GSM phones automatically setting the time

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Miguel Cruz - 15 Jul 2005 15:32 GMT

I've used my phone in several countries, but not until I landed in the USA
did it offer to update the time to the local time zone. While in the USA,
each time I moved to a new time zone, the phone let me know and offered to
update the time again.

Why doesn't this happen in other places? It seems like a very helpful
feature.

miguel

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matt weber - 16 Jul 2005 02:05 GMT

>I've used my phone in several countries, but not until I landed in the USA
>did it offer to update the time to the local time zone. While in the USA,
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
>miguel

the phone has to support the feature, and the service provider has to
haver it. Outside the USA, it seems to be rare among the service
providers

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Michael Pronay - 16 Jul 2005 09:16 GMT

matt weber <mattheww50@cox.net> wrote:

> the phone has to support the feature, and the service provider
> has to haver it.

Most phones (if not all) do support NITZ, most service providers
don't.

M.

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Joseph - 16 Jul 2005 02:47 GMT

>I've used my phone in several countries, but not until I landed in the USA
>did it offer to update the time to the local time zone. While in the USA,
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>Why doesn't this happen in other places? It seems like a very helpful
>feature.

That feature is called NITZ (network initiated time zone.) It is not
in the original GSM spec and can be optionally used. In the US
cingular/AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile use it. T-Mobile was introducing
NITZ gradually throughout their system. I've not found NITZ in use in
Europe or in Israel.

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