32 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981
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The Telecom Digest for August 24, 2013
Volume 32 : Issue 180 : "text" Format
====== 32 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 21:55:49 -0700
From: Bruce Bergman <brucebergman@gmail.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: MetroPCS 4G Service Issues
Message-ID: <CACqS806sZtphUsM-M5sp7eWWUTSQOY3zW4czdot4JJF-vE2Nzw@mail.gmail.com>
On Mon, 19 Aug 2013 19:00:41 +0000 (UTC) in article <kutq0p$p65$
1@reader1.panix.com>, richgr@panix.com (Rich Greenberg) wrote:
>In article <kuooj5$tuh$15dr201308171953@telecomdigest.net>,
>unknown <arnie.goetchius.remove-this@and-this-too.att.net> wrote:
>
>[...]
>
>>I have a pre-paid T-Mobile that does not work in my basement office near
>>exit 114 of the Garden State Parkway. However, I do get AT&T in the
>>basement so I'm probably going to switch my unlocked T-Mobile over to
>>AT&T. My cost with either one is about $100 per year so price is not an
>>issue but dependable service is.
>
>If you have DSL or cable or similar internet available, talk to
>T-Mobile about getting a Femtocell (AT&T's name). Its a little box that
>acts as a cell site.
Another solution is a Home Cordless Phone system that has a "Connect to
Cell" (Bluetooth) feature - Uniden, AT&T and Panasonic et al have them.
Then you leave the Cellphone in it's charger on the 2nd Floor next to the
Cordless base station, and put a cordless charge cradle and a handset in
the basement office.
If the physical phone has to be down there, they make several versions of
amplified boosters you can put in the basement. A small local antenna on
the amplifier box (your cellphone thinks is the Tower) 75' of coax up to
the roof, and either a directional antenna aimed at the best base station,
or an Omni antenna if they like to drop that close one for maintenance
often.
Like Rich G says, the MicroCell / PicoCell / FemtoCell from your carrier
might be necessary if you can't get coverage anywhere inside the house at
all. Normally the carrier charges you for it - but if you have a 2-year
contract and threaten to cancel for a service that works for your location
far better, you can probably shame them into giving it to you as "Customer
Retention". Problem, though - for a Prepaid phone they have no incentive
to do anything, you could still leave any time.
--<< Bruce >>--
Note: e-mailing a backup copy to Moder8 for the queue - Agent APN hasn't
been working properly on Moderated groups for some time - and now Gmail
won't take the e-mail from Agent without a STARTTLS command first...
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 01:16:06 +0000 (UTC)
From: danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: t-mobile service option, was: MetroPCS 4G Service Issues
Message-ID: <kv14cm$hjj$1@reader1.panix.com>
[snippeth]
>>> I have a pre-paid T-Mobile that does not work in my basement office near
>>> exit 114 of the Garden State Parkway. However, I do get AT&T in the
>>> basement so I'm probably going to switch my unlocked T-Mobile over to
>>> AT&T.
>>
>> But then you're in a basement - of a building that likely has rebar and
>> screening - an effective Faraday cage!
>
>This a 2 story residential colonial with a basement with cinder block
>walls so I don't think there is any rebar or screening in the
>walls. If I'm in the basement and go to "Network Selection", the only
>thing I see on the "Network List" is AT&T. If I go to the second
>floor, I can see both AT&T and T-Mobile on the "Network List" with no
>problem. Even though I am retired AT&T, I still prefer T-Mobile but
>only if it works in the basement.
This is exactly the situation TM addressed five or so years
ago. Maybe ten by now.
They offer numerous phones that include a "UMA" ("unlicensed
mobile access") option (now also called "Generic Access Network").
That's a big phrase that simply means... the phones can either
operate over the regular TM cell network (or roaming partner
where appropriate), or...
... or, can also, hook up to any [semi] open WiFi signal.
The UMA (WiFi) connection is seamless and transparent [a],
and looks, sounds like, and smells like... you're on the
regular cell network. You can make and receive calls
using your basic phone number, etc.
A basement with bad cell service but a good internet WiFi
signal is exactly the sort of situation this is good for.
- also, while this is great in your NJ basement, you can
just as easily be using a WiFi signal in.. toronto, or
tel aviv, or tashkent. At "local" (US) rates...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_Access_Network
[a] the usual caveats about internet bandwidth, latency,
jitter, packet loss, etc.
Note that other carriers are now offering femtocells (low
powered/short range) "bases" which you can similarly hook
up to your internet connection. There are additional expenses
(sometimes monthly, too), and you have to physically carry
it over to where you'll be using it.
--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 04:30:59 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Behind the Cover Story: Peter Maass on How He Got the Very Secret Laura Poitras to Open Up
Message-ID: <p06240817ce38d87a5869@[10.0.1.3]>
Behind the Cover Story: Peter Maass on How He Got the Very Secret
Laura Poitras to Open Up
By RACHEL NOLAN
AUGUST 19, 2013
Peter Maass, a contributor to the magazine, wrote this week's cover
story on Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald, the two journalists to
whom Edward Snowden leaked material concerning N.S.A. surveillance
programs. Maass is the author of several books, most recently "Crude
World: The Violent Twilight of Oil,'' and is working on a new book
about surveillance and privacy.
...
http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/19/behind-the-cover-story-peter-maass-on-how-he-got-the-very-secret-laura-poitras-to-open-up/
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