Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: csense!bote@uunet.uu.net (John Boteler) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Cell Phone Question Message-ID: Date: 30 Jun 89 00:28:13 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Lines: 29 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 220, message 9 of 10 From article , by DREUBEN@eagle. wesleyan.edu) (DOUGLAS SCOTT REUBEN): > Let's say I have a 666 channel cell phone, and am in a system that > uses all 832 channels. [ does it know? how? do the carriers spare channels? ] Among the many pieces of information the phone transmits in its data burst is the Station Class Mark, which indicates the transmit power capability of the radio and the maximum channel capacity of the transceiver. The carriers have enough capacity problems right now in downtown metropolis that reserving channels for 666 channel radios is the least of their worries. There will always be others with radios capable of more channels to pay the bill, and that's all that matters. Further, each site is assigned a discrete set of channels to operate on; even though coverage overlaps greatly in a metro area, it would be difficult to fully accomodate 666 channel units in peak periods--there just isn't enough sites with the right channels at the right times to accomodate your scenario reliably. Sorry. Bote uunet!cyclops!csense!bote {mimsy,sundc}!{prometheus,hqda-ai}!media!cyclops!csense!bote