Analog Cellular Shutdown To Hit Built-In Devices

Nick Kilkenny sends us an AP article on the imminent shutdown of the US analog cellular network, now 24 years old. The network is scheduled to go dark on Feb. 18, 2008; some users, such as OnStar, are stopping analog service at the end of this year. Here's a list of devices and industries that will be affected by the shutdown. (Cellular telephony won't be affected much.) "The shutdown date has been known years in advance, but some industries appear to have a had a problem updating their technologies and informing their customers in advance... General Motors Corp., which owns OnStar, started modifying its cars after the 2002 decision by the Federal Communications Commission to let the network die, but some cars made as late as 2005 can't use digital networks for OnStar, nor can they be upgraded. For some cars made in the intervening years, GM provides digital upgrades for $15." Update: 12/22 22:25 GMT by KD : Replaced two registration-required links.

List of services affected

[kbahey]

The list of affected services is on a registration required site.

Here is a link from Associated Press [google.com] that does not need registration.

Not only OnStar

[kent_eh]

When my employer (a cell company who shall not be named) killed off our analog system we sent out notices to all analog subscribers over a year in advance.
And 6 months in advance.
And each month for the last 3 months.
2 weeks before shutdown one customer, an alarm company, threatened to sue us to keep it on the air because they hadn't had enough advance warning to get their customers' installations upgraded.

Apparently they didn't believe we would actually do it.

And, yes it is worth shutting it down. The power savings alone were significant. Rack space and floor space as well.
It also freed up a lot of spectrum for re-deployment for high speed data and other stuff that I'm not allowed to talk about yet.

Re:OnStar

[JustOK]

Try that with some of the new keys.

Re:OnStar

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, paying for convenience, how ABSURD!

Some people have disposable income, and they like to spend it on things that give them less to worry about. Onstar is nothing more than another form of insurance. You dont want it? Don't buy it. But your contempt for people who do pay for the service is immature.

Re:Analog networks in Europe are off the air

[Anonymous Coward]

"The U.S appears to be far behind Europe in this respect."

TFA says analog cellular in the US is going off the air in February, 2008. (Here in the US, I know Verizon, for one, has been decommissioning analog cell sites for years.) Sweden's is off the air in January, 2008, and Iceland's in 2009.

How does this put the US "far behind Europe"? The facts cited just don't seem to support the claim.

Re:OnStar

[KillerCow]

But you'd probably be really glad you have them if you need them.

Assuming a monthly service charge of 16.95$, over a 40 year driving period, if you saved that money at an 8% yearly yield compounded monthly, you would end up with $59,172.58 [math.com]

I'd be really glad to have that instead, and I could stand being locked out of my car or lost a couple of times to get it.