TRTM>  GE> Sprint's new PCS service is a CDMA digital only service that is
TRTM>  GE> attempting to break the two-carrier only limits across the 
ountry.
TRTM>  GE> They offer good hardware and service in the few areas where they 
a
TRTM>  GE> towers. If you're not near one of their towers, you're out of 
ck.
TRTM> Aern't they using the QUALCOMM CDMA digital phones anyway?  That is 
hat
TRTM> I have, and my phone works on hybrid mode.  The QUALCOMM add lists 
prin
TRTM> PCS as being one of their carriers, so I'd figure they were running a
TRTM> hybrid phone, it would be very dumb for them to run analog only, and
TRTM> even worse yet I thought Sprint was coming out with their 2 billion 
oll
TRTM> GSL digital system in 2002.  That would be very detrimental to 
hemselve
TRTM> selling people all these damn CDMA phones then just supporting GSL 
git
Qualcomm makes several different models of phones (actually, Sony does
the actual manufacturing for Qualcomm). The Qualcomm phone that Sprint
uses is digital only, and works in a much higher frequency band than
regular cellular. The hybrid Qualcomm phones are a different model, and
they work in the same frequency band as regular, analog cell phones.
And Audiovox has announced that it will be offering it's new CDMA/analog
hybrid phones very soon. One model is due in April, and the other next
summer. Motorola built the first CDMA system in the world a while back,
in Hong Kong, but there's no mention of any CDMA offerings in the States
on their web page. I figure as soon as a few more vendors offer an
alternative to Qualcomm, the price for digital/analog hybrid phones
should start dropping.
As far as what Sprint plans, I really don't know. There was an
experimental system that was called "PCS" in Washington, DC that used
the European GSM standard, and it bombed big time.
 * OLX 2.1 TD * If you change beers, you don't have to pay alimony.
--- Renegade
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