  tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI | When they say less then 1 second They are not kidding. Talking to someone who has tested these phones (service). CDMA to iDEN for example is almost immediate. I can see current iDen PTT users jaws hit the floor. The phones are not bad either (the PR200/700) | |
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 |  81399672Premium
join:2006-05-17
Los Angeles, CA
kudos:2 | Re: When they say less then 1 second Currently have nextel for work and using the direct connect. If price is better, nice handset etc i might just switch over.
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i am not a lawyer but I do play one on the internet | |
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| | | The service sucks! I can't get Sprint/Nextel to figure out how to turn it on - they did a very sloppy launch and obviously did no training with their customer services reps. | |
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BuzzDar
join:2006-01-28
West Frankfort, IL | last ditch effort to save a company is this sprints last ditch effort to save the company. could this up the price of sprint if another company wants to buy it. | |
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| | | Re: last ditch effort to save a company If Sprint could've rolled out this out within 12-18 months of acquiring Nextel, they probably wouldn't have been lost so many Nextel users.
I wouldn't go as far as "too say too little too late", but maybe "just about right possibly too late". | |
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| | Reviews:
 ·WOW Internet and..
·Time Warner Cable
| Re: last ditch effort to save a company They were suppose to roll it out then. But they didn't. They just kept saying it was coming, it was coming. But nothing. They waited until now. Sucks to the them. They just need to give up and shut the companies down and sell everything off. They'll never come back. | |
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| fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3
2 edits | I can't say what you say is true.. but, what I WILL say is true is that the amount of people here who consistently make these "X company is going to die" predictions is very high.. the number of those predictions that come true I can count on one hand.
Sprint is not going anywhere anytime soon.
What I'm saying sounds rude, and it probably is, but people here should spend more time talking about the technology rather than the business & transactional side of these companies because very few people here actually have a clue what they are talking about.
Example: The prediction of the end of cable when FiOS came out has been called by many people - rather, FiOS was not as welcomed as people expected. People have been calling the end of every cable company since the beginning of DirecTV & Dish.. and Vonage is still in business, even after being pummelled by law suits. need I say more? | |
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| tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI | said by BuzzDar:is this sprints last ditch effort to save the company. could this up the price of sprint if another company wants to buy it. Lets look at from another point. If Sprint is basing it's survival on PTT, they ARE dead. It's just one "other" feature they will offer. People are already trying to make it seem like walkie-talkie is the ONLY thing they are about. How quick everyone forgot about the wireline portion of the company. Strong, lots of network and able to handle the load that it's wireless or other needs can toss at it. They already carry voip traffic for most of the major ISP's that offer it. I can bet if they ever lost the "wired" portion of the company, Sprint would be no more. Just a assumption.  | |
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| |  mobModerhatedPremium
join:2000-10-07 |  Re: last ditch effort to save a company
Sprint spun the wire line off a while back my friend. | |
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| | | | | Re: last ditch effort to save a company said by mob:Embarq, FTW? Sprint spun the wire line off a while back my friend. Just the local phone service. | |
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| | | tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI | said by mob:Embarq, FTW? Sprint spun the wire line off a while back my friend. Wanna put some money on that? They only spun off the LOCAL division known as LTD. They NEVER had any plans to get rid of the Longdistance (LD) which is still alive and very well functioning.. So before you open your trap, you might want to call up any of your Sprint buddies over at the NOC or something and ask them if you don't want to take my word for it. | |
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 The BeerI Love It When A Plan Comes TogetherPremium
join:2001-07-24
Omaha, NE | What? "The service never became wide spread..."
What the heck?
I don't know ANYONE who has Nextel who don't have it because of PTT.
If it was never wide spread it was because of everyone elses sloppy copy of it.
