Sprint Nextel Dual-Mode Phones?

Anyone know if they're going to come out with phones that work on both networks, for better coverage?

And how about Sprint and Nextel users being able to PTT each other? Will that happen?

In article <s5RWd.3385$cN6.1210@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink. net>,
JEckart@mail.com says...
> Anyone know if they're going to come out with phones that work on both networks, for better coverage?
>
> And how about Sprint and Nextel users being able to PTT each other? Will that happen?
>

You are WAY too early asking these questions. The companies won't even
begin to merge until FCC and SEC (if not others) give their approval of
the merger.

I'm only guessing, but I'd guess that nothing "common" is going to
happen this year.

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is not so good as it ought to be.
Moderation in temper is always a virtue,
but moderation in principle is always a vice.
+Thomas Paine, "The Rights of Man", 1792+

"John Eckart" <JEckart@mail.com> wrote in message
news:s5RWd.3385$cN6.1210@newsread1.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
Anyone know if they're going to come out with phones that work on both
networks, for better coverage?

And how about Sprint and Nextel users being able to PTT each other? Will
that happen?

They must continue to operate autonomously until they merge. There will be
no merger of technology until afterwards, and I understand that the Nextel
system is considered to be aging technology, which is one of the reasons
that Nextel agreed to the merger. While no one knows for certain, the odds
are that they will phase out the Nextel iden system over time. It would
make no sense to operate two different networks.

That process will take years--no need for anyone to panic.

i have seen pics of the new phones Nextel is working on. none of them have been said of working with Sprint Ready Link. there is no word on when, and if, Nextel and Sprint 2 way will work together.

John Eckart wrote:
> Anyone know if they're going to come out with phones that work on both networks, for better coverage?

Well, that's a loaded question. For starters, the merger isn't
finalized and si subject to regulatory approval. It would be a serious
waste if these phones were designed and built and the merger deal fell
through.

Second, there seem to be few places that Sprint doesnt' cover bu Nextel
does. Even so, the drastic change in voice quality as one switches from
one network to another will be very jarring at best.

Third, if the merger compeletes, it's very likely that Sprint will have
access to Nextel's tower infrastructure. Thus it would serve everyone
better to put CDMA gear on those same towers in those areas where
coverage doesn't already overlap. This would make having a dual-mode
handset a moot point.

Finally, Sprint has made it clear in its merger proposal that over time,
it wants to move everyone over to the EV-DO platform and while they plan
on keeping iDEN alive "for some time," eventually it might go away as
people upgrade their handsets. iDEN is an okay technology, but it was
designed for half duplex (walkie-talkie) communication more than
cellular service, so it does cellular very inefficiently. Capacity is
limited and the FCC is hot to get Nextel out of the SMR band as fast as
they can, so I doubt that they would want to prolong iDEN's use any
longer than they have to.

Funny how Nextel's history is rather sordid in that they built their
network by buying up old analog two-way radio companies and then forcing
the old customers, sometimes through dirty tricks, to dump their old
(and expensive) analog gear and switch to digital Nextel gear. Now it
seems that Sprint has got work to do in convincing those same customers
to ditch their Nextel gear in favor of CDMA equipment.

> And how about Sprint and Nextel users being able to PTT each other? Will that happen?

It could happen theoretically. Nextel did/does possess the technology
to gate PTT between iDEN and CDMA carriers, so it could work out. But
again, the merger has to actually go through first.

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O/Siris wrote:
> In article <s5RWd.3385$cN6.1210@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink. net>,
> JEckart@mail.com says...
>
>>Anyone know if they're going to come out with phones that work on both networks, for better coverage?
>>
>>And how about Sprint and Nextel users being able to PTT each other? Will that happen?
>>
>
>
> You are WAY too early asking these questions. The companies won't even
> begin to merge until FCC and SEC (if not others) give their approval of
> the merger.

