[BC] Analog Longevity

[Chris Gebhardt]

CBoone wrote:

>True.....FCC a while back allowed sunset of analog cellphones in a number of
>areas....
>Eventually only the digital modes will work......I had a xmtr site near the
>Texas coast with an analog cell on the rmt control...The current owners are
>too cheap to pay for a line to the tower (it could be done)....with sunset
>of analog, it will have to go...with the new tower they are planning on
>building maybe they will have a new phone cable put in (along with a new
>road to the tower...but doubtful)
>Less than 5% of channels at any cell site is analog now.....
>  
>
I may be dead wrong on this, but doesn't GM's OnStar system use 
all-analog? 

For remote control in my industry we have been using mobile data service 
from the cellphone providers to help us "cut the cord".  With my 
T-Mobile Sidekick II (which is comparatively "cute" compared to a lot of 
what is now being offered) I can access any of my systems, from web and 
email servers to routers to power supplies and monitoring systems.  So 
long as the device has IP connectivity, I can access and manipulate it 
with the "phone".  Pop a PC card into the laptop, and now you have (in 
selected areas) the same type of connection you might expect from your desk.

With the proliferation of mobile data service, it would seem to me that 
we'll see some solutions to replace the analog or even land-line based 
remote controls ranging from the very "slick" to the very "creative".

-- 
Chris Gebhardt
VIRTBIZ Internet Services
chris at virtbiz.com | (866) 4-VIRTBIZ