List of systems and features by SID. =========================================================================== Last Update: 09/10/99 [] 00002 / Airtouch LA / Eastern Ventura Co. -EMX swtich -CDMA -BAMS CT-A can't roam -No caller ID for BAMS 215, [] 00004 / Airtouch San Diego -EMX switch -CDMA -BAMS CT-A can't roam -No caller ID for BAMS 215 (no ooa, just nothing) -No caller ID for GTE 415 (no ooa, just nothing) -No 1R on CF -*71*8 will NOT work for GTE, works fine in other Airtouch markets, like LA, but you can switch your phone to the A side for GTE/SD 00043 and it will accept it on that side. -Poor call delivery (failures and "network difficulties" to 215) [] 00007 / CO (SWBMS)-Boston Roam Port: (617) 633-7626 Outdial ANI: Boston Area (617) 890- Worcester Area: (781) 202-0053 (also I-93 just in NH) 200-2053 SE Mass (I-195 Fall R) (508) 223-4002 NH (Hamton Beach area): (603) 425-1100 No CDPD coverage (as of 10/98) *General Notes: -As of late March 1999, CO/Boston will be offering the ex-Metro Mobile (now SNET) RI 00119 market as part of their "home" coverage area. I have yet to verify that they are billing correctly for this, but they did send out literature to that effect. A sorely needed addition to their system to remain even slightly competitive with BAMS. -In December 1998 was offering a few new (and remarkably un-cheap) deals: One matches BAM's unlimited off-peak with NO LOCAL CALL CHARGE (in the Boston system); don't know if you also get to call to RI for free (knowing CO/Boston probably not) Another is a digital unlimited plan for like $70, where you can make as many calls as you like in the Boston system at any time for a flat rate of $70 per month. There may be local toll charges, though. -Inferior system in terms of coverage and services to Bell Atlantic's Boston/RI system. -This has been updated as of 3/99, see above (they now include RI as the "home" market, finally) System doesn't cover RI, so home rates on many plans do not apply. (This may change as soon as SWBell Cellular acquires SNET Cellular's A-side in RI, SNET got the system from Metro Mobile after Bell Atlantic bought Metro Mobile and thus had both systems in RI; they had to sell one, so they sold the A side to SNET.) -CO/Boston charges a "Roamer Administration Fee" in every month that you roam outside the Boston, southern NH, and RI systems. A *ridiculous* charge, and probably the only company to do so. -Double Airtime charges: CO/Boston charges HOME and ROAMING airtime when a call is delivered outside the Boston system. Thus, a 1-minute call delivered to Chicago would cost: $4- one time monthly roamer admin fee, $3- daily roamer surcharge, $.50 per minute for home airtime, $.19 per minute per minute for the long distance charge to deliver your call (or whatever rate fo long distance you pay if you have another carrier), and $.99 per minute for airtime in Chicago! (Note on the BAMS regular plan this would be about half; BAMS also offers for $5 per month a roaming plan which allows you to roam anywhere in the US/Canada and pay only $.50 per minute for all calls [plus toll delivery]; they have been rumored to occasionally make "mistakes" and charge home airtime when calls are delivered as well (for Boston customers only; I've never seen this on any other bills), but I don't think that is going on any longer. ) -CO/Boston also charges for local calls, and calls to/from RI are not free, as are all local calls, including RI, with the Bell Atlantic system. (Some corporate BAMS/Boston plans charge per minute local toll, but most other plans do not.) As of 8/1/98, they charge 4 cents to set up any local call, and then 4 or 5 cents per minute for any local call. (Most Bell Atlantic plans allow you call anywhere in the Boston/E.Mass/RI area at no toll charge and totally free during free airtime or included airtime periods. ) -VOICEMAIL DEPOSITION CHARGES HAVE BEEN DROPPED, see full parapgraph: CO/Boston charges airtime for voicemail deposits (when people leave you voicemail), although retrieval from your cellphone is free. (I do not think it is free from a landline, I may be wrong.) Most systems have abandoned this since it allows anyone to call and run up your bill simply by leaving voicemail messages. UPDATE: 8/6/98: They are changing this to a more reasonable policy of charging only if you retrieve messages from your cellular; ie, there are no longer voicemail deposition charges. -They push their Digital service as "much more affordable" and offering the largest digital footprint in the Boston area. While I doubt this, BIG DEAL: Their rates are MORE than BAMS for just about any type of use in the Boston (home) market, and Cell One Boston's roaming "agreements" (ie, make more money from the poor customers who have to roam plans) offer little in terms of regionwide, single-rate roaming like BAMS does with its Digital Choice plans, unlimited off-peak and first incoming minute free plans (but there are toll charges outside your area if you use toll delivery, grrrr...! You can use the roam ports and then it is free, though). -In general, now that BAMS had unlimited off peak plans, stay away from Cell One Boston as they are thoroughly uncompetitive with BAMS in terms of pricing, rip-off roam charges with Cell One/Boston charges and airtime charges, voicemail pricing, and coverage. Stay away from them until they progress 5 years or so and realize that there is some competition all around them! Get RID of your Cell One / Boston plan and switch to BAMS -- its rare that such a statement can be made with authority, but frankly, its amazing how CO/Boston gets any new customer who have actually COMPARED them to BAMS...! *General Problems: -CO/Boston uses #xxx-xxxx to accees a direct calls via No-Answer-Transfer to voicemail. This makes VM difficult to access from outside of their system and difficult to forward to from some systems which even though they are on the NACN don't pass the *71-#xxx-xxxx back to Boston. (For example, doing so WILL work in the Vanguard "Super System" 00103 is eastern PA, but in ATTWS/NY 00025 the attemtp to send calls to VM via NAT fials, ie, the NY switch will not allow that call (nothing new for NY, ATTWS in NY is probably one of the LEAST NACM compliant systems anywhere) *Coverage Problems: -If they do one thing well, it is build towers, and they have managed offer generally good coverage over their service areas. (The NH Lakes 01485 system shared with Cell One/VT is an exception, service there is pathetic on CO/Boston's towers -- they should just sell their half of the system to CO/VT and leave that area, CO/VT is a superior carrier which would offer much better service in the entire area if they were allowed legally and by the sale of the system to operate ALL of the 01485) -Bad handoff area near the MA-9 / US-20 JCT. Calls regularly drop if initiated on US-20 Eastbound and continued on MA-9 east. Drops usually occur right at the US-20E to MA-9E merge or shortly thereafter heading eastbound. -Poor coverage at the JCT of US-20 and MA-31, about 10 miles east of the US-20/I-84 (old I-86) JCT in Sturbridge. *CDPD Notes: Ha! You think THEY have CDPD? Not unless they