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To: Jon Koplik who wrote (19178)	12/6/1998 12:44:00 AM
From: Ruffian	Respond to of 152472

Good Reading> PHONES SOMETIMES DON'T FIT WITH OTHER WIRELESS NETWORKS Series: Money Monday Florida Today The wireless networks of the United States are a patchwork of incompatible technologies, which means that a phone sold by one carrier won't necessarily work in another carrier's territory. - Analog: The original wireless technology, launched in 1983, is a radio system that converts the sound of a voice into electromagnetic waves. Coverage is extensive, so chances of getting a phone connection anywhere in the country are good. But the sound quality often suffers from static and poor reception, making it difficult to conduct the conversation. Analog systems can only handle one call per channel, which means calls don't always go through on the first attempt because the network is temporarily out of room. - TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access is a digital technology. It turns the sound of a voice into bits of information and transmits them at specific time intervals. TDMA can accommodate multiple conversations on a single channel. Increased capacity means more calls go through on the first attempt. - CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access is a digital technology that assigns each conversation a code, so it can share a channel with other conversations without getting lost. CDMA can accommodate multiple conversations on a single channel, making it easier for calls to go through. - GSM: Global Standard for Mobile has been widely used in Europe for years. GSM coverage in the United States is limited, but smaller carriers tout its sound quality and other features. Omnipoint, for example, offers news headlines and other information services. - iDEN: Integrated Digital Enhanced Network is another TDMA variant. Developed by [ Motorola ] , it is used by Nextel for walkie- talkie service. Here are five major carriers. What do they offer? - Airtouch: Airtouch is the new name for the wireless carrier that was spun off from the former Pacific Telesis. It bought wireless networks from US West, and now operates in 17 states one of the largest networks in the country. Airtouch, which also owns 50 percent of PrimeCo, has roaming agreements that allow its customers to use their phones in thousands of markets across the United States and Canada. - [ AT&T ] : AT&T operates the largest U.S. wireless network. It is often a good choice for people who use their wireless phones a lot while traveling. Its numerous calling plans include Digital One Rate, which lets people use their phone almost anywhere in the nation for a flat rate even when roaming onto networks operated by other carriers. The plan has three tiers, beginning with $89.95 a month for 600 minutes. That works out to 15 cents a minute. Customers also need to buy a special $200 phone that operates on analog networks and on all of AT&T's digital frequencies. It features a battery with about four hours of talk time and 200 hours of standby time. - [ Bell ] Atlantic: Bell Atlantic Mobile generally offers the most extensive coverage along the East Coast. Its pending acquisition of GTE will expand its presence nationwide. Bell Atlantic Mobile also offers several data services, including a phone with a stripped-down Internet browser. That's good for sending and receiving e-mail and retrieving limited amounts of data. The company owns 50 percent of PrimeCo, a digital service that operates in Texas, Florida, Chicago, Wisconsin, Virginia, Hawaii, the Mississippi Gulf and New Orleans. Bell Atlantic has extensive roaming agreements but no flat-rate nationwide pricing plan. - Nextel: Nextel offers the most unique wireless phone service. Its phones, targeted toward groups of mobile workers such as construction crews and outside salespeople, function as high-tech walkie-talkies. With the push of a button, two or more colleagues can be instantly connected. There is no need to dial a phone number or set up a conference call. It doesn't market directly to consumers, although it does accept orders from individuals. The Direct Connect feature costs 10 cents a minute and has a range of hundreds of miles. Nextel offers a speakerphone feature, too. It also offers a traditional digital wireless service. After the first minute, calls are billed to the nearest second. Many carriers still round up to the next highest minute. - Sprint: Sprint is building an all-digital network that generally gets high points for voice clarity on industry tests. Its roaming plans tend to be cheaper than the competition, but not by much, according to Mark Lowenstein of The Yankee Group. The Home Rate USA plan eliminates long-distance and roaming charges for customers anywhere on the Sprint network for an additional $4.95 a month. (Copyright 1998) _____via IntellX_____ Publication Date: December 05, 1998 Powered by NewsReal's IndustryWatch ...back to top