Analog Cellphone Network Deprecated on 2/18/2008

[wucherer]

Analog Cellular

Can you still receive analog Cell Phones on an unblocked scanner anymore or are all analog cell phones out of service?

I have an old ic-24at which receives all of 800 MHz but listening to cellular conversations are dicey because those calls jump from one tower to another during the mobile conversation. There are those few conversations but its interesting to hear baby monitors more than the passing tower communications. *grin*

 

[Bote]

Analog dying on the vine

The major carriers have been removing analog radios from sites for the last several years. Whereas they might have had 10 or 20 analog radios in each site, they now have 2 or only 1.

So that particular site might have an analog radio, but if another customer is using it you get blocked until he hangs up or you can hit another site.

It's a way of meeting the requirement, but just barely.

 

[57Bill]

You can still receive analog cell phones on an unblocked scanner, but there aren't many on the air. TracFone recently recalled my analog phone, and most other companys have already taken them off the air. . If you search the spectrum for analog cell phones in a large metropolitan area, you might get a partial conversation every hour or so (that is, of course, if you are "brave enough" to do the search for fear of going to jail!!).

 

[ybbmadysu]

What about all the analog phones (activated or not) and 911 calls. I thought all cell phones were supposed to have access to 911 or other emergency services???

I dont have one so I really dont care, just curious.

 

[N_Jay]

What about all the analog phones (activated or not) and 911 calls. I thought all cell phones were supposed to have access to 911 or other emergency services???

I dont have one so I really dont care, just curious.

If the network does not support analog phones it does not need to support analog 911 calls.

 

[ybbmadysu]

wasnt that a law though?

can someone inform?

 

[902]

wasnt that a law though?

can someone inform?

I don't think it ever became a Rule of the Commission, but I believe it was referenced in a Memorandum of Opinion that all wireless callers had a 'right' to access help. If you surf NENA, you may find the relevant documents; I'm not in the mood to find things right now, or I'd provide a cite for you.

As easy as that happens, the Commission can develop an opinion (as it has) that continuance of analog when a carrier no longer desires to support it is detrimental to its business or its ability to move forward with newer technology. And, with the concurrence of a staff of attorneys, a policy is devised and an order is issued. Now, this is the real world and there were probably many companies lobbying to shed the retrocompatibility requirement so they could move into EV-DO and other more profitable/ efficient use of their finite spectrum.

Nobody (including the Commission) says you have to support moribund technology faced with technological superiority and the ability to maximize shareholder wealth. I don't think there are any IMTS systems around anymore - and if there were, there are no suppliers who can provide subscriber equipment. It's the same case for HDTV deployment.

 

[DaveNF2G]

FCC Rules Sect. 20.18 (b), Basic 911 Service:

"Licensees subject to this section must transmit all wireless 911 calls without respect to their call validation process to a Public Safety Answering Point, provided that 'all wireless 911 calls' is defined as 'any call initiated by a wireless user dialing 911 on a phone using a compliant radio frequency protocol of the serving carrier.' ''

Enacted by Report & Order FCC 97-402, December 23, 1997.

Note that the Rule refers to call validation, not actual access to the wireless service. The carriers are only obligated to relay a 911 [sic] call from a phone that is able to connect to the PSTN via their radio frequencies and backbone equipment, even if it does not transmit a valid subscriber number (formerly MIN) to the controller. There is no requirement for anyone to process calls from phones with incompatible or obsolete technology such that they cannot even make themselves heard or understood by the wireless carrier's stations.

 

[barefootdipole]

Analog cell phone drop dead date-- JUST DAYS AWAY !

while everyone is mesmerized by the analog TV drop dead date in 2009, they are mostly oblivious to the 2008 drop dead date for analog cell phones....JUST DAYS AWAY !!!

last chance to stroll (theoretically) down scanning memory lane !!



Barefootdipole

 

[gmclam]

Car Owner Sues Over Analog Cellular Shutdown

January 18, 2008
As most readers know, analog cell phone service is being discontinued, and the shutdown of analog cell phone networks is not going well for owners of cars using the OnStar in-car communications and security system. The West Virginia Record reported Robert Reishman has filed suit against Audi and OnStar on Dec.14 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

OnStar notified customers last year that beginning Jan. 1, 2008, service would only be available on the digital cell phone network. When Reishman requested an upgrade to digital service, he was told there was no way to change or upgrade the hardware.

The West Virginia Record includes these quotes from the suit: "As a result ... thousands of Audi owners will be left stranded with useless analog-only OnStar systems….Not only will these Audi owners lose the safety, security and convenient benefits of the OnStar network, they will also suffer sharp declines in the value of their vehicles."

Reishman noted that Audi and OnStar knew in 2001 that analog cell phone service would be discontinued. He claims the companies participated in unfair and deceptive business practices.

Could people that purchased analog-only TV sets after the date for the analog TV shutdown make the same claim against TV manufacturers and the retailers that sold them the soon to be obsolete TV sets? Probably not, as thanks to the government's inexpensive set-top box program, these older TVs can continue to be used.

http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0115/t.10830.html

 

[kybill]

Yes you can still receive cell phones on unblocked scanners

 

[Just_Me]

Yes you can still receive cell phones on unblocked scanners

To clarify:

Yes, you can receive (the very few remaining) ANALOG cell phone calls on an unblocked scanner.