[Ares-races] Cellular carriers criticized (WSJ)

Tue, 19 Aug 2003 10:50:22 -0400

Clay and othes,

    You have a point here and if I may play devils advocate for just
a moment I would like to respond:

1)  Plain old telephone systems also runs on electricity.
    As a public utility the land line telphone system
    was probably required to work, considering that almost
    all consumer emergency traffic ends up terminating that way.

2)  Cell users manage their own battery power, and know about
    that weekness, spare batteries and other phones are often
    available, failures of the cell sites are not as well known
    to consumers.

3)  Batteries can often be charged from vehicles in emergencies.

4)  Here in the northeast snow, ice, and falling tree limbs
    make power outages far more common than 20 years, it is
    an "every year" occurance (just not so wide spread).

    The failure that was seen was supposed to be localized.

5)  The two systems are connected together.  They should have
    similar reliablity.  They (IMHO) should also be able to back each
    other up (ie if your cell/land line does not work, then the
    other should not be dependent on exactly the same things).

6)  Comsumers are now being charged for "911" and legislation is
    being drafted for more emergency capabilities (localizing
    wireless callers).

7)  I would like to extend my concerns to the digital networks
    (telphones over IP for example) these are often only as
    reliable as the "cable", and even worse the routers.  
    Again the general public doesn't understand or expect phones
    to work on an "acceptable business practices" model.

Respectfully submitted
/Jim /N1CRZ

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of [email protected]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 9:53 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [Ares-races] Cellular carriers criticized (WSJ)
> 
> 
> This is a test of the emergency cell phone useage plan.   All Cell phone 
> users are instructed to remove their battery and see how well 
> their cell phones 
> work.
> 
> Bottom line! Cell sites run on electricty. Those that do not have back up 
> power are not going to be able to handle the additional load and 
> the emergecy 
> calls.  If the system was designed for the once in a 20 year 
> crisis,  you would 
> not be able to afford your cell phone.
> 
> Clay, WA6LBU
> 