"Patrick M. Landry" <pml@cacs.usl.edu> (12/27/89)
This is a condensation of the information I received in response to my queries about cellular phone service. Thanks to all who replied. In the following, some words are my own and some are from respondents. All the mistakes are mine however :-) >1) Do the Bell Companies actually own the cells? Two cellular companies operate in each geographic area. Theoretically, one is a wireline, and one is a non-wireline company, but this distinction is not always the case. The Cellular companies call these companies the "A" (non-wireline) and "B" (wireline) carriers. Each carrier operates their own cell hardware (towers, etc.). Cellular phones can communicate with either carrier-type but most phones will allow you to restrict use to one type. This setup was an effort by the FCC to have some competition without all out chaos. The wireline license normally goes to a (the) large wireline carrier in the area. The non-wireline license is issued via a lottery. >2) What is all the hubbub about subscribing with a certain carrier? > What are the differences between different carriers? > What questions should I be asking to find the right carrier for me? The major differences pointed out to me were roaming agreements, coverage in the priciple service area, customer service and rates. Each company has agreements with other, adjacent cellular providers. Leaving your primary service area is called "roaming". The roaming agreements specify what rates you will pay when using the adjacent systems. Also, manual intervention is sometimes required, sometimes not, when leaving your primary cell area. This is obviously very important. The cellular companies' coverage in the principle area can be quite different. For instance, in my area one carrier has 400 ft towers and the other 300 ft towers. When talking to some of their customers I found that this made a significant difference in reception in my hometown which is about 20 miles from the main city where the cells are. Straight out you should ask each carrier why you should subscribe with his service instead of the competition and then do your homework to figure out how much of it is tru. I found that talking to current customers was very informative. Especially concerning coverage area. >3) What is the maximum power (watts) cellular phones are allowed to > transmit? What kind of power can I expect to find in the consumer > market? Well, seems I struck a nerve here. From what I have been able to gather, the maximum power is 3 watts. Most car and shoulder mount units output 3 watts. Handhelds are normally MUCH less ( < 1 watt ). Also, the cell hardware constantly adjusts the power output of your phone when is use to use the least amount of power necessary to maintain a good signal. >4) How can I get my hands on a cell map? Some carriers, I discovered, will readily provide you with a map indicating the coverage area of their cell hardware. Others say they don't publish such maps and would rather you ask, location by location that you are interested in, and they will tell you whether that location is covered. There are companies (third parties) that publish nationwide maps. I don't have any names. It was also pointed out to me that geographical features radically affect coverage area. I was also told that the carriers' equipment is highly directional. I had figured that out from the maps I had seen. This is another reason that two carriers, with nearby cells, will have radically different coverage. Motorola published a nationwide map in 1988. I saw a copy. It was published much like a road map. It may have even been from Rand-McNally. (sp?) Anyway, I don't have a Moto cellular retail office in my city so I didn't look for a 1989 copy. >5) Anything else a novice should know before purchasing? I got a few suggestions here but mostly stuff I have covered before. The questions I asked where apparently what I wanted to know. The bottom line is that with this information and minimal good shopping practices on the buyer's part you can make an intelligent purchase and feel like you know what's going on. If there is anything I hate it is feeling like I don't know anything about something I am buying. Well, I hope this helps some out there. It sure helped me!! Thanks again to all who responded!! patrick pml@cacs.usl.edu