Residents Fight to Keep Analog Cell Phones

[wakeme2008]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Analog-Cell-Phones.html

uly 26, 2005
Residents Fight to Keep Analog Cell Phones
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 9:22 a.m. ET

FORT PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Johnny Smith has a new digital cell phone, but he relies on an older analog bag phone when he travels the wide open spaces in the western part of the state to line up cattle for sale at a local livestock auction.

In rural areas where cellular towers are far apart, analog phones often work when digital models can't get a signal. With the Federal Communications Commission pushing the move to all-digital phone service across the country, Smith and others in rural areas are urging the agency to wait until more towers are built to improve service.

..more at link....

What not said is the old "bag" phones where 3 watts and the digital are < .5 watts. There are lots of places in Florida that Digital will just not work but Bag phones do work.