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Thinking out loud

cellphonesaretools

Oct 24, 2011, 11:17 PM
I was scratching my head several months ago when SouthernLINC announced that they had signed a nationwide iDEN roaming agreement with Sprint so that SouthernLINC's regional customers could roam on Nextel iDEN nationwide. Why bother I thought, when Sprint had already announced the sunsetting of iDEN in 2013?

I stumbled across this article, wherein the CEO of SouthernLINC explains his strategy:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/ctialive/story/souther ... »

I actually called SouthernLINC customer service and asked what is going to happen to their nationwide roaming when Sprint shuts down iDEN in 2013, but the SouthernLINC CS agent couldn't answer that question. I suppose that the intero...
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jrfdsf

Oct 29, 2011, 7:19 PM
I am still skeptical that Sprint will be able to shut iDEN off in 2013 for the following reasons: 1. iDEN-based PTT uses about a tenth of the bandwidth compared to a normal cellular call. QChat uses an entire voice channel to transmit & receive. This fact alone creates an instant problem for businesses like Walt Disney that rely on instant, free-flowing communication throughtout all of their parks. (Contd)...
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jrfdsf

Oct 29, 2011, 7:28 PM
2. Many of the iDEN based productivity tools will never transfer to a cellular platform. For example, Directalk would never be compatible with anything CDMA based. With all of the radios that will be shoehorned into these new Sprint PTT phones, no room will be left even were it possible. 3. Since QChat is still VOIP, it's dead in the water when the phone lines are down. This feature alone is what maintains Nextel's spot in the few markets where it remains. (Contd)...
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jrfdsf

Oct 29, 2011, 7:35 PM
...Take that feature away and the remaining subscriber base goes with it. 4. Businesses are the main users of Nextel. Those of us forced to carry two phones know how inconvenient and aggravating it is. I know of no plans to offer second line service on any Sprint DC phones. This too will be a dealbreaker with many execs who already carry enough gadgets around as it is.
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gloopey1

Oct 29, 2011, 10:55 PM
I don't get how Sprint's network prevents it from having the list of features you've mentioned? They added LMR compatability to these new DC phones, why not direct talk? A better question is why will anyone even need direct talk once they own a phone that works in 3X as many places as Nextel?
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cellphonesaretools

Oct 30, 2011, 11:05 PM
gloopey1 said:
...why will anyone even need direct talk once they own a phone that works in 3X as many places as Nextel?


There are still a lot of places in the sticks where no cellular service reaches. DirectTalk is very useful for crews that occasionally have to travel into the sticks to do repair jobs, and for families camping, etc.
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cellphonesaretools

Oct 30, 2011, 11:44 PM
All good points, jrfdsf.

I believe that the thing that WILL shut down iDEN in 2013 as scheduled is Sprint cannibalizing the iDEN 850 MHz spectrum for Sprint CDMA and/or future LTE use. In short, the bandwidth needs of Sprint's 28 million CDMA Sprint-branded customers will win out over the 7.33 million total iDEN customers (that's Nextel + Boost + PowerSource customers all combined).

I have seen absolutely nothing so far that would indicate that Sprint gives a rodent's derriere about anyone still using Nextel/iDEN. I've been waiting & hoping for the past six years since Sprint took over Nextel, but thus far, there is nothing I've seen that makes me think Sprint will give iDEN a reprieve this time. They want to be rid of iDEN, and they w...
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gloopey1

Oct 31, 2011, 10:28 PM
How do you figure that Sprint is "cannibalizing" Nextel? Even before the two merged, Nextel planned on eventually converting its network over to CDMA & replacing their current PTT system with QChat. Although you might argue that Nextel alone would've done it better, it still was going to happen. Sprint actually has kept iDEN up & running longer than originally planned. Nextel never had a single year that their customer service or network tied with Verizon, yet Sprint has managed to accomplish this. Nobody on either forum gets your point of view--maybe jrdsf?. What do you base your opinions on other than your own personal experience & maybe your peers?
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cellphonesaretools

Nov 1, 2011, 12:14 AM
gloopey1 said:
How do you figure that Sprint is "cannibalizing" Nextel?

