A sizable percentage of U.S. cell phone subscribers aren't upgrading to new phones as quickly as they used to, throwing into doubt a major initiative designed to improve wireless 911 calling, cell phone industry groups say.
Late Thursday, a large number of U.S. operators asked federal regulators to suspend rules that, by year's end, require 95 percent of their subscribers to have handsets capable of sending details about their geographic location to emergency operators.
The companies argue that about 15 percent of U.S. cell phone subscribers are happy enough with their service and handsets to hold on to their old phones longer than most users do. On average, cell phone customers replace their handsets within 18 to 24 months. Those who hold on to them are less likely to upgrade to new location-sensitive handsets, argue two trade groups, the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, and the Rural Cellular Association.
Particularly vexing is the situation for customers who own cell phones only for "peace of mind" and choose to use them only during emergency situations. These customers rarely change operators or their phones, greatly reducing the likelihood they will upgrade their handsets to location-sensitive versions.
"It is unlikely that many wireless carriers will be able to rectify this situation in the next six months," lawyers for the two organizations wrote to the FCC on Thursday. The attorneys asked for an indeterminate amount of extra time for U.S. operators to meet the wireless 911 requirement.
The proposed waiver would apply only to Verizon Wireless, Sprint and other operators using global positioning satellite (GPS) location technology in their phones. It wouldn't apply to Cingular Wireless or T-Mobile, two major U.S. operators that use a different technology to locate subscribers.
An FCC representative had no immediate comment.
Traditional landline phone providers have offered E911, or enhanced 911, for years. The service has been credited with saving lives. Often, someone calling 911 is disconnected or callers may be too panicked to mention their location. E911 ensures that the address of the caller is available to the emergency operator.
Difficulties meeting E911 mandate deadlines are nothing new to cell phone operators. Major providers, including Cingular Wireless, at first backed technology that, it eventually was discovered, failed to meet FCC requirements. The operators had to switch to new technology midstream, which created delays and caused the companies to miss several regulatory deadlines.
I don't see any reason to upgrade. New phones cost too much (my wife and I each have one so multiply the costs times two) and all the new features also require additional monthly fees to use them.
If could get a camera phone that let me download my photos or send them to blogger without costing extra, I'm there.
If I can download ringtones for free to my existing phone, why upgrade to one where I have to pay extra for that?
Text messaging on those tiny little keypads? Why? I could just call them instead.
Color screens? Whee.
At one point, I was decently cutting edge with my Nokia 100 brick. But after three cell phone companies and at least four (x2) phones, I'm content.
The call quality is good and Verizon doesn't screw me like Sprint PCS did. I don't see any reason to upgrade.
The cell phone companies should have to provide everyone with a new phone. They hand no business selling phones to people that aren't safe and not having access to 911 makes them unsafe. And, the government should have never allowed them to do it in the first place, so they should have to help pay for the upgrades.
I don't know about anyone else but I am getting fed up with companies putting out one product and then coming out with a new one that simply offers a safety feature that it should have had to begin with.
The reason the did this was so they could sell more phones, sell more phones with expensive features and generally screw over the public who like lemmings to a cliff jumped right off.
Chinese authorities have reportedly taken iPads from a third-party retailer, a move apparently brought on by Apple's continued refusal to honor a trademark for the iPad name owned by a Chinese manufacturer.
NY professor believes that a word-based algorithm can help bring together those who believe, with one glimpse, that they have found and lost the love of their lives.
After a higher-than-expected fourth quarter, the video subscription service unburdens itself of a pending yearlong class action suit and settles for $9 million.
Along with green-lighting Google's buy of Motorola, the Justice Department today OKs an Apple-Microsoft-RIM partnership deal to buy Nortel patents, and Apple's plan to acquire Novell patents.
Chamtech's spray-on antenna uses a nano material to provide a low-power boost to antenna range. The wireless-in-a-can product may some day bring an end to unsightly cell towers.
This week, we pass around Sony's new PlayStation Vita for some hands-on testing, check out HP's newest Beats Audio laptop, and debate the best and worst Valentine's Day gadget gifts.
EnerG2 opens a plant to make an engineered carbon that will improve performance of energy storage devices and make storage for start-stop hybrid cars less expensive.
If could get a camera phone that let me download my photos or send them to blogger without costing extra, I'm there.
If I can download ringtones for free to my existing phone, why upgrade to one where I have to pay extra for that?
Text messaging on those tiny little keypads? Why? I could just call them instead.
Color screens? Whee.
At one point, I was decently cutting edge with my Nokia 100 brick. But after three cell phone companies and at least four (x2) phones, I'm content.
The call quality is good and Verizon doesn't screw me like Sprint PCS did. I don't see any reason to upgrade.
I don't know about anyone else but I am getting fed up with companies putting out one product and then coming out with a new one that simply offers a safety feature that it should have had to begin with.
The reason the did this was so they could sell more phones, sell more phones with expensive features and generally screw over the public who like lemmings to a cliff jumped right off.
Robert