can find some way to charge a "packet administration fee" and a roam charge for using it more than 4 miles from your registered place of home or business! :) Please..these dinosuars, who make pathetic attempts to copy BAMS service plans (but who's cheapness and nickle-and-diming tactics show through nevertheless) have NO idea what CDPD is or see why they should offer it is they can't rake huge "access fee" charges for it! [] 00008 / BAMS-Philadelphia Roam Port: (215) 870-7626 (302) 270-7626 (302) 530-7626 Elkton, MD port (despite DE A/C) Outdial ANI: Philly: (215) 382-9901 Jersey: (609) 547-1967 (I-295 Trenton Area) (609) 428-0316 (Haddonfield, NJ area) (609) 472-0006 (Mapleshade/Willingsboro Area,NJ-92/I-295) (610) 397-1032 (Bucks County, New Hope area) (610) 861-9309 (Bethlehem, PA) (302) 322-9433 (Devon area, Concordville, PA-252/352) (302) 322-9433 (Dover area, prob. all 00008 areas of DE) (302) 530-0003 (Delmarva Pen., DE-9 opp Jersey Nuc. Plnt) (610) 861-9309 Water Gap / I-80 (410) 287-3740 Elkton, MD area north of Havre *On some accounts, mainly home accounts, the ANI of the Subscriber is shown. Actually, works for most BAMS acts, ie, real ANI shows. Customer Service: *611, *226 (*BAM), (800) 922-0204 CDPD coverage: in effect throughout most of the 00008 system, see below. -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID is displayed throughout the 00008 system. -Alpha messaging works uniformly throughout system. System also offers Numeric Paging with their Octel Voicemail systems (Option 5) -ATT 0-500 calls do not route to ATT, but instead routes to MCI and BAMS. As on 6/98, they now seem to get an ATT recording saying "Your call did not go through, please try your call again. 0223" Last tested: 7/12/98 -ATT 0-500 will work when prefaced with 10288-0-500, but it immediately supervises. -Voicemail audible TONE on all calls works when new messages are present -Voicemail Digital phone alert works when new messages are present -Switch Recording throughout system(s) is 00008 -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring works -Feature Code Compliance: Fully compliant; will not "block" feature codes and seems to defer to the home switch/subscriber profile rather than impose restrictions of its onw. * General Notes: -Can pick up the 00008 system from Jones Beach, Long Island, NY! Bleeds in and out with the NY 00022 system. The 00008 is not digital, so generally analog customers will notice this while digital customers' phone will try to "cling" to the digital NY 00022 system. -Philly Digital Choice customers get the Atlantic City/00250 system as part of their extended home coverage area (home airtime rates apply, even free off peak), however, I noted that they were not always billed as such, and in many cases were billed at full roamer rates. I've called them to fix this; we'll see how long it takes. (They fixed the New England system roamer issues to the 1516 system in a few months, so hopefully this won't take too long either.) -Caller ID works when roaming in the SNET 00088 system even though SNET is not part of or related to BAMS other than as roaming partners. *Coverage Problems: -Besides the usual Digital Choice (CDMA) "silent-drop" (phone just hangs up in mid-call when coverage gets weak without any warning) and failed non-CDMA system handoffs (won't hand off to a non-CDMA systewm if it is in CDMA / Digital mode), generally good coverage throughout the system. *Other problems: -Calls which are initiated in the NY/00022 system, transit through the Philly/00008 system (properly handed off), do not seem to hand off to the DC-Baltimore/00018 system (no trunking between NY and DC systems?), although the calls lasts well into the 00018 system, at least as far as the Maryland House rest area about 15 miles south of Havre de Grace where handoffs normally would occur. -Handoffs between 00008/Philly and 00018/DC-Baltimore seem inproved over early 1997 around the Havre de Grace/I-95 bridge; Harrisburg/GTE system, which used to bleed in while on the bridge, no longer seems to penetrate down there (althogh it IS still present along the US-1 freeway in PA for a few miles). -Philly Digital Choice customers (and others?) are being billed for free/unlimited off-peak and weekend plans, BAMS is aware of the problem and is trying to correct it; they are currently crediting customers who call manually. (5/26/98). UPDATE: Problem seems to have been fixed for the most part as of 10/98 billing cycle. -Alpha messaging seems to work well throughout system; prior to Dec 1997 it was spotty and seemed that in certain areas of the system, alpha messaging did not work (such as the current state of affairs with the NY/00022 system in Queens, Kings (Brooklyn), Richmond (Staten Island) counties. UPDATE: This was fixed after I placed a few calls to the Exec appeals dept. at BAMS, which after 6 MONTHS of dealing with the local BAMS offices in NY and CT, they got it fixed in a day!!). *CDPD Notes: -Excellent CDPD coverage south and west of Philly, but needs more work north towards I-95, the PA Turnpike extension, and up to Trenton. Definitely true around US-202 corridor; King of Prussia has practically no coverage where I-76, I-276, US-202 and US-422 meet (but just to the east on US-202 coverage becomes strong), neither does Devon and other communities bounded by I-476 to the east, US-202 to the west , I-76 to the north and PA-3 to the south. The Mainline (US-30) is quite poorly covered at and west of JCT PA-252, and only south of PA-3 and the US-1/"old" US-1 in the Media area and south does coverage get any good. Basicaly needs work north of US-1. -Very good CDPD coverage between Christiana and Dover on US-13 and the new DE-1 "Relief Route" -- very strong signal all around the Dover area; needs more coverage to the West of the Delmarva Penn. Coastal areas near Rehoboth and south also spotty. Acceptable for beach use , but still needs more work in many coastal areas. [] 00013 / Cell One-DC (SW Bell) [] 00018 / BAMS-DC Roam port: (301) 502-7626 DC (will not ring Balt) (410) 382-7626 (Aberdeen) (410) 726-7626 (Cambridge - will not ring Balt) (301) 491-7828 (Hagerstown, will not ring Balt) Outdial ANI: (410) 382-1002 (Baltimore, I-83 to York, PA, N. Baltimore) (410) 726-1002 (Eastern Shore of MD) (301) 502-0002 (South of Rest Stop south of Balt on I-95 + DC) (703) 408-0002 (Virginia side at Glebe, I-66 corr, etc.) -CDPD: Reasonably good coverage in DC, and on Balt-DC I-95 corridor. Very poor coverage on Beltway (I-495) section between JCT GW Pkway in the Glenn Echo are all the way up to CT ave, and even poor there until NH Ave (MD-650) or even I-95 JCT. Really needs work there! So so coverage along US-301 on Delmarva Pennninsula, and OK coverage in Annapolis and bridge area. Gaps in coverage in sections along I-97, but gets better north on MD-32 up to JCT I-695/Balt. Beltway. Decent coverage on US-1 north of Beltway to Conowingo Dam, then pretty poor coverage north of Dam until Philly CDPD system kicks in at the MD/PA line where US-1 becomes a freeway. [] 00022 / BAMS-New York Metro Roam Port: (917) 301-7626 Outdial ANI: (generally shows mobile # if you are in