Don't count on it, Nextel has just put out a brochure, here in Atlanta,
for the Motorola V505 camera phone. This is the same phone that AT&T
and Cingular sell. The Direct Connect sales rep I talked to said his
info was that it ran on the Sprint network, but was being administered
by Nextel.
They are both acting like its a done deal period.



>
> I'm only guessing, but I'd guess that nothing "common" is going to
> happen this year.
>

JDa wrote:

> Don't count on it, Nextel has just put out a brochure, here in Atlanta,
> for the Motorola V505 camera phone. This is the same phone that AT&T
> and Cingular sell. The Direct Connect sales rep I talked to said his
> info was that it ran on the Sprint network, but was being administered
> by Nextel.

Ahh yes, the same sales reps who once told me that Nextel ran on GSM. I
would take anything they say regarding any technical issues with a grain
of salt.

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In a good number of cases yes, but not this one. The Moto V505 is
not a iden phone. This is a "Worldwide Service" phone, that provide
phone service not only here in the US, but in Argentina, Brazil, Europe,
the UK. (oh hell, see attached 3 scanned brochure images!)

Just guessing I would say that this phone can not run in the normal
Nextel service frequency range.


Isaiah Beard wrote:
> JDa wrote:
>
>> Don't count on it, Nextel has just put out a brochure, here in Atlanta,
>> for the Motorola V505 camera phone. This is the same phone that AT&T
>> and Cingular sell. The Direct Connect sales rep I talked to said his
>> info was that it ran on the Sprint network, but was being administered
>> by Nextel.
>
>
> Ahh yes, the same sales reps who once told me that Nextel ran on GSM. I
> would take anything they say regarding any technical issues with a grain
> of salt.
>

Isaiah Beard wrote:
> JDa wrote:
>
>> Don't count on it, Nextel has just put out a brochure, here in Atlanta,
>> for the Motorola V505 camera phone. This is the same phone that AT&T
>> and Cingular sell. The Direct Connect sales rep I talked to said his
>> info was that it ran on the Sprint network, but was being administered
>> by Nextel.
>
>
> Ahh yes, the same sales reps who once told me that Nextel ran on GSM. I
> would take anything they say regarding any technical issues with a grain
> of salt.

Are you sure they didn't say that *some* of the phones are GSM? My father has a
combo iDen/GSM phone, for example.



--
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Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / sjsobol@JustThe.net / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED

"The wisdom of a fool won't set you free"
--New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"

Steve Sobol wrote:

>> Ahh yes, the same sales reps who once told me that Nextel ran on GSM.
>> I would take anything they say regarding any technical issues with a
>> grain of salt.
>
>
> Are you sure they didn't say that *some* of the phones are GSM? My
> father has a combo iDen/GSM phone, for example.

I had asked about such a beast, and was told that ALL Nextel phones ran
on GSM. My response: yeah, right.

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"Jeremy" <jeremy@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:wL_Wd.4617$CW2.503@newsread3.news.atl.earthli nk.net...
|
| "John Eckart" <JEckart@mail.com> wrote in message
| news:s5RWd.3385$cN6.1210@newsread1.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
| Anyone know if they're going to come out with phones that work on
both
| networks, for better coverage?
|
| And how about Sprint and Nextel users being able to PTT each other?
Will
| that happen?
|
| They must continue to operate autonomously until they merge. There
will be
| no merger of technology until afterwards, and I understand that the
Nextel
| system is considered to be aging technology, which is one of the
reasons
| that Nextel agreed to the merger. While no one knows for certain,
the odds
| are that they will phase out the Nextel iden system over time. It
would
| make no sense to operate two different networks.
|
| That process will take years--no need for anyone to panic.

Moto has a server that will inter-connect Sprint PTT and Nextel DC.
Who knows when/if it will bever be put in service (info courtesy of
Timothy M. Donahue
President and Chief Executive Officer, Nextel Communications Inc.).
He also said that Sprint would be coming out with Q-Chat sometime
after the merger and that while it ouwld be slower then DC at first
that it would catch up in speed over a year or so. Of course this all
depends on the merger going through.

HTH

Dave
|
|