Personally I hate Nextel however that is one feature they hit dead on, and is the only reason for their existence. | |
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|  Combat ChuckToo Many CannibalsPremium
join:2001-11-29
Erie, PA | Re: What? said by The Beer:If it was never wide spread it was because of everyone elses sloppy copy of it. I'm assuming they mean because of the fact Nextel's coverage area sucked. I don't know what all changed when Sprint came on but Nextel had major areas with no coverage near large cities.
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If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair. | |
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 HEDP
join:2008-04-27
Miami, FL | ... The service never became widespread? Are you on crack, I had to hear that chirp everywhere I would go around downtown, in the country and abroad in Argentina and Mexico on vacation.
What ever you are smoking, you really need to share. | |
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| Cogdis
join:2007-03-26
Floral Park, NY | Re: ... There are so many nextels in NYC that I switched to the CDMA so I wouldnt have to look @ my phone 20 times a day when I heard "beep beep" | |
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| | HEDP
join:2008-04-27
Miami, FL | Re: ... Oh man don't even get me started with the NY subway while I was there for a cousin's wedding. | |
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| EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA | Argentina and Mexico- that'd be Nextel International, right? I've heard they're actually separate from Sprint Nextel... Perhaps if this Qchat thing doesn't work out then Sprint may sell Nextel USA to Nextel International. (Though then you have the problem of the hybrid phones) | |
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Reviews:
·Comcast
| Not crazy about the new phones i personally am a Nextel/sprint user and these new phones look crappy to me. The 2way (direct connect)service is only reason i still have Sprint. For the most part my service has been fine. (guess I'm 1 of the lucky ones). I had one weekend without service but that was it.
Sprint may not have me a customer much longer if they don't come out with a real nice phone (iphone or voyager like) that has the direct connect ability in it. | |
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| | | Re: Not crazy about the new phones said by aguiar0016:Sprint may not have me a customer much longer if they don't come out with a real nice phone (iphone or voyager like) that has the direct connect ability in it. Sprint made a big mistake IMHO by not incorporating QChat into the upcoming Samsung Instinct. The phone has EVDO Rev. A support. If this device is supposed to be Sprint's "halo" handset, it seems like it should have been a no-brainer to put PTT into it. Perhaps they'll rectify this oversight with a future revision sort of like how Apple didn't have 3G support with the first iPhone.... | |
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 Defiance82Computer ElitePremium
join:2002-09-11
Rochester, WI | What a joke.. Nextel still wins hands down. EV-DO is junk and is useless when you travel due to many areas which lack EV-DO support.
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Programming is like sex. One mistake - endless support. | |
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| | | Re: What a joke.. Unless you travel to one of the many areas that DO have EVDO coverage. | |
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| HEDP
join:2008-04-27
Miami, FL | Judging by the updated coverage maps just eye balling it I would say that the current EVDO coveraged area's for Sprint Direct Connect is about 45-50% of the current Nextel network.
