Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!apple!lemke
From: lemke@Apple.COM (Steve Lemke)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Telecommunicating from the Boonies
Keywords: mobile phone modem computer
Message-ID: <16539@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 3 Sep 88 02:53:57 GMT
References: <249@drd.UUCP>
Reply-To: lemke@apple.com.UUCP (Steve Lemke)
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 33

In article <249@drd.UUCP> mark@drd.UUCP (Mark Lawrence) writes:
>We have a customer who wants to do some mobile data communication.  He
>has a car phone, see, and a computer and a modem and he wants to
>telecommunicate using his modem and carphone much as if he were at his
>desk.  One problem -- this is in the boonies of western Canada and the
>carphone he has is a radio mobile phone, not the dial-type cellular
>phones we get spoiled with in metro areas.  Seems it works more like a
>CB than a phone.
>
>Question:  does anybody have any pointers as to how to use a modem in a
>situation like this?  Are there special products (which don't require
>the leasing of a satellite channel and special video compression
>equipment or some such hi-tech nonsense) that handle datacomm in this
>kind of situation?  Any experiences and pointers to vendors or
>consultants would be appreciated.

Well, you might try something like a packet-radio device.  This device is
similar to a modem, but rather than being customized to the telephone lines,
it's customized to work with 2-way (half-duplex) radio.  The usual instance
is with Amateur radio, and the communications is of a hobbyist/non-commercial
nature.  However, I believe you can use the TNCs (Terminal Node Connector, if
I remember right) with privately operated radio frequencies (non-Amateur band)
without any problems.  I'm not 100% sure about this, but it's something to
consider, especially since you can go as high as 4800 baud (I think) - as I
said, the device is not restricted to the limitations of a phone modem, but
is optimized for radio transmissions.  I don't know who you could talk to
about it though - perhaps someone else can provide some input here...

			===== Steve Lemke =====
Internet : lemke@apple.com       UUCP: {sun,voder,nsc,decwrl}!apple!lemke
AppleLink: LEMKE                GEnie:  S.Lemke
All opinions are, of course, mine, and could never belong to anyone else!