress@invalid.telecom-digest.org>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Robocall claims to be from MCI
Message-ID: <jgs428pdn7teaeuu5kvdtivt8fg3do1k4n@4ax.com>
Per Ron:
>Over the last week or so, we've gotten several calls on our landline in
>which a recording tells us to call MCI immediately to verify information
>about our line or account or something. The number to call is
>1-888-221-3190. Did a reverse lookup on the #; appears to be a
>telemarketer. Anyone know about this? How to get it to stop?
Over the past year robocalls to our landline have become so
numerous that we have resorted to prefixing our answering
machine's message with the SAT tones and not picking up the phone
until we hear the voice of somebody we know.
IMHO it's going to continue to get worse until the providers will
offer some technological solution - but I would not hold my
breath until that day comes.
--
Pete Cresswell
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