Cingular pushes the PTT button

<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/03/cingular_ptt/>:

Cheeky Cingular took the wraps off its Push To Talk service today,
inviting subscribers to join the "largest Push To Talk network" in
the US.

...

Cingular will charge $9.99 for unlimited use, or $19.99 for all the
phones covered by a family talk plan.

...

Cingular desperately needs more phones to support the service: it
only works with one model right now, the LG F7200 slider, with the
higher-specced Samsung D357 flip "coming soon". While all of Nokia's
forthcoming E series support PTT, Cingular surely wants more in a low
end that appeals more to the younger demographic.

[MORE]

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

---

› See More: Cingular pushes the PTT button

See <http://www.cingular.com/pushtotalk>.

so here's a question...
Spouse and I signed up with cingular a few months ago. (we are happy with
the service). With PTT do you think that they will let me change our phones
at a reduced price, and add the service?

thanks
sharkman
--

John Navas wrote:
> See <http://www.cingular.com/pushtotalk>.

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/03/cingular_ptt/>:
>
> Cheeky Cingular took the wraps off its Push To Talk service today,
> inviting subscribers to join the "largest Push To Talk network" in
> the US.
>
Oh goody. Lots more conversations across the restaurant to listen to.
Think I'll take somebody's advise here and start walking over and
standing beside their table until they shut off the speakerphone.
--
Jud
Dallas TX USA

>Oh goody. Lots more conversations across the restaurant to listen to.
>Think I'll take somebody's advise here and start walking over and
>standing beside their table until they shut off the speakerphone.

I agreee.. but.. my work-provided nextell.. there's a big button
prominently positioned. If I press that, even "PTT" walkie talkie use
is like a phone call - except, one must wait, press the button, then
speak.. but it's a "private" call, just like a phone call on this
handset. Every nextel has that, and I would bet Cing will implement it
also. Of course, no one will use it! :-)

"Jud Hardcastle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
>> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/03/cingular_ptt/>:
>>
>> Cheeky Cingular took the wraps off its Push To Talk service today,
>> inviting subscribers to join the "largest Push To Talk network" in
>> the US.
>>
> Oh goody. Lots more conversations across the restaurant to listen to.
> Think I'll take somebody's advise here and start walking over and
> standing beside their table until they shut off the speakerphone.
> --
> Jud
> Dallas TX USA

And if I see you standing there, I'll join you.

We can chat while he does, maybe join in.

Are you in the Hwy 75 Telecom Corridor?

"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/03/cingular_ptt/>:
>
> Cheeky Cingular took the wraps off its Push To Talk service today,
> inviting subscribers to join the "largest Push To Talk network" in
> the US.
>

So it will be the Alaska of PTT networks- big with a small population. They
will run into the same wall that Verizon did- it doesn't work for the big
business users unless all of their contacts are on the network. Nextel has
that market sewn up.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sun, 4 Dec 2005 06:24:17 -0500,
"[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:

>so here's a question...
>Spouse and I signed up with cingular a few months ago. (we are happy with
>the service). With PTT do you think that they will let me change our phones
>at a reduced price, and add the service?

I doubt it. You would need to be eligible for an "upgrade."

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sun, 04 Dec 2005
15:21:13 GMT, Jud Hardcastle <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
>[email protected] says...
>> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/03/cingular_ptt/>:
>>
>> Cheeky Cingular took the wraps off its Push To Talk service today,
>> inviting subscribers to join the "largest Push To Talk network" in
>> the US.
>>
>Oh goody. Lots more conversations across the restaurant to listen to.
>Think I'll take somebody's advise here and start walking over and
>standing beside their table until they shut off the speakerphone.

Indeed -- it's incredibly rude.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

Scott wrote:
> "John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/03/cingular_ptt/>:
>>
>> Cheeky Cingular took the wraps off its Push To Talk service today,
>> inviting subscribers to join the "largest Push To Talk network" in
>> the US.
>>
>
> So it will be the Alaska of PTT networks- big with a small population. They
> will run into the same wall that Verizon did- it doesn't work for the big
> business users unless all of their contacts are on the network. Nextel has
> that market sewn up.

Nextel has it sewn up because there was no viable alternative.
Cingular's PTT is supposed to be almost as good as Nextel's, with the
difference only in the initial latency. For that trade-off you get a
much larger network.

