Quiet, please: cell phones aren't yet mainstream in this country. The reasons are part social, part technological and part financial

Article Abstract:

Wireless telephones, already widely accepted in other parts of the world, have encountered social, technological and financial obstacles in the US. For example, in most regions, wireless communication arrangements have standardized on a single technology, making it relatively easy to choose a product and lowering products' prices. Meanwhile, in the US, people who do not have cell phones apparently tend to feel annoyance toward those who do. For example, people tend to frown on others who take cell-phone phone calls in restaurants or movie theaters. According to Peter Laufer, a journalist who has written books about wireless etiquette, cellular technology can be offensive when misused and we, as a society, have not yet figured out how to use wireless communications without being offensive.

Telecommunications, Telephone Communication, United States, Telecommunications services industry, Telecommunications industry, Forecasts and trends, Telecommunications systems, Market trend/market analysis

---

Finding your way in the tangled world of wireless service

Article Abstract:

Wireless telephones involve a bewildering array of technologies and pricing plans. For example, technologies are referred to by various acronyms, such as CDMA, TDMA and GSM, and the same brand names sometimes represent different technologies, and the same service is sometimes marketed under a different name in a different area. Generally speaking, there are two categories of wireless service, which are analog and digital. Digital services, also known as personal communications services (PCS), come in many varieties, and these sometimes are not compatible. In spite of promotional claims to the contrary, consumers should be aware that wireless phones still encounter technical difficulties. Calls sometimes do not get through, and sound quality is not always adequate.

Mobile Radio Services, Column, Wireless communications services, Technology overview, Smart phone, Smart phones, Personal communications services, Telephone systems, Telephone system

---

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Cracking the code; what is cellular, anyway? Nordic track: in Scandinavia, a cellular phone isn't a luxury. It's a necessity
• Abstracts: FCC rejects part of Texas phone rulings. Telecom victory is expected for cities; FCC prepares to let stand Troy, Mich ordinance on phone competition
• Abstracts: Metricom thinks there's no wireless place like home; Richochet service spurns road warriors, targets students, workaday engineers

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.