------------------------------ From: tholome@dialup.francenet.fr (Eric Tholome) Subject: Re: 911 From Unactivated Cell Phone? Date: Thu, 15 Dec 1994 06:09:17 +0200 In article , Pat wrote: > For next: I hear a rumor that in order to bring California more in > line with other states where cell phones are concerned, instead of the > stores giving reduced prices with activation -- illegal there -- the > carriers will begin offering a 'gift to new subscribers' equal to the > discounted amount. And really, that is what is happening now in other > parts of the country. RS and the other dealers are not *really* giving > you a phone for free or for $25 or whatever ... yes, that's what they > ring at the register, but the fact is the carrier they go through is > paying them the difference after the fact. So the stores in CA cannot > say to you, 'this phone is $25 with activation and $300 without activation.' > What they can say is 'all phones are $300 ... and upon your decision to > sign up with the carrier, the carrier will give you a gift of $275 > in exchange for your one/two year contract with their service.' Interestingly enough, the same kind of thing is happening right here, in France: Just like in California, it is illegal, here, to combine activation and handset sells. Until very recently (understand: until GSM arrived), the cellular phone business was not even close to a mass market, so nobody cared about this, but it is becoming one. So, after selling handsets at their real price, some stores started advertising them for a ridiculous price (around $100, or free), as long as you got activation also. Other stores did complain that this was illegal, but it seems that the government doesn't care about this, since no action has be taken against these practices, that are indeed becoming more and more frequent. More recently, some stores which apparently do not want to be illegal, but do not want to lose business either, are now offering the very same deal as Pat describes: you pay the phone at its normal price, but the carrier gives you a gift which approximately matches the price of the handset. As far as I remember, there are a couple of subtle differences with what Pat describes: the shop still advertises the combined price (i.e. handset price - carrier gift); you end up paying the real price of the handset when they ring it at the register; and the gift is a check that you'll have to cash at your favorite bank. Eric Tholome | displayed with | private account 23, avenue du Centre | 100% recycled | tholome@dialup.francenet.fr 78180 Montigny le Bretonneux |___ pixels! ___| phone: +33 1 30 48 06 47 France \________/ fax: same number, call first! [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Oh yes, indeed, it will have to be strictly arms-length; that is the California carriers will simply quit giving the money to the dealers to make up for the phones they sold at a loss (as noted, in California illegal to force this issue on the consumer) and start giving the money to the consumer directly instead. But they probably won't, under the law, be able to tie the two together saying 'here is a rebate for the phone you purchased'. Instead they will probably have to say 'dear valued customer, in exchange for the new contract you signed with us, here is a gift for you; a check for $xxx which you can deposit in your bank or whatever.' ... PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Dec 94 07:07:22 JST From: palm@tokyo.rockwell.com (Stephen [kiwin] PALM) Subject: Information on MNP 10/EC (Enhanced Cellular) ROCKWELL'S NEW MODEM DSPs BREAK THROUGH DATA-OVER-CELLULAR LIMITATIONS NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (Nov. 14, 1994) -- Rockwell Telecommunications today announced modem DSPs providing cellular-specific signal- processing technology optimized for data cellular communications. Rockwell is applying its digital-signal processing expertise to handle the necessary signal conditioning for data-over-cellular transmissions. Rockwell's Cellular Optimized Processor (COP) technology will maximize data throughput with transmission reliability superior to existing solutions. Rockwell's COP technology is designed to overcome the hindrances of the analog cellular network. Common cellular-network impairments -- frequent cellular base-station handoffs, dropouts, call interference, fading, echo and other types of signal distortions -- require signal- conditioning techniques not addressed in traditional landline modems using protocol-only solutions. Rockwell's COP modem data pump recognizes the impairments and quickly recovers the signal. The new COP technology will provide significant performance improvements when connected to a standard landline modem and dramatic improvements when it appears on both ends of the connection. "The difficulty with using traditional landline modems with cellular phones is that these modems were not designed to deal with the frequent and sudden changes