It's been deployed in 40 markets expect more coverage as more devices start to infiltrate the market but most of Florida and all NE coast is pretty much covered. | |
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| | patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | Re: What a joke.. said by HEDP:Judging by the updated coverage maps just eye balling it I would say that the current EVDO coveraged area's for Sprint Direct Connect is about 45-50% of the current Nextel network. It's been deployed in 40 markets expect more coverage as more devices start to infiltrate the market but most of Florida and all NE coast is pretty much covered. Nextel is an 800 mhz network (different band then the cellulars tho, but its still low freq), Sprint is a 1900 PCS network which heavily relies on roaming and the network was engineered to roam (only put a tower in the rural/subrub area if there is too much roaming traffic being billed from the neighborhood, and towers don't need to form carpets, islands are fine.). Nextel can't roam on anyone, so they had to engineer the network with carpet coverage from day 1. No room for error. No roaming to fill up holes. Try comparing Sprint's voice coverage to Nextel's voice coverage on Long Island NY using the map, many many holes on Sprint's area. I highly doubt Qchat (or its impossible) will work when roaming onto Verizon. This product will flop when Nextel users realize their phone works in less places because it only works on Sprint native. | |
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| | |  RickNYPremium
join:2000-11-02
Manorville, NY
·Optimum Online
| Re: What a joke.. said by patcat88:Try comparing Sprint's voice coverage to Nextel's voice coverage on Long Island NY using the map, many many holes on Sprint's area. I'm on Long Island and have Verizon for my personal cell service, and Sprint for my Blackberry service from work.. Coverage on Verizon is great.. When the Blackberry loses Sprint coverage, it roams on Verizon's network -- so the holes in Sprint's coverage maps aren't telling the whole story there.. My experience with Sprint has not been that bad here.. Now, Nextel on the other hand -- I've pretty much given up on talking to friends with Nextel voice service around here -- dropped calls, cant contact them when trying to call ("Please hold while the Nextel customer you are trying to reach is being located.." -- over to Voicemail) | |
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| | | | patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | Re: What a joke.. said by RickNY:and Sprint for my Blackberry service from work.. Coverage on Verizon is great.. When the Blackberry loses Sprint coverage, it roams on Verizon's network -- so the holes in Sprint's coverage maps aren't telling the whole story there. Aye, what did I say about Sprint always relying on roaming and Qchat not working on roaming? This product will fail when it fails to work on roaming. | |
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| | | | | "They go on sale tomorrow in forty different markets and will operate over Sprint’s EV-DO Revision A network."
Will their roaming agreements with Alltel/Verizon EV-DO not cover them for the next 6 or 8 years. They should use that time to build more tower if they plan on being here in 10 years. | |
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| | | HEDP
join:2008-04-27
Miami, FL | This is why I believe Sprint released a updated version of the coverage maps. Look under Nextel direct connect and you will find that their are now Sprint devices tab available for viewing showing those 40 markets with their current deployments. There are some dead spots, but as more markets are opened, the coverage gap will be minimized. Nextel I am more than certain will be leaving by 2010 and that the original deadline schedule is set for iDEN. Once that happens the remaining 800mhz that can be used by Sprint from the Nextel network, will be to deploy 800mhz CDMA EVDO Rev.A.
Sprint had to sacrifice some 800mhz spectrum because of the FCC public safety interference and where given some of the 2ghz spectrum in return for that lost spectrum which is where Sprint is relocating TV broadcasting stations. According to the website dealing with that about 82% of it is complete. | |
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Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
| Nothing new. Qchat was not better than iden in its early development. Qchat is supposed to be the final stage of turning off the iden service so that subscribers eventually have to buy new handsets (2010, 2015?) This angered many long time Nextel subscribers.. but alas, Sprint's horrid customer service and non-competitive pricing brought the exodus of subscribers over to Verizon. Nextel WAS a good company until Sprint got their greedy hands on it. Once iden dies.. Verizon will mop up the rest of what Sprint thought they were getting when buying Nextel.