the state where your number is, ie, a 516 Long Island, New York account will show the full 516# if the mobile is in NY state; if the mobile goes to NJ a generic 516 number is sent; they are changing this to show the actual number as the ANI and CID throughout the system) CDPD SPNI is: 9 (ex-NYNEX NY system, eg, east of the Hudson River) BANM NY Metro (ex-BAMS NJ system, eg, west of the Hudson R.) -Caller ID is sent on LD calls -Caller ID is displayed, -Alpha messaging does NOT work uniformly throughout system: For certain Bell Atlantic customers only (below): (Below applies to BAMS-CT customers; seems to work in all areas for BAMS-Philly customers as of 4/98) -ATT 0-500 calls properly route to ATT -ATT 0-500 calls do not supervise. -Voicemail aubible TONE works on calls when there is a new voicemail msg -Voicemail Digital display works when there is a new voicemail msg. -Switch Recording throughout system(s) is 00022 -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring works -Feature Code Compliance: *70 - does operate normally *71 - does operate normally *72 - does operate normally *73 - does operate normally (will not work for BAMS 00119/CT customers even though it returns a confirmation tone; BAMS CT customers MUST use *70, which doesn't work in some other other markets, such as 00078, see below. 5/98: -This has been fixed for 860-604 CT customers, but tests with 203-915 accounts indicate that *73 will still not work; won't even work in CT. Notes: -A good deal of progress has been made since the NYNEX days when it arguably had the poorest coverage of any major city served by a Bell carrier outside of LA. Customer service is still pretty much unresponsive (in Orangeburg), and roaming issues are generally beyond their grasp, it seems. However, after the BAMS merger, things have become much better, in terms of coverage, handoffs between systems, etc. -The NY system has been "expanded" to include ALL of New Jesery, ie, all of th 00250 system and the Jersey sections of the 00008 system. The billing for this is not great; they are still making mistakes in a number of cases for calls dialed via the Philly roam port (215) 870-7626 placed to a NY-00022 roamer in the Jersey 00008 system. Additionally; the Philly (roaming) and Jersey ("extended home") 00008 system is not wel delineated; I've been billed as roamer/Philly for calls made on I-295 near Florence, which is a number of miles east of Philly and right near the New Jersey Turnpike. They need to tune their billing to correct these mischarges; if I am in NJ I should pay NY/NJ rates -- it's not like I am right on the river looking at the Philly system. NOTE: NOT ALL NY ACCOUNTS GET ALL OF NJ; CHECK WITH BAMS TO SEE IF YOUR PLAN DOES. -NY Digital Choice accounts finally have expanded home areas including Fairfield County, CT (need to switch to the A side, 00119), Poughkeepsie and Orange County (00486/00404), and all of Jersey (00250 and parts of 00008). Before it was just the 00022 system and maybe Jersey, adding nothing to the coverage area over analog, and making you suffer the silent drops and almost-as-bad-as-static "half-duplex-like" and frequently distorted digital CDMA service with very little in terms of additional benefits in terms of coverage, pricing, or features over what an analog customer could get and at a much cheaper price (ie, not having to buy the phone). *General Problems: -Customer servie out of the ex-NYNEX areas in NY used to be pathetic, especially for people calling the (800) 227-1069 number of Orangeburg (NY Metro) service area. Has become a bit better since the complete transition to Bell Atlantic. In many ways, better than ATTWS which has had to as of 9/98 hire a lot of less-than-competant cust. service reps to make up for the *30* minute delays in reaching customer services as a result of their One Rateoffering during the summer of 1998. -UPDATE: Alpha messaging now seems to work in the ENTIRETY of the BAMS/NY 00022 market. After 6 months of calling the tech depts in CT and NY, I got fed up and placed ONE call to the BAMS Executive offices and in ONE DAY they fixed the problem. I'm very glad that they helped out and got it working, but at the same time I am concerned that it needed to be escalated to that level before anyone did anything about it. (All the "right" people in the NY and CT markets were AWARE of the problem for 6 months, but no one did anything until I called the Executive offivces...)...The following is what the problem USED to be: Previous: STILL major areas of BAMS's-NY/00022 market do NOT have alpha messaging, namely Queens County, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. When a mobile is in any of these areas, alpha messages will not come through. Instead, they are held, and re-transmitted when a subscriber heads east from Brooklyn/Queens at the Nassau County line (almost immediately after crossing it, BTW), when heading west from Brooklyn and Queens almost in the middle of any of the East River crossings, when heading north from Queens in the middle on the Throgs Neck (I-295) and Whitestone (I-678) Bridges, when heading off of from Staten Island to NJ at the middle of the Geothals, Bayonne, or Outer Bridge Crossings. BAMS mentioned over the summer of 1997 that these should have been corrected by November of 1997 when the switch software (or the switch?) was to be upgraded, but so far there is no alpha messaging in any of these counties. *Other problem areas such as the Bronx and portions of Westchester have been updated so that messages do work in those areas; prior to October 1997 there was no messages there either. *Coverage Problems: -A glaring coverage problem is on one of the most traveled intersections of their system, the JCT of I-495 (Long Island Expressway) and I-278 (Brooklyn/Queens Expressway). Calls initiated on I-495W anywhere before "the Tanks" (old gas storage tanks which are no longer there but still used as a landmark by traffic reporters; Woodhaven Blvd is the closest exit) generally either drop completely (60% of the time) or are so full of static that they are unintelligible. This was reported to BAMS a year ago, 6 months ago, and in Jan 1998, each time they said "We're adding towers". (In all fairness, it is a very congested area, but it seems a bit stretched that such a major intersection in a not-so-topographically-challenging area STILL has coverage problems; the A-side manages this area expertly.) -Very poor coverage on a major highway (Sprain Brook Parkway) north of the Yonkers(?) reservoir and south of NY-100C (near I-287). A problem for years on a major highway; never fixed. (Same is true for the A side/ ATTWS too.) -Very poor coverage on the Hutchinson River Pkwy at and around Mamaronek Blvd./Rest Area .6 watt/handhelds will generally cut off, digital service drops, and 3 watt mobile will have a lot of static if not drop completely. This has been improved over the years, but is still unacceptable for a heavily used highway. Locals are opposed to new towers as usual. (A side/ATTW is *slightly* better here, and handoffs work much more often, but still some static and it does still drop all too frequently.) -Static-prone