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Mobile phone carriers need to be tightly regulated

Chuck(G)

25k Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2007
Messages
44,225
Location
Pacific Northwest, USA
About a month ago, I received a notice that my cellphone carrier, Tello, was dropping 3G service and moving to VoLTE. Fine, says I, my phone passes their check based on IMEI number. Discover that I can't make calls out, period. Tech support is useless, saying that they can't assure that my phone will work on VoLTE--and get this--they can't assure me that VoLTE is available in my coverage area!
Their suggestion? That I use WiFi for calling. Well, hell, I've got VoIP set up here, so why would I want to make cell calls from within my own home?
I did find that 2G connected and worked just fine, but apparently Tello doesn't like that I'm doing it.

Oh, apparently VoLTE != LTE. It's marvel that I still have the hair that I do.
 
I'm still somewhat amazed that 3G is even being phased out at all. Sure it is 15 years old which even comparing to the likes of CDMA and even AMPS is a pretty good run. but there are considerably more devices now with 3G support than there probably was for AMPS and CDMA combined. There is already a lot of noise regarding it being switched off and impacting embedded services that have not been and likely never will see hardware upgrades. 4G is now the norm and 5G already feels rushed. What happens when they want to force 4G down because they want to repack the band?
 
Hell, all I want is to be able to call 911 when I'm off in the woods and meet with disaster. Forget data and fancy features.
I attached a clip of their coverage checker and rebuked them for telling baldfaced lies. But they use the T-mobile system and TM says that I not only have 4G LTE, but that I've got 5G too. Uh huh. Why doesn't some public utilities commission crack down on this deceptive practice?

I asked tello customer service if they could sell me a mobile phone that they would guarantee to work at my address. They responded by saying that I could purchase any of their phones and return them within 30 days for a refund if they didn't work. That's not the same thing.

Yusta be that you could get a wired landline that was guaranteed to be live even through power failure outages. Good old reliable Ma Bell. Not the case now--if your carrier has "upgraded" the system with fiber, customers may get less than an hour of service if power fails.

I guess I'll just invest in a few tin cans and a lot of string...
 
Regulated by whom? The federal government, past, present, or future administrations? The state of Oregon, past, present, or future administrations? Your <bowlderized :)> county government?

Mike
 
Regulated by whom? The federal government, past, present, or future administrations? The state of Oregon, past, present, or future administrations? Your <bowlderized :)> county government?

Mike
The FCC might be a start. It seems to be that the purchasers of the public spectrum appear to think that they owe nothing to the community. Perhaps we should treat them as regulated monopolies, as we did with Ma Bell.

Whatever happened to the requirement that any cellphone be able to dial E911, even if it hasn't been activated?
Oh, that's right, Ajit Pai.
 
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