Generally, push to talk fans were the older set of people who had CB, Ham, Family Radio service. The new generation are TEXT chatters. Qchat, even if they were able to make it better than iden or Verizon's ptt will not save Sprint. PTT could be integrated as part of broadband data.. it doesn't have to be terribly fast, just reliable. One second connects are fine. All modern generations of cell networks are low latency networks. Coverage and capacity in some areas for all carriers is lacking. | |
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| | | Re: Nothing new. said by tmc8080: Qchat, even if they were able to make it better than iden or Verizon's ptt will not save Sprint. Better than Verizon's PTT? That won't be hard to accomplish. Verizon (and AT&T) current PTT offerings are crap. | |
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| Reviews:
 ·TELUS
 ·Rynga
| said by tmc8080:Qchat was not better than iden in its early development. Qchat is supposed to be the final stage of turning off the iden service so that subscribers eventually have to buy new handsets (2010, 2015?) This angered many long time Nextel subscribers.. but alas, Sprint's horrid customer service and non-competitive pricing brought the exodus of subscribers over to Verizon. Nextel WAS a good company until Sprint got their greedy hands on it. Once iden dies.. Verizon will mop up the rest of what Sprint thought they were getting when buying Nextel. Generally, push to talk fans were the older set of people who had CB, Ham, Family Radio service. The new generation are TEXT chatters. Qchat, even if they were able to make it better than iden or Verizon's ptt will not save Sprint. PTT could be integrated as part of broadband data.. it doesn't have to be terribly fast, just reliable. One second connects are fine. All modern generations of cell networks are low latency networks. Coverage and capacity in some areas for all carriers is lacking. I cannot imagine the new generation of police, fire and paramedic will be TEXTing when they handle an emergency on the run. Imagine you have to TEXT while running around or in a hurry, yes, you should try that (e.g. texting while on a paint-ball competition to communiate with your team mates). | |
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 JamesonPremium
join:2004-05-28
Fallbrook, CA
kudos:1 | Nextel That was one of the reasons I first got Nextel. It was very handy at the time. | |
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| kw524
join:2005-07-09
Walden, NY | Re: Nextel anybody know how to get nextel of their asses and fix the ptt here in orange county ny? | |
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| | Reviews:
·Comcast
| Re: Nextel said by kw524:anybody know how to get nextel of their asses and fix the ptt here in orange county ny? Around here Nextel=Nextime. Please hold while the Nextel subscriber is located... | |
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 rec9140Provoice just DO it
join:2003-07-29
Mulberry, FL |  Lets set this straight....
quote:
it’s often compared to the walkie talkie.
Nexhell runs on iDEN which is a:
TDMA based *RADIO TRUNKING* NETWORK which also happens to allow for INTERCONNECT aka phone calls.
Each nexhell radio is assigned a RID thats your DC/PTT number ala 123*456*789.
Just like trunking used by public safety you enter the RID and make "private/individual call" to the other radio at ID 978*123*456. This is a digital radio call just like any other radio call.
Theres some technical details to the iDEN protocol BUT
Nexhell is a RADIO SYSTEM, NOT a cell phone network. That fact that it allows you to make calls is just a bonus. nexhell is far more related to P16 trunking than CDMA. The fact that cell phones networks may use RF/radio but are not radio systems in the true sense of the meaning.
Its roots lie deep in the radio trunking and LMR interconnect business. Many rich data features have been added that mask that this is still a TDMA TRUNKED radio system and not a pure phone network like CDMA, or even the old AMPS.
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Lorem ipsum ei pro stet equidem labores, at enim animal expetenda nec. Ea vix argumentum dissentiunt, usu esse ridens ex./ / Ban all copyright, trademarks, and IP laws! | |
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| Reviews:
·TELUS
·Rynga
| Re: Lets set this straight.... Glad that someone understands the inside of iDEN. Of course there are pros and cons of each system. A radio centric (i.e. 2-way) design would be inherently suitable for 2-way, while a phone centric design would be suitable for phone side of features.
But when is a radio system not a phone system, can only be separated by someone like you, but nobody else. If it looks like a phone, sounds like a phone, and used like a phone, then it must be a phone. So it's hard to tell others otherwise.
Motorola has always been very strong in the 2-way radio systems world so no surprise if they design something from their experience. | |
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| fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Hmmm Rather cute & clever. I love how you said NexHell over and over.. it makes your point that much better.
For the record, NexTEL had a GREAT service.. in many places, the PTT still is superior over any thing cellular. Many places where people were dropping calls, out in the open, getting into elevators, my PTT still works. It makes me regret converting two of my phones to Sprint.
Again, clever.. you replaced TEL with HELL.  | |
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| | rec9140Provoice just DO it
join:2003-07-29
Mulberry, FL | Re: Lets set this straight.... said by fiberguy:
Again, clever.. you replaced TEL with HELL.
In my field thats their name and its an apt one, as all they do is create interference to other radio systems that are near by.
