TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Motorola Bag phone

Re: Motorola Bag phone

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
21 Sep 2005 07:24:23 -0700

Steven Lichter wrote:

> I have one of these. Don't use it at all; it is not digital.

As others have mentioned, many carriers will not activate such a phone
as a matter a policy (not technically). Verizon in my area will not.

The newspaper reported consumers are upset by this because there are
many rural areas where bag phones are still needed for their power due
to great distances from the nearest tower. Perhaps the cell phone
company people think the whole country looks like New Jersey. It does
not.

Such a phone might work as a 911 emergency phone or on an expensive
pay-as-you-go basis. I bought an analog cell phone at a yard sale,
powered it up, and tried to make a call on it. The system asked me
for a credit card number to make the call. I believe they would put a
call through but at a considerable charge, more so than commercial
pay-as-you-go cell phones. I keep in my car glove box just in case.
(I don't always carry my cell phone with me on local trips.)

I would suggest powering up this phone and try making a call on it and
see what happens. The phone should be able to reach 911 and you could
test that by telling the 911 operator immediately that you're testing
a phone. If asked for a credit card see if you can find out what it
will cost to complete a call. In the middle of nowhere in an
emergency a $10 call charge isn't so onerous.

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