SRN question

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Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Yes, I know National Single Rate is no longer available to sign up for, but
I have a question about it.

Is it truly "anywhere there is a usable signal", or does it have coverage
holes similar to (albeit much smaller than) AC2?

In other words: as has been stated to death here recently, an AC2 user
whose phone says No Service can still try 911 in an emergency and might get
a good signal that just doesn't happen to be in the PRL; can an NSR user do
the same?

I tried to ask CS about this once, but the answer I got was just the
standard disclaimer at the bottom of the map.

--
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http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter
Remove the naughty bit from my address to reply
Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time.
"Any time I can compare Shakespeare to 'Andy Griffith,' I'm a happy
critic." - Dean Richards, WGN Radio/TV
 
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I don't know all the details on E911 I am but what I understand a
T-Mobile GSM phone can get 911 call thur on a Cellular analog only
tower. So I don't know if there is a special band for 911 calls?
National Single Rate had perfered roamers like all other plans. But if
it could not get a signal from the perfered provider then it will go to
the non perfered carriers.
If only signal GSM on PCS (1900 MHz) was avalible you would get No
Service on the phone even with National Single Rate Plan, You would be
only able to do 911 calls if that was the case.


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Splendid
Dec 26, 2003
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Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Yes, I have found a few places where my SRN-activated phone shows a
strong signal, but is unable to place a call.

My guess is that this is much like local coverage for any carrier.
There are always dead spots where although another carrier might have a
strong signal, they won't be used, since the PRL determines that that
the competing carrier will never be needed as it "mirrors" the coverage
of the subscribed carrier which is assumed has full coverage. This, for
me, has always been a cell band carrier, received in analog, indicating
likely an A-band TDMA carrier. (I know of no areas where GSM is
co-located with analog without TDMA.)

These areas have become more and more scarce over the years and I
haven't hit one in quite a while. But I would be surprised if there
were none left.
 
G

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In news:agentHibby.1mow7z@nospam.cellphoneforums.net,
agentHibby <agentHibby.1mow7z@nospam.cellphoneforums.net> typed:
> I don't know all the details on E911 I am but what I understand a
> T-Mobile GSM phone can get 911 call thur on a Cellular analog only
> tower. So I don't know if there is a special band for 911 calls?
> National Single Rate had perfered roamers like all other plans. But if
> it could not get a signal from the perfered provider then it will go
> to the non perfered carriers.
> If only signal GSM on PCS (1900 MHz) was avalible you would get No
> Service on the phone even with National Single Rate Plan, You would be
> only able to do 911 calls if that was the case.

If only a GSM or TDMA signal is available on 800 MHZ or 1900 MHZ a 911 call
will not go thru from a CDMA phone. A CDMA tri-mode phone will use any AMPS
or CDMA signal - A CDMA digital only phone can not use an AMPS signal.
 
G

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David S wrote:
> Yes, I know National Single Rate is no longer available to sign up for, but
> I have a question about it.
>
> Is it truly "anywhere there is a usable signal", or does it have coverage
> holes similar to (albeit much smaller than) AC2?
>
> In other words: as has been stated to death here recently, an AC2 user
> whose phone says No Service can still try 911 in an emergency and might get
> a good signal that just doesn't happen to be in the PRL; can an NSR user do
> the same?

With NSR, if VZW has a roaming agreement with a provider, it is in your
plan. Otherwise, your phone may acquire the signal, but when you place a
(non-911) call, you are either kicked off, or redirected to a $$$ credit
card service. You will never pay roaming charges for calls in the U.S.
Unlike AC2, the NSR PRL permits off-PRL access (Auto-A/Auto-B). There
are systems that VZW has roaming agreements with that are not in the
PRL. If your phone cannot find a system in the PRL, it will look at
whichever band as specified by Auto-A or Auto-B. If there is a signal
only on the other band, you may see see NO SIGNAL on your phone, but you
can always manually switch to the other setting to check. 911 calls will
automatically check both A and B cellular bands, and the PCS bands. The
systems covered by NSR but not by AC2 are those who charge VZW a lot to
handle calls for VZW users, and VZW eats whatever the charge is under
NSR. In return, NSR plans had fewer minutes, and no IN-network or
offpeak / weekend packages. (There were weekend-only packages offered
occasionally.) NSR PRLs did not have NEG entries (disallowing use of a
particular system), but since unlike for the A/B cellular bands, the
phone has to be told on what channels to look for PCS systems, a phone
on NSR may not find a PCS system, such as SprintPCS, that is not in the
PRL. (I'm not sure if the special 911 mode can do a brute-force search
for PCS systems not in the PRL.)
 
