On Dec 13, 7:37 pm, chris wrote:
Did you know analog cell phone coverage is being sunset? Legally, a
FCC ruling says that all analog cell phone services can be shut off
after Feb. 18, 2008, aka the 'analog sunset' ?
And guess what, Verizon will do just that precisely on 2/18/2008!
See:http://support.vzw.com/faqs/Wireless...etirement.html

This is actually a good thing unless you happen to be in love with
your old analog-only phone. All the digital technologies work better
than analog. The only time this has not been true is when the
cellular operators have decided, for business reasons, not to provide
digital service in remote areas because the revenue potential is too
small. This FCC action forces them to upgrade to digital.

There are still some rural areas without digital service, so after
2/18/2008 your retrieval call may just not be as easy ... Especially
out in Texas and other rural areas.

No, the carriers will be installing digital services in these areas.

Now I wonder if keeping Verizon with their old digital technology or
if it is better to switch to AT&T and others using the GSM network.
Verizon digital is CDMA - it is the old digital standard, not as
modern as the GSM standard that AT&T now uses. I think CDMA is
currently on more towers.

Whose Koolaid have you been drinking? The GSM technology is the
obsolete old one, not CDMA. All other things being equal (such as
tower height, location, etc) CDMA, as a technology, has significantly
greater range than GSM. Perhaps you did not know that in Europe, they
are converting from the old TDMA GSM system to a version of CDMA
(incompatibly different from USA CDMA but not different in principle.)

I think the trimode phones I have is analog, CDMA & TDMA [even older
digital].

I doubt if anyone ever made an analog/CDMA/TDMA phone. Analog/CDMA/
GSM, yes, to provide worldwide coverage for frequent international
travelers. What you have is probably a tri mode phone where the 3
modes are 800 MHz analog, 800 MHz CDMA and 1900 MHz CDMA. These are
very common.

I think a lot of the world uses GSM but then in Europe they have much
higher population density than the Western US so I don't know how well
it works
outside the cities.

Not so good.

Which technology would have better reception OMN [out in middle of
nowhere]?

CDMA.

Short of a satellite phone what's the best cell service for a glider
geek?

CDMA. But a satellite phone wouldn't be a bad idea if you want to be
sure.

Does it make sense to supplement a CDMA regular phone with a prepaid
phone on the GSM network?

No. Supplement it with a satellite phone.

Does anyone make dual mode CDMA/GSM?

Yes, but not using the USA GSM frequency bands. The one I mention
above uses EU GSM frequency bands.

K l e i n