coverage, even for 3-watt phones, on the Hutch between exits 19 and 22 heading, even more so (to the point of repeated drops) during busy periods. There needs to simply be more/stronger coverage here; this has been a problem since cell service started. (A side has similar problems, but not quite as bad) -Poor/non-exitstant handoffs if a call is originated in Manhattan, and a caller then travels through the Lincoln Tunnel, to I-495 (now NJ-495?) to US1/9 JCT. Call will usually drop by that time. Last tested 7/8/98. *CDPD notes: -CDPD: BAMS has unlimited CDPD plan for all BAMS CDPD areas for one flat rate per month. This plan is now (as of 6/1/99) available for $39.95 with a 2-year contract, or $54.95 with a one year contract. They do not sell it without a contract. CDPD system is OK in most coastal areas (except CT and RI), but needs work inland. Handoffs occur well between NY/Philly/DC systems on the I-95 corridor (or since I-95 was never finished in NJ the alternate routes), but overall the CDPD coverage still needs to be significantly more built out for it to be very useful. -Poor coverage on I-280 in Newark near NJ-21 JCT, gets better about 1 mile east, but in northern Newark along I-280 there is poor CDPD coverage; gets better near train yards. -Poor coverage to no xcoverage on the North Shore of eastern Nassau County along NY-25A (Bayville, Cold Spring Harbor, etc). AT&T WS slightly, but not much better with their CDPD coverage. -UPDATE: As of 6/1/99, Staten Island coverage is dramatically improived -- very good coverage on the West Shore Expressway NY-440\ all the way to I-278 and then up to the Verrezano Bridge; still needs some work along Richmond Blvd. and southern Hylan Blvd. (You can now initiate a connection in DC, drive all the way to NYC (staying on the B side and driving up the I-95 corridor [I-95 isn't finished in NJ -- they sold the right of way to the NTJP Authority so they can monopolisticly keep all the toll revenue] and go over the Outerbridge Crossing on SI and not have your connection fail, even with faily continuous data going through. BAMS's CDD still does about as many "Initializing Encryption" (ie, re-registering) as it sends data :) (which is really annoying, AT&T rarely does this, BAMSA does it every time you go over a brisde or just even if you move a bit -- I don't see why they have to do this all the time), but overall, their coverage in NY, especially SI and to a lesser extent Westchester, has improved a lot since summer 1998. (OLD-- pre 5/99 : poor CDPD coverage on all of Staten Island, but especially true of the West Shore, where there is no coverage for its entire legnth. Signal doesn't really get good (-90 dB or less) until you get to northeastern SI neat the bridge. ) [] 00025 / ATTWS(CO)-NY Roam Port: (917) 847-7626 (used to be 212) "RP" Switch (Rochelle Park, NJ) (201) 960-7626 "TB" Switch (Teterboro, NJ?) (718) 753-7626 "WD" Switch (Woodbury, LI) (860) 480-7626 (Ltchfld 01101) "RP" Switch (NOTE: you can use either the 860 or 917 ports to page customers in either system, thus, if you live in NYC and want to call a customer roaming in Litchfield, CT, you can use the local 917 port rather than place a long distance call, etc.) Outdial ANI: RP: (212) 261-0000 (for both CT and NY calls, all routed here) TB: (201) 368-0122/(201) 646-1392 (near NJ-23) WD: (201) 587-0199 (odd that Woodbury, LI has a 201 outdial) M1: (201) 587-0199/(201) 368-0122 M2: (201) 587-0199 R2: (201) 646-1392/(201) 368-0122 (I-80) R3: (201) 587-0199 (973) 565-0072 1: all go to (212) 261-0000 tb: gsp sth of us22, also south of ccp in westchester (950 wks in gsp?) upper east side 79th and 5th, tb switch too, 950 doesnt work, also SI (950 works), also Brooklyn (950 works), also NJ-23 (950 works) also NJ-10 at JCT I-287 (950 works) rp: westchester north of I-287 950-1044 works wd: queens, 950 goes to recording since the outdial is (201) 587-0199 cuts in around I-495/I-278 JCT. m2: westchester south of I-287 but north of CCP 950-1044 does not work also, upper west side (B'Way/77th St), m1: at wtc on way to tunnel and ny-9a wsh, also covers holland tunnel, lower manhattan, downtown brooklyn (near mahattan br), up I-278 to K. bridge, then M2 kicks in on I-495E to tanks, where wd cuts in. r2: Jersey, I-280 area near Eisenhower Parkway/NJ-10 general vicinity, e. of I-287. Not the rp switch, Litchfield won't page here. Goes all the way to covered roadway on US-1/9 near Holland Tunnel, then M1 kicks in. 950 doesn't work, but recording goes to RP, not R2. Also Clifton area on I-80 to at least I-287. r3: I-80, at JCT GSP, up to NJ-19/Clifton-Paterson area. Where covered: (Do 950 numbers work?) tb recording is played in m1 and m2 areas when 950-1044 is dialed. 950-1044 generally gets "tb" (manhattan) or "rp" (jersey) recording if it won't work, even if it is in another switch. (ie, if in M1 it gives "tb", if in "R2" it gives "rp", etc.) -ATT 0-500 are properly routed (AT&T does own this system, after all...) -ATT 0-500 calls are not supervised *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: -If a call is initiated on the LIE/I-495 heading westbound into NYC at or before Woodhaven Blvd (near the ex-"tanks"), it will become increasingly staticy and eventually drop near Van Dam street if you proceed west on the LIE or at the Williamsburg Bridge ramp if you take I-278. I reported this problem YEARS ago and they have never fixed it. -Very poor coverage in south central Staten Island (Arthur Kill Rd and Richmond Rd. area) covering a large portion of the area West of Hylan Blvd and east of NY-440; can't easily place or receive calls due to poor signal/no signal in the general area. -Still has coverage problems at Peekskill Hollow (a long, narrow valley) where the Taconic Parkway crosses it; calls are generally dropped or so filled with static that any conversation becomes inaudbile. BAMS fixed their coverage *nicely* there abuot a year ago (Winter 1997/8) and now has significantly better and seamless coverage in the area than AT&T Wireless. AT&T's coverage generally gets static-prone heading north just in the Hollow, and never recovers, until it drops about a mile north, or heading south, the drop occurs about two miles after the hollow after going up a somewhat steep grade. The problem was reported over 2 years aog and as on 12/98 has not been fixed. Seems like a mojor problem for a heavily traveled road, and if BAMS could convince the locals to allow a tower (or use someone else's), AT&T should be able to as well. -Static-prone coverage, even for 3-watt phones, on the Hutch between exits 19 and 22 heading, even more so (to the point of repeated drops) during busy periods. There needs to simply be more/stronger coverage here; this has been a problem since cell service started. (B side has similar problems, but a bit worse) *CDPD: -The best and most extensive CDPD carrier in the NY Area, with the fastest connections, fewest areas where encryption needs to be re-initialized, etc. Its area is smaller than BAMS *overall* boundries of the CDPD footprint since BAMS covers central Jersey (and all of NJ with its 250 and 00008 *SID* [not SPNI] CDPD