Rebanding can not be completed fast enough, move all that slop elsewhere.
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Lorem ipsum ei pro stet equidem labores, at enim animal expetenda nec. Ea vix argumentum dissentiunt, usu esse ridens ex./ / Ban all copyright, trademarks, and IP laws! | |
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 taoChaos ImpendsPremium
join:2000-12-03
Lansing, MI | PTT sucks Push to talk should be banned, it is rude.
I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR CONVERSATION, NOR SHOULD I HAVE TO.
I did see the most amazing site with a PTT phone though. A grown man was talking to his newborn in baby talk on the bus. Freakin amazing this man suddenly became so immodest and was oblivious to it.
PTT is a low class form of communication, period. It is used rudely, period.
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I play darts: »www.triple20dartingsupplies.com | »www.adaoflansing.com
I support unions: www. 1099aldrivers.org www.1039atu.com
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See 16 replies to this post |
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| | Twice the customers, half the network... When I first saw the PTT in action on these networks it got me thinking. "What if I owned a large cellular company, wanted to add more subscribers on my network, but didn't want to upgrade my equipment to handle these subscribers? How could I do it? Eureka, offer them half-duplex communication instead of full-duplex! So how do I get them to buy it? Hmmm, make it only available to business users and contractors for a while so it seems 'special'. If the average residential customer 'can't' have it, then they will want it that much more."
Well, it worked. It always amazes me how many people are willing to use half duplex communications on a cell phone, but if you tried to give them home phone service like that they would think you were nuts. Just goes to show that it's all a matter of sales and marketing now isn't it?
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"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it." | |
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| | | Re: Twice the customers, half the network... Uhhh... a lot of people that use it for work purposes have it so they can be heard RIGHT NOW, a lot of times not even needing a response from the person on the other end. On the farm, it was very useful, and it still is.
As for why the general public carries them, I'm not sure. If they don't need them for work, it seems to me like a "Yeah, I'm THAT important" type of accessory. | |
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| | Ulmo
join:2005-09-22
San Jose, CA Reviews:
·SONIC.NET
·callwithus
·Vitelity VOIP
| Re: Twice the customers, half the network... said by CMoore2004:Uhhh... a lot of people that use it for work purposes have it so they can be heard RIGHT NOW, a lot of times not even needing a response from the person on the other end. On the farm, it was very useful, and it still is. As for why the general public carries them, I'm not sure. If they don't need them for work, it seems to me like a "Yeah, I'm THAT important" type of accessory. I've seen it useful in multi-person crews; conversations were going back and forth among the members much faster than they would have without Nextel. It was more work-speed than the clunky dial and call system. I've also seen it unnecessary in other work situations where it was used.
I've heard that the kids from Los Angeles think it's de rigour. It could be that low class thing the guy from Lansing, MI above talked about; I assumed it got popular just because it started in the business world of the street (where the same work benefits mentioned above are important): gangs and drugs, and then because that was "cool" went over to the non-business of similar streets.
What I want to know is what the interaction procedure with Nextel is when you're interested in someone; I know with cell phones, before texts, you asked the other person their number, they told it to you, you typing it in as they spoke it, then then you pressed green, and then your number went on their phone (caller id). Then you both had it in the number buffer, and would hit save and ask each other's name. The whole fake number thing disappeared. Texts are basically almost identical procedurally. But, Nextel? "Hey, what's your PTT number?" "234 star 1092 star 3" "Beep" "Ok I got you" is that it? Or were teenagers socializing with Nextel in cliques that never changed so they were 100% incestuous and never left their clan, and never passed their numbers? Or, could you type in a new group and meet everyone in the group at the same time with a single button push, with the ultimate family test done right then and there? Anyway ... that was an aside.
