Technology/Gadget

Beginning of Mobile Phone Systems

Starting about 1982, mobile phones got their start in the marketplace. The FCC granted two licenses (known as the A and B blocks) in each market to operate mobile phone systems. The RBOCs, rich with cash, quickly gobbled up a license in each market; however, they were prohibited from monopolizing through a stipulation that the other license in each market had to be allocated to a non-RBOC company (initially long-distance providers were also prohibited).

Companies such as Cellular One sprung up and began to offer mobile phone services in competition with the RBOCs. This was perhaps the first credible competition for local phone services, even though at the time, mobile phone services were perceived as a luxury for use in your car, not really at home. With handsets the size and weight of a brick, the word luxury was kind of a stretch.

But over the next few years, cellular phones went digital, as did the mobile systems themselves. By 1995, there were approximately 25 million wireless subscribers, compared with roughly 160 million wired phone subscribers. Just a year earlier, the FCC began allocating up to six additional licenses (known as the PCS A, B, C, D, E, and F blocks) in each market, again with restrictions on the RBOCs, but this time allowing the long-distance providers to throw their hats into the ring. AT&T lunged at the opportunity (AT&T Wireless) as did Sprint (Sprint PCS), while the others curiously sat on the sidelines.

The wireless phone system was built to be interconnected with the wired phone system so that calls can be connected back and forth between them. Wireless systems generally have the same kinds of elements as wired systemsswitches, handsets, and gateways to other systems such as the PSTN

Prepaid Load Credits for Cellular Phones Now Have Longer Validity Periods

Prepaid cellular phone users like me will be very much happy if the issued order of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for cellular phone services providers to give longer validity periods of prepaid load credits for cellular phones will be implemented effectively.

The mobile phone service providers like Smart Communications, Globe Telecoms and Sun Cellular, are earning a lot from forfeited load credits. With the reported huge earnings of these telecommunication companies, it’s now high time for them to forego of the load credit validity schemes and “sacrifice” part of the profits they are earning now in favor of us, the consumers, who have been financially enriching them all these years.

Load credit validity schemes are designed to generate more sales. How many times your load credits forfeited or force to use the service just to avoid load credit forfeitures? Certainly, you will no longer remember it, for it happened many times through all the years since you acquired a mobile phone.

The volume of sales of mobile phone services is clearly enough to ensure continuous profitable business for telecommunication companies. They certainly do not need to earn for services that were not actually used or enjoyed by us consumers just to stay in business.

The NTC’s order is a welcome move to protect us and advance our interest. The longer validity periods are better than the currently imposed schemes. And I do hope it will be long enough for us to use the mobile phone services.

PC Express Sells PLDT myDSL Quick Install Kit

PLDT myDSL Quick Install Kit (QIK), the Philippine’s first and only do-it-yourself DSL is now available in all PC Express branches nationwide. Filipinos can finally enjoy PLDT myDSL’s unlimited high velocity broadband service by simply purchasing QIK over the counter at their nearest PC Express branch. This is the first time in the country’s telecommunications history that a broadband Internet product is made available off the shelf in a retail outlet.

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