systems) and western NJ, while AT&T has to contend with the idiotic holdout Susssex Cellular system which is lucky if its cellular signal gets outside of the antenna wire to its towers let alone offer anytihng like CDPD service! -CDPD drops off badly on the Taconic Parkway near Ossining heading north, and comes in again starting at the northern end of Ossining at NY-134. (IE, generally between NY-133 and NY-134 on the Taconic there is no CDPD coverage.) -CDPD goes out dramatically on thr Hutchinson River Parkway between exits 19 and 22, and then comes in again (heading north) at the Rest Stop/Mamaroneck Ave. area... =CDPD shows very low signal (despite strong cellular signals) in the vic. of Smithtown, LI, west of the NY-25A/NY-25 JCT, north and westward along NY-25A. Also, sub-standard CDPD coverage in the "downtown" Smithtown area in generall (generally between the LIRR tracks over NY-25/25A and east of that were the two roads split off. NY-25A has somewhat better coverage east of that heading to the north and east, while NY-25, which heads directly east, doesn't get very good coverage for about 3 miles east of Smithtown. [] 00027 LA Cellular (ATT?) / also vENTURA attws SYSTEM - caller id WORKS on CT A 860 in Ventura, but NOT in LA area. - CDPD - excellent CDPD from Ventura Co. line west, alsdo can pick up but not loc (register) cdpd from Palos Verdes at the end of I-110 and on the Terminal Is freeway CA-43 bridge;lso at jeff's house on Mulholland just west of the hollywood fwy / us-101 [] 00028 / BAMS-Boston & New England Roam Port: (617) 571-7626 (401) 529-7626 (617) 285-7626 Outdial ANI, Boston: (617) 542-5047 SE Mass: (617) 426-8853 Charlton: (617) 482-6719 I-84/I-90 JCT Sturbridge/Worscter US-20 RI: (401) 453-4416 NH: (617) (603) 434-9840 (just over MA/NH line on I-93 in NH) -Caller ID not sent on LD calls (3/98) -Caller ID available throughout system -Alpha messaging generally works throughout system, although RI has some noticeable exceptions, eg, Pawtucket. -0+ calls are NOT routed to ATT or any other operator in the RI area -ATT 0-500 are properly routed, NOT in RI, though -ATT 0-500 calls are not supervised -Voicemail audible tone at the beginning of calls works -Voicemail Digital Choice visual notification works -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring works -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns 00028 -Feature Code Compliance: *70 does operate normally does it? montauk 3/6 no *71 operates normally *72 operates normally *73 operates normally *Notes: -For a while there was no Three-Way calling availability for many CT-A side customers. Initial queries resulted in the usual "It's due to fraud concerns" catch-all. After investigation with other BAMS numbers from NY, DC, and Philly, as well as SNET, and GTE/SF, all of which allowed three-way calling, BAMS/CT consulted with BAMS/Boston and fixed the problem in Dec, 1997. -Feature code access to roamers is VERY (and refreshingly) unrestricted. GTE/SF accounts may use *71*9 to No-Answer-Transfer calls to voicemail, something which is generally restricted in most systems. This proves that it is possible to support such codes while roaming (based on the given market's equipment and software revisions). *General Problems: -(Corrected as of Summer 1998) Alpha messaging does not work well in RI, that is, there are many areas of the state which do not yet have alpha messaging. Tests in Pawtucket indicate that there is no messaging there (despite strong coverage right along I-95), but just a few miles south of Pawtucket in Providence or north on to Attleboro neat JCT I-95/MA-123 messaging starts to work again. The same is true at JCT RI-5/US-6 (the old "Black and White", psuedo interstate, would-have-been-I-84, route 195), where alpha messaging does not work, but a few miles east in Providence messages start to come in fine. -Autonomous registration problems seem to exist between Mass. and RI. on MA-146 heading south. A number of tests conducted on a BAMS CDMA Digital phone, which was used at the JCT of US-20/MA-146 in Mass and thus registered there indicated over 80% call completion failure on MA/RI-146 until just 2 miles north of the end of RI-146 at JCT I-95. The A side handoff between Cell One(SWB)/Boston (00007) and Cell One(SNET)/RI, although pretty messy in sections, still has significantly better call completion rates. Registrations are a continuing problem with BAMS Digital phones in a number of markets; its one of the major drawbacks of digital service around here. -For some reason, charges a $.10 local toll charge for calls to CO/Boston (00007) Waltham numbers. They were notified about this on 7/30/98. (617-633-7626, the CO/Boston Roam Port, bills at 10 cents per minute, while all other Boston Metro calls, including calls to non-Waltham CO/Boston numbers, such as 617-584, do not bill. Some BAMS plans DO charge for local calls, the ones we have do not, thus the charge is incorrect.) *Coverage Problems: -Very poor service in the East Greenwich, RI area, over a wide area of the town itself, near the Amtrak tracks, and down near the Marina and restuarant areas. .6 watt habdhelds are hard pressed to be able to make or receive calls, and 3 watts get a good deal of staic and drops. This is one of the few places where Cell One/RI has markedly superior coverage. *CDPD: -Good coverage in RI, even along US-6 and US-44 to western RI. E. Mass has good coverage around Boston, but the South Shore lacks the intense coverage which RI has, and there are a good deal of dead spots of MA-3A in Hingham, Cohassett, Plymouth, with better coverage coming in around the Bourne Bridge and Barnstable. The Cape is still spotty to none. -North of Boston coverage is pretty good, with most areas inside of I-495 coverage up to NH. Nashua and Manchester also have pockets of coverage, and you can more or less go up I-93 and west on NH-101 till it stops being a freeway before CDPD stops. Everything north towards Maine is not BAMS territory (although STAR Cellular does (used to?) run off the BAMS switch), so there is no CDPD coverage on the B-side, however, there is excellent CDPD on the Vanguard 00499/00501 properties well into Maine. -West of Boston there is generally good coverage out to I-495, and then corridor coverage on MA-9, US-20, I-90/Masspike. Coverage extends to I-84 in Sturbridge, and hands off acceptably to either the SNET SPID 6800 system or the BAMS/Wallingford System. (BAMS drops out pretty quickly as you head west towards Hartford; stick with SNET which has generlaly OK CDPD coverage on I-84 all the way to Danbury and the NY State line. Generall VERY good coverage in unexpected areas, like north of MA-2A around MA/NH-111, NH-101a, MA-113, MA-119 near Harvard and Groton, as well as Dunstable MA and E. Dunstable, NH, into Nashua (and the 00428 system) [] 00029 / ComCast-Cell One Philadelphia Roam Port: (215) 350-7626 Outdial ANI: -Roam port will page in the 00029 system, as well as ComCast/Trenton (NJ) 00575 system. *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD: Comcast (both in Philly and the rest of its NJ/PA/DE markets seems to be experimenting with CDPD. Pockets of