Folks fight for analog cell phones

For most of us, the good ‘ol (and we mean ‘ol) “mobile” bag phone is a technological relic, if not a good punch line when your friend’s super cool/tiny digital cell doesn’t work (“Why didn’t you just bring your bag phone?”).

Yet for folks in rural areas, analog bag phones are a necessity as the large distance between cell towers makes digital cell phones useless.

“I carry a bag phone just because I can get so much better reception with it,” says Johnny Smith of South Dakota. “If you’re out in the middle of no place, it’s nice to be able to call somebody.”

This would be all well and good except the FCC is trying to get wireless carriers to phase out analog service by 2008. An all-digital service would support e911 for all subscribers, so authorities could locate callers who need assistance and may not be able to talk or explain where they are.

The Rural Cellular Association and CTIA support suspending the Feds’ 2008 deadline, but the FCC hasn’t responded to their request.

Via My Way News