Merlin wrote:
>> Oh goody. Lots more conversations across the restaurant to listen to.
>> Think I'll take somebody's advise here and start walking over and
>> standing beside their table until they shut off the speakerphone.
>
> I agreee.. but.. my work-provided nextell.. there's a big button
> prominently positioned. If I press that, even "PTT" walkie talkie use
> is like a phone call - except, one must wait, press the button, then
> speak.. but it's a "private" call, just like a phone call on this
> handset. Every nextel has that, and I would bet Cing will implement it
> also. Of course, no one will use it! :-)

Depends. Everyone in my wife's office has a Nextel, and they can't use
PTT because of the confidentiality of their conversations, and the fact
that they are often in a patient's home when a group call would come in.
So PTT is always turned off. And they have to carry a second non-Nextel
phone because the coverage is so bad. It's a big waste of money.
Cingular PTT will be no better for them, because Cingular lacks coverage
in too many parts of Santa Clara County where they have to travel to.

"SMS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>
> Nextel has it sewn up because there was no viable alternative. Cingular's
> PTT is supposed to be almost as good as Nextel's, with the difference only
> in the initial latency. For that trade-off you get a much larger network.


And nobody to talk to- the only way it becomes viable is if everybody moves
from Nextel. Unlikely.

>>
>> Nextel has it sewn up because there was no viable alternative. Cingular's
>> PTT is supposed to be almost as good as Nextel's, with the difference
>> only in the initial latency. For that trade-off you get a much larger
>> network.
>
>
> And nobody to talk to- the only way it becomes viable is if everybody
> moves from Nextel. Unlikely.

As I wrote elsewhere, if you pointed a gun at my head and told me to sign a
contract for nextel service, I'd say "SHOOT". I was able to convince my
current and former employers to try non-nextel cellular services. Both of
them realized that HAVING SIGNAL in most areas was a lot more productive
than being able to instantly connect to nothing.

Unless nextel gets their **** together and fixes their connectivity problems
(no signal, no CONNECTION in areas with strong signal, all incoming calls go
straight to voicemail, voicemail not delivered for hours, etc, etc, etc),
then just about anybody could steal the business accounts away from nextel.
Hell, just among my employers, nextel lost two huge business accounts to
Verizon and Cingular, even though neither of those companies offered PTT at
the time. All it takes is the RIGHT person speaking up and saying, "HEY!!!,
this **** doesn't work . . . maybe our company should switch to a better
network" (when you are on nextel, that would be ummmmm . . . anyone)

So it's not as "unlikely" as you seem to believe that everybody could move
from nextel. -Dave

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sun, 04 Dec 2005 08:47:46
-0800, SMS <[email protected]> wrote:

>Merlin wrote:
>>> Oh goody. Lots more conversations across the restaurant to listen to.
>>> Think I'll take somebody's advise here and start walking over and
>>> standing beside their table until they shut off the speakerphone.
>>
>> I agreee.. but.. my work-provided nextell.. there's a big button
>> prominently positioned. If I press that, even "PTT" walkie talkie use
>> is like a phone call - except, one must wait, press the button, then
>> speak.. but it's a "private" call, just like a phone call on this
>> handset. Every nextel has that, and I would bet Cing will implement it
>> also. Of course, no one will use it! :-)
>
>Depends. Everyone in my wife's office has a Nextel, and they can't use
>PTT because of the confidentiality of their conversations, and the fact
>that they are often in a patient's home when a group call would come in.
>So PTT is always turned off.

Then they either have old phones or don't know how to use the private call
feature.

>And they have to carry a second non-Nextel
>phone because the coverage is so bad. It's a big waste of money.
>Cingular PTT will be no better for them, because Cingular lacks coverage
>in too many parts of Santa Clara County where they have to travel to.

Nonsense.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sun, 4 Dec 2005 09:24:17
-0700, "Scott" <[email protected]> wrote:

>"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/03/cingular_ptt/>:
>>
>> Cheeky Cingular took the wraps off its Push To Talk service today,
>> inviting subscribers to join the "largest Push To Talk network" in
>> the US.
>
>So it will be the Alaska of PTT networks- big with a small population. They
>will run into the same wall that Verizon did- it doesn't work for the big
>business users unless all of their contacts are on the network.

The real wall Verizon ran into was its poor implementation, especially the
unacceptable latency as compared to iDEN (Nextel). That will be fixed in an
upcoming upgrade to CDMA that's due to be rolled out next year.

>Nextel has
>that market sewn up.

I doubt that, and note that Cingular now has a big business presence thanks to
the AT&T Wireless merger.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>