coverage exist, such as along PA-23 and the City Line Ave, along US-202 at the JCT of PA-252, and in the DE markets near the I-95 Delaware House Rest Stop and JCT-896, but overall, there is no systemic, continuous coverage like BAMS has extensively implemented in the same markets. It really isn't a viable contender in any way as compared to BAMS. [] 00031 / Cell One SF - No CID at all inward - Presents CID properly outrward - Brandes as Cell One (not AT&T WS), although CDPD says AT&T - *73 does NOT get a confirmation tone but does work; call just dropslike there was fraud on the line. - Sprint can not roam on the A side here, even though it uses AT&T in Ventura county. - Swithc rec for Santa Clara. San Jose area is CK - Just link NYC's flaky Ericcson,m if you dial the 415-860 port and enter a nmonile # and it is registered in someother switch , like SJ, themn you get an out of vehicle message. - - -CDPD coverage starts about the same polace as GTE (and both can be used),ie, about 5 miles south of the SJ city limnits on US-101. [] 000032 / BAMS Pittsburgh - CDPD - Comes in at DuBois, exit 20 all the way up on I-80 west to the rest stop west of DuBois [] 00040 / GTE SF and Santa Barbara Roam port: (415) 722-7626 -CDMA system SF noreth ofWartsonville on US-101, none in SB -SB section (used to be a separate SID until 1994, now part of 00040) -doesn't send out caller ID, but caller ID works inwar (both SB and SF) -215 BAMS works and caller ID shows, BUT, calls to the 415 (home) do NOT ID, even when called from the SAME phone (weird that a roamer gets better CID then a home customers, could be the BAMS gets the CID in Philly "better" ans then GTE SF just takes whatever it gets from BAMS, inc the caller ID, wihlke home GTE customers can;t get it since their own interface witht he PSTN isn't as good in terms of CID?) Maybe also in how cals are rouyted to the SB syustem -- these tests were done on US-101 in Los Alamos on the old SB system. IN SF SYSTEM: Caller ID works on both the 215 and 415, from both W/IN SF LATA amnd from outside (ie, called from 5230 ni NY direct and via 500 and both worked fione) -GTE customers roaming in: Boston /00028: can place outgoing calls but no call delivery, and can't even receive incoming calls via the roam ports SNET-CT/00088: can place/receive, but caller ID doesn't work, not even via 631-0000 roam port (it does for other roamers); redirects back to Voicemail or NAT if not answered do not work. -*71 and *72 and *720 and *710 as well as *74 and *740 give a one ring and then a recording of :You have (de)activated ". It only does this in the SF part of the system. the SB part of the system has the genreirc stuter tones. *73 has the stuter tone in both places (obviously, it does not know for sure what you want o do with *73) and doeswpork, ie, it effectively cancells all CF. - 1R on CF WORKS for Philly 215 act, but NOT for (home) 415 act! - Spriunt roams by default on the B 00040 system on US-101, north of where it seems to use the ATT SB 00531 (although it also is San Lousi Cell?), Sporint does NOT preswents CID outward from the 00040 SB and SF systems (no phone does. not even my 415 in the hokme 415 SF market), vbut getsd in ward CID all over the 00040 system. Sprint also gets the "ypu have acigtvated x-forwasrding" for *72 and *720, amnd won';t be allowed to use *73 (gets an error recording, although it works for the 415# with just the stuter tones) - -CDPD notes: no CDPD coverage in any part of the coastal SB system Works or stsarts to weork abouy 5 miles south of SJ cty limit on US-101 and I can use it as an AT&T customer, as well as the AT&T (or so itis called) via the 00031 (Cel;l One/SF) system. [] 00043 / GTE San Diego -CDMA system -an A property -CDPD - good, but somewhat slow, CDPD coverage from /I-15/I-215 split all the way to CA-905 at the border, and from rest stop south on I-5, alsopicked it from from San Clemente at CA-1 /I-5 JCT. Slowness re-verified on 3/16/99. - * codes return message "your feature update was successful", even *73 - Sprint uses this side first, then B if no cvg. - no caller id for ct inward 860 # (not even OOA, ie, there is NO CID) - no outward CID for sprint or 860 # - no inward cid (not even ooa, no cid at all) on 415 - no outward cid on 415 - if you set up NAT via *71, you MUST use 1+ or it will go to an error rec when the phone is called and not ring, same for *72, 20331 (CT?) maybe it is sending the wrong info back to the CT switch if the 1+ i not used? - 215 # can not roam - no 1 ring on CF for 860. [] 00064 / GTE Las Vegas (also ex-Alltel is Vegas itself) - EMX switch - CDMA coverage in Vegas Area, BUT when phone is in CDMA mode, *71 and *73 and other featire codes get a recoridng saying "You need to dial an area code before the 7 digit number, Altell Las Vegas", ie< when in CDMA mode, it treats the feature codes incorrectly, but while in analog mode they work fine! (611 gets a GTE Wireless recording in both CDMA and analog modes) - coverage starets on I-15 on downhill just 4 miles west pf NV state line - no CID on 215 or 415, maybe since it is an EMX? - redirects work, ANDS, callwer ID is oreserved in the redirect to the distant number! (yet the system itself can't dosplay CID) -- this is inconsistent, though... - seems to understand *82 (other EMX Frwsno? thought it was a feature code!) butr doesn't send CID outward anyhow on either 215 or 415 - CT v860 can't auto roam - no 1r on cf - NO CDPD coverage, at lkeast not at CA/.NV line [] 00078 / BAMS-Albany, NY Roam Port: (518) 424-7626 Outdial ANI: (518) 285-6040 -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID available throughout system -Alpha messaging generally works throughout system -Voicemail notification TONE during calls does NOT work -Voicemail TONE alert to signify new messages during calls does NOT work -Voicemail Digital Choice (Digital Service) alert works -ATT 0-500 are properly routed -ATT 0-500 calls are not supervised -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring works -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns 00078 -Feature Code Compliance: *70 does NOT operate normally *71 operates normally *72 operates normally (as does *720) *73 operates normally. BAMS-CT 860-604 now can use *73, so below is a not an issue, however, other BAMS-CT customers, such as 203-915 acts, can't, so to unforward, you need to switch to A side, Cell One/Albany, 00063, which incorrectly charges for EVERY call, including Fraud Protection (*560-xxxx), Feature code activation/deactivation, incomplete calls, and incoming unanswered calls, in order to unforward. You will likely be charged for this, so if you need to unforward on the A side in Albany, check your bill and call your mobile co. if you see "A" side charges to odd/invalid numbers. *Notes: -Albany/B has a very small (a few miles) coverage footprint directly south of the city; about 5 to 7 miles south the Catskills (independent) B system 01516 kicks in. -This seems ot have been fixed as of 8/98.The lack of *70/*73 working to unforward calls for some roamers (above) is problematic. *70 is not the most widely used unforward code. It stems from early NACN