Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: Ken Jongsma <wybbs!ken@sharkey.cc.umich.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Cellular Marketing
Message-ID: <11010@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 17 Aug 90 13:33:09 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: TELECOM Digest
Lines: 32
Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 578, Message 10 of 13


I'm beginning to suspect that cellular phones have no basis in
reality, as we know it. If this country gets any closer to recession,
a lot of people trying to get rich off of cellualar are going to be in
for a rude shock.

Consider the following print ad I saw recently: A person sitting in an
airport terminal, talking to someone on a cellular phone. The blurb
below: "Think of how much more productive you could be with a cellular
phone."

Uh, what's wrong with this picture? Let's see. I could spend .60+/min
to use my cellular phone (plus roaming rates, etc), or I could pick up
the pay phone right behind me and spend .25/min or less.

Top two uses of a cellular phone based on my accidental tuning of
cellular frequencies:

     1) Person A claiming that Person B doesn't understand him/her and
        wondering when the next time he/she could get together with 
        Person C.

     2) Cellular salescritters talking about the latest rate increase
        and the kickbacks their getting from the carriers.

Just seems like the whole industry is built on a shakey foundation.


Ken Jongsma                   ken@wybbs.mi.org
Smiths Industries             ken%wybbs@sharkey.umich.edu
Grand Rapids, Michigan        ..sharkey.cc.umich.edu!wybbs!ken