AMPS

That's it.

--
John S.
e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

Cingular has had CDMA systems in the past, but they have always
converted them to TDMA or GSM. Cingular also has AMPS, though
they are unhappy about it! They complained bitterly about the rule that
they had to continue AMPS service, as it is impacting their conversion
to GSM; they don't have the spectrum for GSM, TDMA, and AMPS
all at the same time in sufficient amount. So they are now agressively
pushing TDMA customers to convert to GSM, and discouraging new
TDMA accounts.

http://telephonyonline.com/ar/telecom_analog_remains_albatross/ stated:

"Because their networks already are less spectrally efficient than those
of CDMA carriers - many of which have no analog component -
those providers face further difficulties when they have to provide
spectrally inefficient analog services in addition to GSM or TDMA.

"Cellular carriers should not be required to bear this burden while
their competitors deploy completely digital networks," Cingular
Wireless wrote in a statement to the FCC.

This sentiment is shared by AT&T Wireless - like Cingular, a
GSM/TDMA operator - which called the analog requirement
"discriminatory" and reiterated Cingular's recommendation that
the FCC nix the analog requirement immediately."

Of course now that there is no spectrum cap, AT&T and
Cingular are free to spend hundreds of millions of dollars
to purchase more spectrum in order to ease their TDMA
to GSM transistion, while continuing AMPS service.
Understandably, they are not keen on buying spectrum
that they won't need once they turn off TDMA and/or
AMPS, in a few years. The lift on the spectrum cap
actually took away part of their reason for whining; now
they just have to ante up!

Actually, no.  While I do have a sprintpcs.com domain e-mail account,
I do not work for Sprint PCS.  Please see the other thread w/ my name
(spelled correctly!) in the subject line for a further explanation.

Unlike some of the other posters, I do not believe that a CDMA to GSM
conversion for the Qwest network would pose such an impediment or
discouragement to Cingular.  After all, this is the indecisive
wireless carrier, or at least the SBC half of the partnership, that
acquired Ameritech, including Ameritech Wireless, converted
("downgraded" is perhaps the more appropriate term) Ameritech's CDMA
800 ClearPath networks in Cincinnati-Dayton, Columbus, Detroit, plus
CDMA 1900 ClearPath network in Cleveland all to IS-136 TDMA only to
subsequently turn around two years later & begin a re-conversion to
GSM/GPRS.  Those SBC Ameritech markets have been on a whirlwind
around-the-industry air-interface tour for the past three or four
years.

But all of the above appears to be moot, as more information on the
proposed Qwest transaction has come to light.  It now appears that
Qwest wishes to resell service on a national wireless carrier's
network, not the other way around as previously was presented.  Thus,
CDMA is an absolute necessity.  And only Sprint PCS or Verizon
Wireless could then be candidates.

Andrew
--
Andrew Shepherd
cinema@ku.edu
cinema@sprintpcs.com
http://people.ku.edu/~cinema/wireless/main.html