implementations which tried to force all NACN markets to change their customers feature codes for call forwarding to *71-AC+number to set up immediate call forwarding, and *710 to turn off any call forwarding. This never caught on, but Metro Mobile (pre-BAMS A side system in CT) implemented ONLY *70, and left the other, "traditional" call-forwarding codes alone. (They have, as of 4/98, added *73 as an aceptable code to SOME accounts, but it is not universal throughout their system.) As a result, many systems which honor the traditional codes of *71 (NAT), *72 (Immediate Call Fwd), *73 (Unforward any user-implemented call forwarding, may not unforward NAT to voicemail in some markets), *74 (busy call forwad), *720/3 (remove only immediate call forward), *710/3 (remove only NAT), *740/3 (remove busy call forward), do NOT know what to do with *70, and thus customers can not unforward calls. The A side NACN seems to be more "tolerant" than the B side automatic roaming backbone (although this could be more a function of the switch and networking in the visited market), so switching to the A side for CT/A customers or Carolina/A customers should work. BAMS-B and other B customers shouldn't have too many problems since most B carriers never adopted the silly NACN *710/*70 feature codes. *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: -Due to the relatively small coverage area south and east of Albany, hard to tell where Albany 00078 is lacking and where it is the "fault" of the other carriers, namely 01516/Catskills (branded as BAMS). -PATHETIC to no coverage on US-20 east of I-90 (the North South section where it is NOT part of the Thruway). As a matter of fact, anything more than 15 miles east of Albany is spotty at best. (The A-side is not much better, and is so totally incompetant in terms of billing roamers that if you can, roam on the B; the slightly better coverage of the A-side is outweughed by the fact that they bill for everything, even if someone rings your phone and you don't answer!) *CDPD: None yet :( [] 00088 / SNET-CT-W.MASS(B) Roam ports: (203) 631-0000 Outdial ANI: (203) 238-9657 Meriden, CT (203) 634-0320 Central CT and Great Barrington, MA (203) 865-0299 I-84 Danb (413) 442-0526 Ex-NYNEX Pittsfield system CDPD SPNI is: 6880 -500 and 700 does NOT work (at least in Fairfield County) 500 and 700 do work in Hartford / Tolland counties -Philadelphia 00008/B (and other BAMS? Non-BAMS?) roamers get Caller ID while roaming in this market. -SNET initially owned only the CT system (all of Connecticut, and it is the ONLY carrier to cover all of CT; Bell Atlantic does not cover Litchfield County and many BAMS customers have to pay roaming rates and toll charges there to place and receive calls.). After NYNEX sold the Springfield area to SNET around 1987 or so, SNET added Franklin County Mass (all the way up to the Vermont line; BAMS sold its equivalent property in 1992 or so and BAMS customers now pay roaming and toll charges there) area, and slowly expanded coverage in Western Mass and somewhat more aggressively in CT. Coverage along the CT shoreline was improved in the mid-90's, as well as US-6, US-44, CT-2 and other eastern CT routes which had coverage problems. Service was also improved in Litchfield in 1995, but despite SNET's coverage maps, most of Litchfield remians a virtual dead spot since there is no real competition from AT&TWS, which owns the system and has more or less not expanded it at any noticeable rate past what was necessary to meet FCC bare minimums. In 1993 or so, when Bell Atlantic bought Metro Mobile (the CT-A carrier), Bell Atlantic / NYNEX Mobile owned the Pittsfield, MA system (it had an SID of 01488 or something like that, it is now SNET's 00088), AS WELL AS the Metro Mobile - A side in Western Mass, so due to FCC rules about the same operator being prohibited from owning two systems in the same market, one system had to go, and BAMS/NYNEX sold their Pittsfield system to SNET. As a result, SNET operates by far the largest and most comprehensive system in CT/Western Mass, with one single home coverage area, no toll rates between areas (like BAMS) and with generally better coverage in Western Mass and "difficult" sections of CT (like the Redding area, the entire area between Danbury/Waterbury south to the Meritt, which BAMS seems to have totlally forgotten about, and of course Litchfield, which is pathetically "served" by ATTWS.) Their pricing and digital offerings aren't as good as BAMS though, their CDPD coverage, although better in area than BAMS, is flaky, and doesn't really work (you'd think CDPD is CDPD, but they apparently have differences in throughput and how they hold a connection, etc.), and their roaming packages with neighboring systems aren't too great. (BAMS offers "Home Rates" [but there are toll charges; they need to nickle and dime you somehow!] in all of New England/Upstate NY, including free off peak airtime. SNET really doesn't have anything like this outside their coverage area, so if you roam a lot in New England, SNET, despite its larger CT/W Mass coverage area and "no-toll" rates throughout its system may not be the most cost effective carrier. If you do stay in CT/W Mass mainly, overall SNET is the superior carrier in terms of service area. One caveat: they STILL (I think) charge airtime for voicemail deposition to voicemail, which almost every other carrier, including the "nickle and diming-est" carrier of them all, Cell One/Boston (see above under system 0007 for a scathing review of their pricing and service) has abandoned. Hopefully SNET will drop this rediculous practive of trying to make airtime money when callers leave you messages. -Cutoff between the ex-NYNEX Pittsfield system and the older SNET (also ex NYNEX but from way before) Springfield system is around Mile Marker 24 on the Masspike. *General Problems: -Still charges airtime for voicemail deposition, no one else seems to do this anymore. They are a holdout, and not in step with the rest of the industry. -A lot of their service/rate plans seem out of date. They are probably waiting for the takeover with SW Bell to be complete and perhaps introduce more competitive plans with their RI (00119) and SW Bell's Boston (00007) A-side properties. -Whenever you roam out of the SNET coverage area, if someone calls you, they hear a silly message "Your call is being forwarded at our customer's request to the city in which they are traveling". First off, it confuses callers no end, secondly, I don't want them to know I am traveling, thirdly, sometimes I answer in the middle of the message as it is being played to the caller and the caller is even more confused, fourthly it sounds highly unprofessional, and finally, the connection via ACD (automatic call delivery) go through so quickly now that the initial reason for this message -- that callers didn't want to wait so long and just hung up before the roaming mobile was rung -- is no longer an issue, and they, like BAMS and another of other B carriers who used similar brain-dead messages, should just get rid of it and play standard ringing tones. *Coverage Problems: -Continuing handoff drop and