Is the analog cellular system really shutting down all at once?

The FCC is requiring the cellphone companies in the United States have to keep the old analog AMPS system running until the sunset date on February 18, 2008. I’ve heard that Verizon and possibly other companies plan to cancel their analog service at that date. There are some concerns though from some non-phone companies with products that use the system, such as OnStar, or home-security systems.

Is it true, are they shutting AMPS down completely? I understand that digital protocols are much more efficient and that the have mostly switched over in the densely populated areas, but what about in the country? I though there were still rural areas served only by AMPS. It’s not clear to me whether CDMA or GSM is even capable of the same coverage as AMPS in rural areas. There are digital range limits based on time regardless of signal strength. I also don’t know whether one or the other is better at getting down into valleys and such.

I ask this because I’ve been using Verizon and I’ve always chose their “tri-mode” phones which have the analog backup. I want the best coverage possible in case of emergencies, and also I tell myself I’ll go on a trip to the mountains sometime. On the other hand, these days the “all-digital” phones are just soooooooo much cooler than the tri-mode ones. I was the always the grumpy guy who didn’t want a phone and then I didn’t want a fancy one, but now I may have succumbed to the temptation. Even my mom has a slick phone these days.

Oh, I really hope not. Himself and I have tri-mode phones, because they’re the only ones that work reliably for us where we’re located.

Hopefully some knowledgeable Doper will drop by and tell us our fears are unfounded. Or, if not, where we can lodge our complaints.

Yeah, they’re shutting them down. The two systems are a PITA for the cellphone companies to maintain, so analog’s getting the axe just as soon as they can. They probably would have done it before now if the FCC would let them.

If you’re upset by this, I suggest you write the FCC and your congress critter.

On the bright side, maybe this will be what finally motivates you to actually take that trip.

They shut down the Australian one back in 2000. Leading up to it, nobody believed they’d actually go through with it. They did. The sky didn’t fall in.

What?! Analog reception is the only kind I can get at my parents’ house or farther (middle to northern Michigan). That’s kind of crap that I pay $5 extra a month for roaming and then they are going to take down the towers that allow me to “roam”.

The FCC sunset date of Feb. 18, 2008 is the date where cell providers are no longer required to support analog service. Providers are not required to turn off analog service on this date. You can expect analog to disappear in urban areas where digital service is strong withing a few months of the sunset date. Rural areas will likely still have analog service for several years following the sunset date.

http://www.qualcomm.com/technology/assetmanagement/whitepapers/media/QUALCOMM-WP-AnalogOutlookintheUS.pdf

They won’t take down the towers, they’ll just put new transmitters on them.

Not to contradict Seydell, but the cellphone providers are wanting to ditch the analog stuff as fast as they can. I know that Cingular (now the new Death Star) is doing everything they can to force people with analog only phones to give them up. Folks with tri-mode phones won’t have to worry that they’ll have to give up their phones, but anyone who has an analog phone will be SOL.

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Is it true, are they shutting AMPS down completely? I understand that digital protocols are much more efficient and that the have mostly switched over in the densely populated areas, but what about in the country? I though there were still rural areas served only by AMPS. It’s not clear to me whether CDMA or GSM is even capable of the same coverage as AMPS in rural areas. There are digital range limits based on time regardless of signal strength. I also don’t know whether one or the other is better at getting down into valleys and such.

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Same situation in Australia, analog was switched off and many country area still don’t have coverage even with CDMA which itself is going soon.

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Here in Ireland, the analogue system is so dead they recently recycled the number prefix. All mobile numbers here originally started with 088, they’ve recently re-issued that prefix to a VOIP operator.

And for all you nice business owners out there with cellular backup on your burglar alarms… this might be a good time to check with your alarm company and make sure that you aren’t dependent on an older analog-only alarm panel.
I can name a few hundred thousand businesses that still need to make the switch…

Really? Interesting. Do you have addresses? If so, I have a business proposal I think you’ll find rather interesting. :wink:

It is my understanding that Cingular (the once and future AT&T) will be shutting down both their CDMA and AMPS networks, CDMA starting immediately and AMPS in February… at least, according to the increasingly persistent and frantic warnings in my monthly bill.

It is my understanding that every cell tower was required to have AMPS service, so you could roam almost anywhere… I just wish that the FCC had required them to install a common interoperable system in its stead, preferably something that operates over longer distances, like AMPS did. I don’t care if it’s expensive and not included in my minutes; I just like knowing that I can get a phone call out if I absolutely need to.

Sorry about that, my last post should reference AT&T’s TDMA network, not CDMA. So far as I know, AT&T does not offer a CDMA network at all.

Thanks!