G

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<617@volcanomail.com> wrote in message
news:1112160432.173337.48930@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Yes, I have found a few places where my SRN-activated phone shows a

<snip>

> These areas have become more and more scarce over the years and I
> haven't hit one in quite a while. But I would be surprised if there
> were none left.

-->In W Virginia and N Carolina, I have to switch over and use "A" band (
set preferred to "A" ) but, never got any other charges.
Using old 3 Watt bag phone with no prl.

Scotty
 
G

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On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 05:12:30 GMT, CharlesH <hoch@exemplary.invalid> chose
to add this to the great equation of life, the universe, and everything:

>David S wrote:
>> Yes, I know National Single Rate is no longer available to sign up for, but
>> I have a question about it.
>>
>> Is it truly "anywhere there is a usable signal", or does it have coverage
>> holes similar to (albeit much smaller than) AC2?
>>
>> In other words: as has been stated to death here recently, an AC2 user
>> whose phone says No Service can still try 911 in an emergency and might get
>> a good signal that just doesn't happen to be in the PRL; can an NSR user do
>> the same?
>
>With NSR, if VZW has a roaming agreement with a provider, it is in your
>plan. Otherwise, your phone may acquire the signal, but when you place a
>(non-911) call, you are either kicked off, or redirected to a $$$ credit
>card service. You will never pay roaming charges for calls in the U.S.
>Unlike AC2, the NSR PRL permits off-PRL access (Auto-A/Auto-B). There
>are systems that VZW has roaming agreements with that are not in the
>PRL. If your phone cannot find a system in the PRL, it will look at
>whichever band as specified by Auto-A or Auto-B. If there is a signal
>only on the other band, you may see see NO SIGNAL on your phone, but you
>can always manually switch to the other setting to check. 911 calls will
>automatically check both A and B cellular bands, and the PCS bands. The
>systems covered by NSR but not by AC2 are those who charge VZW a lot to
>handle calls for VZW users, and VZW eats whatever the charge is under
>NSR. In return, NSR plans had fewer minutes, and no IN-network or
>offpeak / weekend packages. (There were weekend-only packages offered
>occasionally.) NSR PRLs did not have NEG entries (disallowing use of a
>particular system), but since unlike for the A/B cellular bands, the
>phone has to be told on what channels to look for PCS systems, a phone
>on NSR may not find a PCS system, such as SprintPCS, that is not in the
>PRL. (I'm not sure if the special 911 mode can do a brute-force search
>for PCS systems not in the PRL.)

All of which boils down to a Yes answer to my question. Thanks.

--
David Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry
http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter
Remove the naughty bit from my address to reply
Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time.
"They say 90 percent of TV is junk. But 90 percent of *everything* is
junk." - Gene Roddenberry
 
G

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Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

When I signed up for SRN, Verizon had all roaming agreements in their
PRL. This meant that the phone could connect everywhere there was a
roaming agreement.

But a few months after I signed up, Verizon wanted to prevent NSR from
roaming on Sprint PCS and Alltel in some areas (they have blocked many
more since). They accomplished it by removing the respective SIDs
from the PRL. This happenned even though roaming agreements were
still in place (I kept an old PRL for emergency roaming).

Most phones (all maybe?) can't pick up a PCS (1900mhz) signal unless
it is in the PRL, so Verizon effectively blocked Sprint PCS.

But phones can pick up cellular (800mhz) signals if they are not in
the PRL. You just have to put the phone on Auto A / B depending on
the channel the carrier is on. So I was able to workaround the Alltel
block, and didn't get billed roaming for it.

