DREUBEN@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Douglas Scott Reuben) (04/11/91)
I was driving yesterday through Northwestern Connecticut, mainly along US-202 from New Milford (just north of Danbury) through Washington, Litchfield, and Torrington, and noticed that there was service there with SNET, the "B" carrier. This is something new, since the area has always been dead before on both the "A" and the "B" carriers. Yet everytime I tried to place a call (to *611 or to my home number or whatever), I got the "re-order" which the PHONE puts out when it can't grab a channel (NOT a "real" telco reorder or one from the MTSO or cell site). This usually happens to me when all frequencies are busy, and there is no way to connect with the nearby cell tower. Now anyone familiar with the area knows that it isn't all that populated, and thus even if there are only a few channels allocated to the tower which serves the area, there should be a FEW of them vacant from time to time. Moreover, the terrain, which is quite 'hilly' was not a factor, as I drove right by the cell tower. (SNET's have flat, green plated panels in a triangular pattern around the top of the antenna, while Metro High-Bill's are more like a bunch of UHF antennas with other, smaller antennas extended out from the main grid, which then surround the pole on two or three sides. You can easily see the tower from US-202 heading North, just after leaving the "downtown" area of New Milford. You can even see the tower from US-7, right before the JCT with US-202, if you look JUST a bit to the right.) So I got to a payphone, called SNET, and explained what was going on. The service rep who I spoke with checked this out (made a few quick calls) and said that the antenna was just put up in New Milford, and that they were sending out a carrier (or whatever) signal, but it would not allow calls to be placed from it, which is why I got the "re-order" signal. He said service should be in place by month's end, and that coverage will include Kent, Sharon, and Cornwall, which are rather remote areas near the NY/CT/MA border. He said this was part of SNET's plan to cover the entire state, and that new towers were also being installed in Norteastern CT, where there is little service unless you travel along I-84 to the Masspike (I-90). It's nice to see my cellular bills going towards expanding the system, rather than to who-knows-what with some other (ahem) companies in CT! :) Speaking of Metro Mobile :), I called them and asked them what THEY were doing about Western CT, and got an interesting answer. It seems that when the FCC handed out licenses, some individual won the lottery for Northwestern CT, but failed to find financing to actually build a system. So Metro is at this time negociating with this guy to get the license, so it can expand its service into this area. Metro already serves most of CT, Rhode Island, Western and Southeastern Mass. It has service in Pittsfield, MA, and along the Masspike until Cell One takes over near Charlton (60 miles out of Boston). It makes a LOT of sense for Metro to get service in Northwestern CT, as when this is done, a motorist with Metro can drive from Northern New Jersey, up to Danbury, then along US-7 all the way to northern Mass, and be reached at the same number with no roam ports or roaming charges. (Presently, you can do this from New Jersey to 30 miles south of Boston, but it would really be neat to drive practically up to Vermont and be covered the whole way.!) I wonder how much Metro is willing to pay for the license ... *I* should have applied for one. Who knows? I could have actually won one and soaked Metro the way they presently soak me ... darn! :) Or stipulated in the contract that any future owners of my licensed service areas may NOT charge airtime or double airtime for call-forwarding, three-way-calling, or call-waiting. Hmmm ... Speaking of licenses, I wonder if any readers know about this: NYNEX/New England *used* to serve Western Mass, ie, Springfield. (Metro Highbill serves the same area, even though it was/is a CT company.) About 1 1/2 years ago, NYNEX seemed to have "abandoned" Springfield, and SNET took it over. This seems more natural, since I think there is more traffic North/South between Springfield/Western Mass and CT than there is between Eastern and Western Mass, by why would NYNEX give up a potentially lucrative market to SNET? Did SNET buy this from NYNEX? Or "trade" the rights to some other area? NYNEX has a rather large service area in New England, and I am still surprised that they didn't retain Western Mass since it is an inconvenience to have to roam on SNET every time you crossed from Eatern to Western Mass if you already are a NYNEX customer (at least *I* would think so). There is no DMX or "automatic roaming" between these two systems. As it is now, SNET indicates on their maps that they plan to have all of CT, and all of Western Mass in the near future (a year?), with extensions planned to Vermont in the future. (I think some other company owns the VT license, but perhaps SNET will try to get it like Metro is trying to do with Western CT? ) One final thing that I heard about recently, which is unusual in the area: Cell One in Boston has two plans with FREE nightime airtime. One plan, for $59 per month, gives you 60 minutes of FREE peak airtime (after which 61+ minutes will costs $.43 per minute), and ALL airtime is FREE *off-peak*. I am not sure if all local calls are free - I have heard complaints before that local calls DO cost something, but this may have changed. (I know in NY that local calls do cost something like twelve cents for five minutes, in addition to airtime.) Overall, not a bad plan. I pay $25 for GTE Mobilnet/SF right now, and that gets me free *NOTHING*! (Well, except Custom Calling and Voicemail, but of course you pay airtime for these :( ). GTE does have other plans, but none with free OP airtime. Oh well ... (BTW, Cell One/Boston has truly EXCELLENT coverage - one can be in downtown Boston or any of the nearby suburbs and not hear ANY static!. Nor are the handoffs "messy" like they can be at times with GTE during peak/heavy usage hours.) Ok ... ok ... enough with the New England Cellular review. If anyone has any info on the Springfield "switch" which I noted earlier, please let me know. I have never received a satisfactory answer to this question. (Actually, any info about New England/Mid Atlantic coverage would be interesting - the cell companies in the East tell you so *little* about their future plans!) Thanks, Doug dreuben@eagle.wesleyan.edu // dreuben@wesleyan.bitnet P.S. I'll be out in New Mexico in May, and was wondering about coverage there. It seems like I can't escape it - Metro Mobile has a franchise out there as well. Ahhhhh! I'll be generally in the Santa Fe area, so any info as to coverage would be appreciated! Especially the "B" company with FMR. Thanks.