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  1. #1
    Steve Sobol
    Guest
    On 2008-02-17, Evan Platt <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Any cell phone will dial 911.


    ....as long as it's in range of a tower and can communicate with it.

    Nokia's manual for my GSM phone says some carriers require you to have a
    valid SIM in the card to dial 911, though.


    --
    Steve Sobol, Victorville, CA PGP:0xE3AE35ED www.SteveSobol.com
    Geek-for-hire. Details: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesobol




    See More: Emergency 911 use ONLY




  2. #2
    Todd Allcock
    Guest

    Re: Emergency 911 use ONLY



    "Steve Sobol" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...> On 2008-02-17, Evan
    Platt <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >> Any cell phone will dial 911.

    >
    > ...as long as it's in range of a tower and can communicate with it.
    >
    > Nokia's manual for my GSM phone says some carriers require you to have a
    > valid SIM in the card to dial 911, though.



    Sounds like a "CYA clause" in the manual.

    AFAIK, US carriers have no such restriction.






  3. #3
    danny burstein
    Guest

    Re: Emergency 911 use ONLY

    In <[email protected]> "Todd Allcock" <[email protected]> writes:

    >> ...as long as it's in range of a tower and can communicate with it.
    >>
    >> Nokia's manual for my GSM phone says some carriers require you to have a
    >> valid SIM in the card to dial 911, though.


    >Sounds like a "CYA clause" in the manual.


    >AFAIK, US carriers have no such restriction.


    I've personally used SIM-deficient GSM phones
    on various parts of the Omnip^h^h T-mobile
    network as well as some of the other GSM
    carriers in non-T-mobile areas.

    What happens is two fold. Well, three.

    a) your phone has to be within range
    of a radio-compatable tower.

    then....

    b) your phone has to let you "reach out"
    to the tower. If you don't have a SIM in
    the body, and you try making a routine
    call, it won't even send the signal out.

    - HOWEVER, if the phone "recognizes" the
    number as an emergency one, it will pump
    the signal to the base station.

    All newer GSM phones that I've played with
    in the US understand about "911" and also
    "112" (the European standard). The ones
    I tried did _not_ recognize "999".

    c) the base station then has to accept
    the call and route it to the appropriate
    PSAP (911 center). By FCC spec all the
    land hardwire is required to take any
    and all such calls, whether there's an
    account behind them... and whether or not
    there's a SIM ID, and carry them through.

    Hope that helps.

    --
    _____________________________________________________
    Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
    [email protected]
    [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]



  4. #4
    SMS
    Guest

    Re: Emergency 911 use ONLY

    larrypointer@the_net.com wrote:
    > I see no need to get a cellphone. I only get a few calls a month on
    > my home phone, and besides the home phone being cheaper, I need a home
    > phone line for my internet (no other connections available in this
    > rural area).


    <snip>

    See "http://prepaiduswireless.com/".

    Your best bet is a tri-mode, CDMA/AMPS handset.

    I'd consider using ARN rather than just having 911 capability. It will
    cost you 21¢/month, but at least if you need to call someone other than
    911 you can do it for 25¢-$1 per minute. Note that you usually can't use
    a former Sprint, Verizon, or Alltel CDMA phone with ARN, you have to
    have a phone that has been unlocked and unassociated with any particular
    network, i.e. "http://www.emergencycellphones.com/mot_v120e.html".

    The other option is a PagePlus account, which will cost you $2.31/month.
    You'll be able to make and receive calls at very low rates. Again, get a
    tri-mode, CDMA/AMPS handset. Easily available on craigslist or eBay, or
    from PagePlus for $40-50.

    Since you're in a rural area, if you just buy a phone on craigslist or
    eBay, be sure that it is a tri-mode CDMA/AMPS phone.



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