in an analog cellular network," said Armando Geday, business director, Rockwell Modem Systems. "By combining our COP technology with an enhanced error correction protocol to maximize overall throughput, we can now give users what they need for data cellular applications." Rockwell and Microcom have worked together to improve the ubiquitous, adverse-channel MNP 10 protocol. The result, MNP 10EC(tm), is a total system solution which incorporates complementary enhancements to the existing MNP-10 protocol while combining Rockwell's new COP data pumps. The data pump deals with physical connection issues. The protocol's primary responsibility is to identify and correct data errors, and to optimize data throughput by making speed and packet- size adjustments based on signal quality and error performance. "Because the MNP 10EC protocol is compatible with the massive installed base of Rockwell modems implementing industry-accepted MNP 10," Geday said, "the user gains a clear benefit over proprietary cellular solutions requiring modems with the same non-standard scheme on both sides of the connection." Rockwell is implementing the new COP technology into V.32bis and higher speed modem products. - - - MICROCOM AND ROCKWELL JOINTLY DEVELOP MNP 10EC FOR CELLULAR DATA RELIABILITY Nov. 14, 1994 -- Recognizing the needs of the mobile communications marketplace, Microcom and Rockwell have developed enhancements to the Microcom Networking Protocol(tm) Class 10 (MNP(r) 10) to further optimize modem performance over circuit-switched cellular networks. The new data cellular technology, MNP 10 Enhanced Cellular(tm) (MNP 10EC(tm)), is the culmination of the combined modem-technology leadership from Rockwell and the protocol expertise of Microcom. MNP 10EC offers five primary benefits to users, including: Higher ratio of initial modem connections -- Users get connected and stay connected. Quicker initial connections -- Time between initial line connection and data transmission has been lowered by shortening the initial billing delay and speeding up the initial modem handshakes. Backward compatibility to both MNP 10 and LAPM -- Users will see increased connectivity and overall throughputs even if MNP 10EC is on only one modem. Greater call completion ratio -- Fewer data connections are dropped; connections fall forward to the highest speed possible more quickly. Faster data throughputs -- Provides higher average throughput speeds, lowering cellular charges and increasing user productivity. Early independent tests indicate that MNP 10EC connects up to 25 percent better than ETC and exhibits 30 percent higher throughput rates. MNP 10EC works with Rockwell's recently announced digital signal processors, Enhanced Cellular data pumps, by integrating complementary cellular enhancements to the market-accepted MNP 10 protocol which was originally developed for noisy landline conditions. The analog circuit-switched network poses particular impediments to cellular data applications. Initial enhancements to MNP 10 addressed many of these obstacles; MNP 10EC is a "third generation" protocol. It is not only optimized to work with the Rockwell Cellular Optimized Processor (COP) technology, but takes advantage of Microcom's broad experience in adverse channel protocol development. "Microcom intends to use Rockwell's new data pump technology and implement it with MNP 10EC in its products," said Greg Pearson, senior vice president of technology management for Microcom. "We see these combined technologies as appropriate for use across our product line, from our TravelCard line of PCMCIA modems to Microcom's HDMS(tm) central site modem pool." "MNP 10EC will be deployed and accepted rapidly throughout the industry due to Rockwell's market leadership and the large installed base of MNP 10 modems," said Armando Geday, business director, Rockwell Modem Systems. "providing the user with immediate improvement in cellular applications and decrease in communications expense." Microcom develops, markets and supports high-speed modems and remote access solutions for PC users delivering secured access to information and resources residing anywhere on the corporate network or remote PC. Microcom products include Carbon Copy(tm) remote control software, LANexpress(tm) remote LAN access systems, DeskPorte(tm), TravelPorte(tm) and TravelCard(tm) high-speed modems, HDMS(tm) dial-in network management systems, and Microcom Bridge/Router(tm) remote internetworking solutions. Editorial contacts: David Powers (617) 551-1955 dpowers@smtp.microcom.com Eileen Algaze (714) 833-6849 eileen.algaze@nb.rockwell.com ----- Stephen [kiwin] Palm TEL (Voice mail): +81-3- 5371-1564 Rockwell - Digital Communications Division COMNET: 930-1564 Japan Engineering Design Center (JST=PST+17hours) FAX: +81-3- 5371-1507 palm@tokyo.rockwell.com s.palm@ieee.org spalm@cmu.edu palm@itu.ch ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #449 ******************************