Simple. Sprint is taking much of the existing iDEN bandwidth and converting it to CDMA channels. Given the massive customer exodus from Nextel, it makes sense to do that now, but the fact of the matter is, much of the 850 MHz bandwidth that was formerly iDEN is now being used for Sprint's other networks. That type of action is frequently (and accurately) referred to as "cannibalization".


gloopey1 said:
Although you might argue that Nextel alone would've done it better, it still was going to happen.

Agreed, Nextel would have done it far, far better than Sprint has done it. Eventually Nextel would ha...
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gloopey1

Nov 1, 2011, 6:34 PM
gloopey1 said:
How do you figure that Sprint is "cannibalizing" Nextel?

cellphonesaretools said:
Simple. Sprint is taking much of the existing iDEN bandwidth and converting it to CDMA channels. Given the massive customer exodus from Nextel, it makes sense to do that now, but the fact of the matter is, much of the 850 MHz bandwidth that was formerly iDEN is now being used for Sprint's other networks. That type of action is frequently (and accurately) referred to as "cannibalization".


So let me get this straight--if Nextel had stayed independent and done this to themselves, they would also be guilty of cannibalization? Isn't that a very negative word no matter who's doing it to whom?


gl
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cellphonesaretools

Nov 2, 2011, 12:33 AM
gloopey1 said:
"Nextel never had a single year that their customer service or network tied with Verizon, yet Sprint has managed to accomplish this."


Interesting that you are still flapping your gums about all this, but providing absolutely no facts and no reliable sources to back up your opinions. Let me show you how it's done:

Below are several wireless-industry publication articles, along with hyperlinks, which is MY supporting evidence to back up MY statements that Nextel used to have THE LOWEST CHURN IN THE INDUSTRY BEFORE SPRINT TOOK OVER NEXTEL:

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http://www.networkworld.com/news/2004/122004-sprint- ... »

Why would Sprint want to merge with Nextel?
>>> Nextel, de...
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gloopey1

Nov 3, 2011, 5:40 PM
gloopey1 said:
"Nextel never had a single year that their customer service or network tied with Verizon, yet Sprint has managed to accomplish this."

cellphonesaretools said:
Interesting that you are still flapping your gums about all this, but providing absolutely no facts and no reliable sources to back up your opinions. Let me show you how it's done:

Below are several wireless-industry publication articles, along with hyperlinks, which is MY supporting evidence to back up MY statements that Nextel used to have THE LOWEST CHURN IN THE INDUSTRY BEFORE SPRINT TOOK OVER NEXTEL:...

Churn figures have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with network performance or customer service. If that were the case...
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cellphonesaretools

Nov 4, 2011, 7:19 PM
What's with the Abercrombie & Fitch nonsense? Have you a Masters Degree in Obfuscation?

You absolutely made two false, unsubstantiated claims in one of your posts, and I proved subsequently that they were false. If you haven't figured that out yet, then logic and/or reading comprehension are not your strong suits, and I can't do any more to help you understand.

I cited source after source after source stating that Nextel had the lowest churn AND the most loyal customers, even to the point that they paid significantly more to have Nextel service than any of the other wireless company customers paid for Verizon/Sprint/ATT/Cingular's services. NEWSFLASH: Lowest churn and highest customer loyalty MEANS that company IS tops in customer serv...
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gloopey1

Nov 7, 2011, 6:08 PM
cellphonesaretools said:
...So let me get this straight: Now you claim to know what everyone else in these forums is thinking so you can speak for them. Very impressive! Knowing that is the case now, I can see it is useless to try to help you understand Nextel's history accurately...

...You have got to be the only person on the planet to draw that conclusion...


Now that's what I call "hung by the tongue!"
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cellphonesaretools

Nov 8, 2011, 1:00 AM
Still nothing to support or substantiate your claims, just more of your ongoing, irrelevant nattering. Reduced to snipping quotes and pasting them out of context to try and make a comeback. How pathetic.

You got nothing, pal.

Adios.
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