Of course PTT is half duplex and otherwise not that different than circuit switched phone calls. They could easily program the benefits of PTT into all the other networks, if they wanted to. Quick connect, group conversations, multi-way conversations, etc.. | |
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| | | | | Re: Twice the customers, half the network... I think most of the Nextel phones have groupconnect (multiple people at once) and some even have the ability to work only as a two-way radio while off-network, much like the "walkie-talkie". | |
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Eek2121Lovin Verizon FIOS
join:2002-10-12
Newton, NJ Reviews:
·Service Electric..
| Push to Talk... wait...nextel push to talk never became widespread? What the fuck are you guys smoking? PTT is one of the BIGGEST innovations in cell phone history. I was so glad when sprint and nextel merged just because i was sick of hearing the chirp of nextel users PTTing each other. | |
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| fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Push to Talk... Most of those people you heard were Boost people.. sadly, they were the ones that were the most vocal about talking in public. If I go any further about the type of user, as well, I'd get this post deleted, so I will play nice.  | |
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 nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:5
·Charter
·voip.ms
| Nextel Service Nextel service has always been good for me. I work in the St. Louis market are where I can go from dense city to suburban, to rural in 20 minutes. The rural coverage isn't great, but it also sucks on my AT&T phone.
Since I'm a contractor, the PTT is essential. Somehow we all got brainwashed to think that we had to have PTT. All I can say is the brainwashing worked. Every GC, Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical, etc... contractor I know still has Nextel (even if they have another service besides).
The other good thing about Nextel is the phones are (or at least were) more rugged than standard. I beat the hell out of mine.
I would gladly switch to a Sprint plan If I could keep PTT and get a decent rugged phone.
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All we need now is a car that runs on milk. | |
|
Reviews:
·Cox HSI
| QChat PTT is doomed QChat PTT is as doomed as the "hybrid" units they released. Its all about coverage. The NEXTEL iDEN network is already larger than the native Sprint PCS network. What Sprint found out (but apparently did not learn) from the hybrids is that a 1900MHz only CDMA phone exposes their weak network, they can't roam onto superior 850MHz CDMA networks. That's part of the reason that a year and a half later they've sold 1 million of them, rather than the 4 million FORMER CEO Gary Forsee promised to sell. With EV-DO not even close to overlayed across the Nextel footprint, customers are going to get pissed off and leave when they have no PTT service in areas they used to. I like Dan Hesse and I really think that if anybody can save Sprint, he can, but they still just don't seem to get it.
As for the ridiculous statement that "the service never became widespread." You might try doing some homework before making such a stupid statement; they had at one time 24 million customers on a nationwide network that still covers more people than Sprint's native network. Now maybe that doesn't qualify as being widespread to you, but I think most people would agree the service was and still is more widespread than the readership of these silly "news" articles will ever be.
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"Don't steal. The government hates competition." | |
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| disc
join:2005-12-31
Raleigh, NC | Re: QChat PTT is doomed Given that these qchat phones are basically CDMA-based, does that mean they default to conventional CDMA voice service if EVDOrevA (qchat) is not available?
If so, then what about this situation: I'm unreachable via qchat, but I'm reachable via conventional voice. Will the network tell callers trying to chirp me to use conventional voice instead?
I'm not even sure how PTT works simply on iDEN by itself, but interested to understand how this hangs together with CDMA-based PTT. | |
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 AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ | My question is: Will these units be able to communicate with users on the Iden network? If sprint is building out a new numbering system, they are in trouble. | |
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|  HarleyYacYacoPremium
join:2001-10-13
Allendale, NJ
kudos:1 | Re: My question is: yes.. both work together.. see the demo | |
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| | AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ | Re: My question is: sorry, no youtube at work... | |
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| | | HarleyYacYacoPremium
join:2001-10-13
Allendale, NJ
kudos:1 | Re: My question is: Hi,
To me the demo shows no issues. We shall see. They pretty much just put the phones on the desk and "Beeped" each phone. I could not tell the difference. 1 sec +/-
Lee | |
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