Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: westmark!dave@uunet.uu.net (Dave Levenson) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Cheap Cellular Phones Message-ID: Date: 29 Oct 89 03:18:50 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: Westmark, Inc., Warren, NJ, USA Lines: 39 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 478, message 2 of 9 In article , tel@hound.att.com (Thomas E Lowe) writes: > I have seen ads here in NJ for Novatel Car phones for 88 dollars. > Has anyone out there had any experience with Novetel phones? > I'm sure there are very few fancy features in this model, but how > about the quality? Is the range as good as more expensive models? > How about sound quality and reliability? > The company offering this deal is Jersey Cellular. Has anyone in NJ > had experience with this outfit? I have been driving around NJ with a Novatel cellular phone since 1986. It has never required maintenance, and works pretty well all over the state. Yes, there are a few "dead spots" -- mostly in the less-travelled areas and in the "hill country" of western Morris and northern Somerset counties. Novatel makes a large product line. The model 1260 (which I have) is a 3-watt unit (the max allowed) and is no-longer manufactured. Remember that the company who sells and installs your mobile phone gets to activate your service with Cellular One, or Metro One, or Bell Atlantic or Nynex (depending upon where you live). They get a piece of the action for every minute of air time you use. Their loss-leader price usually requires that _they_ activate your service, and that you keep it for some minimum period. They make back on your air time what they probably lose selling it at that price. They also have to make a monthly quota of new service activations, to keep their service reseller status. The deal is probably not bad, all things considered. Back in '86 they sold for about $1,500 plus installation! Dave Levenson Voice: (201) 647 0900 Westmark, Inc. Internet: dave@westmark.uu.net Warren, NJ, USA UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave [The Man in the Mooney] AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave