ghg@en.ecn.purdue.edu (George Goble) (09/20/89)
In Article <telecom-v09i0388m02@vector.dallas.tx.us>, john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) writes: >As an aside, I should point out that GTE Mobilnet (the wireline >cellular provider in the Bay Area) is quite an excellent operation. The >coverage is good, the service reliable, the people responsive. Calls >complete in about 2 seconds (as opposed to about 20 seconds for PacTel >Cellular in the LA area). GTE Mobilnet offers superior subscription >plans to Cellular One (the Bay Area non-wireline system owned primarily >by Pacific Telesis) and has been first with all of the GeeWhiz features >like a big area, follow-me roaming, etc. We have all theorized that it >must be some other GTE, since GTE California is just the >opposite--running the worst phone company I have ever seen. I whole heartedly second this! Purdue (W. Lafayette, IN) has GTE for the landline system, and GTE-Mobilnet for the wireline (B) cellular carrier. Over the years, we have experienced many of the "GTE-Bashing" scenarios for the landline part of the operation.. Much of it is releated to the people and their attitudes. There was even a home football game, where some students hauled a large bed-sheet sign around the infield track which read "GTE SUCKS", the police didn't get it confiscated until it made it most of the way around (this may have been intentional??). It drew a standing ovation from BOTH sides I heard (I did not attend this game). GTE-Mobilnet, seems to bear no relation to the GTE-landine folks, they are a complete separate division, reporting to a common parent. The Mobilnet employees really give a damn about the quality of their service. I know several of the engineers/techs at the Indy MTSO (switch) which serves most of the center 1/3 of IN. I often give them signal reports (we are 60Mi north of Indy), reports of channels flaking out and other misc problems. If I find a flakey channel, they will down it immediately. They have been several times when the Indy people have gotten other cellular carriers to fix non-GTE follow me roaming problems (Bell South Mobility in Miami). Once I was talking to a GTE- Mobilnet engineer at the local cellsite (via a landline to a wall phone in the cell site), there was this horrible buzz (60 Hz hum as if one side of the landline is grounded), and they replied, "Yea, this phone has been this way since it was installed (3 months ago), we cannot get GTE to make our phones work!" Other bits and pieces of conversations with GTE Mobilnet have shown that they have much the same (or worse) problems with "GTE" that you and I run into. Other tidbits about Mobilnet: They offer a huge "local" calling area (air time only).. which is most of 317 area + some 219 & 812 areas.. You call "219-NXX-YYYY" (no 1+ or 0+) (I am in 317 NPA) to make a "local" call to their areas in 219. They use Motorola switch and RF equipment (the best). works well with portables in buildings 8Mi away. They carefully balance transmit power with receiver patterns.. so as you approach the service area, you start to "hear" the cell (in service lite) real close (mile or two) of where the cell site can year you. Ameritech and others, blindly turn up the cell xmit power, "blanketing" the area, and have a zone of 20-25 miles, were your mobile will "see" good service, but you still cannot send or receive calls, since the cellsite cannot hear you. I have heard it said, that competing carriers have power wars so the cell phones which are not programmed for one carrier only will "lock on" to the strongest paging channel. GTE Mobilnet does not do this. Mobilnet also uses "Bognar (sp?)" antennas, which even on the same tower, and 20' lower than the competition, still provide much better building penetration and less multipath problems then the competition. Their voice-mail is even "free" (air time only) as is the follow-me roaming (free meaning no flat monthly fee here) Geo. Goble, Purdue Univ Engineering Computer network. ghg@purdue.edu