Also, Verizon has almost no roaming agreements with Cingular's old
AMPS network, so even if you pick up one of those signals on NSR, you
will be asked for credit card billing.

So in short, there are many scenarios where you have coverage holes
with NSR.
-MVL
 
G

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Guest
Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

I am wondering. Are there any areas that have PCS service, but no
cellular service?
 
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Jerome Zelinske <jeromez1@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<f1Q7e.6521$lP1.4730@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> I am wondering. Are there any areas that have PCS service, but no
> cellular service?

I've been to a few. Usually rural cabin/lake resorts in the middle of
nowhere where Sprint PCS put up a transmitter. Usually the incumbent
800mhz carrier is a 3-watt AMPS provider and doesn't consider it a
coverage hole worth investing in a tower. Car/bag phones pick up
cellular signal, but not handheld phones.

-MVL
 
G

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Well, so much for all those people who claimed that PCS was only
available in major cities and along some interstate highways. The other
major CDMA PCS carrier is verizon.
 
G

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On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 11:26:14 GMT, Jerome Zelinske <jeromez1@earthlink.net>
chose to add this to the great equation of life, the universe, and
everything:

> Well, so much for all those people who claimed that PCS was only
>available in major cities and along some interstate highways. The other
>major CDMA PCS carrier is verizon.

I thought the only place where Verizon had major PCS (before its recent
acquisitions of additional spectrum in existing markets) was in Florida.

For the record, I don't know if they're considered "major," but Alltel and
US Cellular are also CDMA, and USCC, at least in Chicago, is PCS. (I know,
like VZW, they aren't PCS everywhere, but one sweeping generality deserves
another.)

--
David Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry
http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter
Remove the naughty bit from my address to reply
Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time.
"Oh, I'm sure it isn't appropriate at all. But then, I hate to be
appropriate." - Jadzia Dax
 
G

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David,
Verizon was formed from several companies, one of which was Primeco, an
all-PCS carrier which provided coverage in all of TX outside Houston, along
the Gulf from LA to FL and Milwaukee.


Bill Radio
Click for Western U.S. Wireless Reviews at:
http://www.mountainwireless.com

"David S" <dwstreeter@spamisnaughty.att.net> wrote in message
news:comc611k8egjanabu79oj4uu8hhphd7sgu@4ax.com...
>
> I thought the only place where Verizon had major PCS (before its recent
> acquisitions of additional spectrum in existing markets) was in Florida.
>
 
G

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I called verizon the other major CDMA PCS carrier because they are the
only other carrier that includes CDMA PCS in it's system and is
nationwide. Those other two carriers you mention are only regional.
All of verizon's WI market is PCS, the former primeco. And they have
not expanded coverage since.
 
G

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On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 11:31:38 GMT, Jerome Zelinske
<jeromez1@earthlink.net> wrote:

> I called verizon the other major CDMA PCS carrier because they are the
>only other carrier that includes CDMA PCS in it's system and is
>nationwide. Those other two carriers you mention are only regional.
>All of verizon's WI market is PCS, the former primeco. And they have
>not expanded coverage since.

Expanded coverage in WI or elsewhere?

Dave
 
G

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On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 11:31:38 GMT, Jerome Zelinske <jeromez1@earthlink.net>
chose to add this to the great equation of life, the universe, and
everything:

> I called verizon the other major CDMA PCS carrier because they are the
>only other carrier that includes CDMA PCS in it's system and is
>nationwide. Those other two carriers you mention are only regional.
>All of verizon's WI market is PCS, the former primeco. And they have
>not expanded coverage since.

USCC in the Chicago area (and probably much of the state, in areas where
they don't have 800-band licenses) is former Primeco PCS.

Also, while USCC may not have as much territory under license as the other
guys, they're pretty well spread across the country. I looked at the A-B
maps at Mountain Wireless and USCC appeared on every region map except the
great plains one (Montana, Wyoming, Dakotas). (In fact, these maps show
them having more licensed areas than USCC's own maps do.) And those maps
don't show PCS licenses.

--
David Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry
http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter
Remove the naughty bit from my address to reply
Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time.
"At the moment, we are subsumed in the vortex of criticality."
- Alexander Haig, then Secretary of State
 
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