Comments on: Cingular is punishing their customers

By: Jamison Banks

Jamison Banks — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 12:40:35 +0000

Let’s get something correct here. Cingular is not fining customers simply because ‘they’re using old equipment’. When’s the last time a carrier did that, eh?

What’s going on is the FCC is mandating 95% of all subscribers on each cell carrier be E911 compatible – meaning the cell phones can be tracked within 100 yards. This mandate has been pushed since at LEAST 1996, and it keeps getting pushed back.

The curent mandate is coming up, and only Verizon has announced they will be meeting it (and even then they’re still going to be late and subject to the fines like everyone other carrier)

Why is it taking so long? Because the solution has to be done, from scratch, on either the handset side or the network side. The network solution isn’t a good one, because it’s not nearly as accurate or reliable. It’s also more expensive.

The handset side is more accurate and cheaper, but Cingular can’t exactly turn off everyone’s non-compat handset (you’d hear some REAL yelling then, and for good reason)

So, Cingular is taking the middle route – they’re passing the cost of the fine on to their customers. Who are also voters who can yell at their congressman to do something about the FCC.

This isn’t something that’s going to be put in place overnight without a HEAVY cost. If the voters and politicians, who pushed for this for the past decade, want to fine the carriers, well the carriers have the right to pass along the cost to the consumer.

Dispicable or not, this is about more than fining customers for simply having ‘older’ handsets.

By: Jamison Banks

Jamison Banks — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 12:40:00 +0000

Let’s get something correct here. Cingular is not fining customers simply because ‘they’re using old equipment’. When’s the last time a carrier did that, eh?

The curent mandate is coming up, and only Verizon has announced they will be meeting it (and even then they’re still going to be late and subject to the fines like everyone other carrier)

The handset side is more accurate and cheaper, but Cingular can’t exactly turn off everyone’s non-compat handset (you’d hear some REAL yelling then, and for good reason)

So, Cingular is taking the middle route – they’re passing the cost of the fine on to their customers. Who are also voters who can yell at their congressman to do something about the FCC.

Dispicable or not, this is about more than fining customers for simply having ‘older’ handsets.

By: T.A.

T.A. — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 01:32:34 +0000

I maintain a spare TDMA/Analog Nokia phone with Cingular because the areas I travel in (rural) have excellent TDMA coverage. I even keep an old analog “bag” phone (no service) in the car to call 911.

Oh well, that’s $60 less a month going to Cingular…

By: T.A.

T.A. — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 01:32:00 +0000

Oh well, that’s $60 less a month going to Cingular…