static problems on I-95 right at the Westbrook town line near State Police Troop F ("F Troop", errr, wait a minute, that describes most of the CT State police! :) ) -Good handoffs to the NY and RI/MA markets, as compared to the A-side BAMS/CT, SW Bell/Boston, Cell One(SNET)/RI-A, and ATTWS/NY systems where handoffs don't work as well and calls don't last long in the visited system (BAMS/CT <-> ATTWS/NY is a good example of this -- because of trunking issues, calls do hand off but do not allow you to go far into each others' systems before they drop.) [] 00096 / Harrisburg, PA Verizon 8/2000, ex-Alltel Cellular *Notes: -EMX Switch *General Problems: -Pretty much a "soak-the-roamer" system; all calls, even a few seconds of incomplete calls, are billed, 611 goes to the roaming operator, etc. -02/01/99 reports from another reader indicate that Alltel's behavior in this market is not unique, and that they practice the same sort of roamer gouging in at least some other markets in the Southeast. *Coverage Problems: *CDPD notes: -No CDPD (last tried 08/2000) [] 00103 / Vanguard Cell One "Supersystem" for eastern PA and Scranton as of 04/2000 branded as AT&T Wireless and part of the ATTWS CDPD Network, still shows SPNI 615 and 671(?) Roam Ports: Outdial ANI: *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD notes -CDPD: SPNI is 615 [] 00119 / BAMS-CT(A) (note also SNET-A in RI has 00119, but it is a DIFFERENT system with different features and pricing. Metro Mobile used to own the RI system hence the 00119; when Metro Mobile was bought by BAMS they owned BOTH RI systems, and had to sell one, so they sold the RI-A side to SNET.) Roam Ports: (203) 856-7626 Norwalk (860) 930-7626 Hartford Metro (413) 531-7626 Springfield (same as HTFD?) (413) 448-1000 Pittsfield, MA Outdial ANI, Norwalk: Hartford: (860) 525-8234 Springfield(413) 533-9684 Pittsfield (413) 448-2576 Waterbury: (203) 866-0408 Danbury: (860) 527-1401 (via 860 Digital and 203) CDPD SPNI is: BANM Wallingford -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID available in CT and Springfield, MA (central western Mass) segments of systemsystem; does NOT work in the Berkshire/Pittsfield system. -Alpha messaging generally works throughout system (Berkshire/Pitt too?) -ATT 0-500, 0-700, 10288-0-500, 10288-0-700, 10288-0+ does NOT work. -Can't tell is 0-500 calls are supervised since they can't be dialed. -950 numbers do not work in some parts of their system (Harftord/Wallingford) -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring works -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns 00119 -Feature Code Compliance: *70 does NOT operate normally *71 operates normally *72 operates normaly (*720 as well) *73 operates for some accounts, such as 860-604, but not others, such as 203-915 *Notes: -Used to be Metro Mobile, covering CT (except Litchfield County), Western Mass (added Franklin County in a partnership with 'Boston Cellular' around 1991, then sold it to Atlantic Cellular's Cell One/VT 00313 around 1994 or so), and all of RI and southeastern Mass. Became Bell Atlantic Metro Mobile, then Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, then Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile, then (currently) Bell Atlantic Mobile. Metro Mobile also owned properties in the Carolinas (current A-side BAMS there) and in New Mexico (also A-side), which we (?) sold to Ameritech when BAMS took over Metro Mobile. When BAMS and NYNEX mobile merged, it was forced to sell of its RI and SE mass properties to SNET (which now owns the A-side there, soon to be merged with Southwestern Bell's Boston-A/00007 system, which presently has a hard time competing with BAMS's unified Boston-B/00028 market). BAMS also sold its ex-NYNEX Pittsfield, MA system (an awful, underbuilt system) to SNET, which has given SNET complete coverage of Western Mass (which BAMS-A does not have due to Franklin County and has generally not built up as much there as SNET). SNET has convered the Pittsfield SID to its own 00088, but left the RI/SE Mass A-side at the old Metro Mobile/CT BAMS-A 00119, causing some confusion since there roaming rates apply now in RI for most CT-A customers. -BAMS in CT still does not own the Litchfield-A system (01101) , which ATTWS bought out a few years ago. Coverage is pathetic (unusual for ATTWS; perhaps they are just holding it and building out as little as they legally can waiting to sell it?), and SNET does a much better job there. SNET is truly the only carrier to cover ALL of CT and Western Mass, BAMS has too many holes where it can not offer service for it to make any such claim. There are CT-A plans which allow for home rate roaming into the Litchfield-A market (such as their Digital plans), however, coverage is so pathetic there that the .6 watt digital phone (working in analog mode; there is no digital service there) can barely be used. CT-8 is probably the only road with decent converage, and even there it is spotty and has handoff problems WITHIN the Litchfield/01101 system. Indeed, handoffs between BAMS and Licthfield are often better than those within the Litchfield syste -- it really needs to be built out some more. -The routing for outdials from their switches seems to change often. For example, in December 1997, calls placed from a 860 digital in the Springfield area went out of the Hartford outdial, then in Jan 1998, they went out of Springfield. (Analog always worked that way). *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD notes: -CDPD coverage in Mass begins southbound on I-91 at MM 35, even before the Franklin County (ex-Metro Mobile) Cell One/VT system ends and the BAMS-CT/W. Mass cellular system begins. (CO/VT doesn't offer CDPD so it so you can pick up BAMS signal in the CO/VT system.) [] 00123 / ComCast-Cell One Wilmington, DE Roam Port: (302) 740-7626 Outdial ANI: *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: [] 00112 / Airtouch Sac [] 00129 / ATTWS Sac -Has CDPD [] 00153 / ATTWS Fresno - Has CDPD [] 00162 / Airtouch Fresno [] 00159 / ATTWS (Ex-Vanguard) Harrisburg/Lancaster PA - Switch Recording (NACN type) "HB-xx" *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -CDPD SPNI: SPNI 671 [] 00173 / ComCast-Cell One New Brunswick, NJ Roam Port: (908) Outdial ANI: (732) 826-0458 (732) 572-0474 GSP/NJ-18 area, just north of 00177 sys. *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -pocket of CDPD coverage at JCT NJTP and I-287, otherwise, not much. Doesn't even begin to compare with BAMS... [] 00177 / Ocean Cellular (?) (A) NJ Roam Port: Outdial ANI: (732) 321-0156 -500 numbers are processed properly *Notes: -included in ATTWS home rate coverage area for NY Metro customers (this area is part of the 00022 NY B-side so ATTWS uses the 00117 system to simulate for the A customers the same large system which the competing B side Bell Atlantic system offers theirs.) -comes in south of the 00173 Comcast system and north of the 01489 system on NJ-35 just south of the barrier island Seaside Hights *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: [] 00211 AT&T Las Vegas -Caller ID works on Sprint -Caller ID works on ct 860 - no 1r on cf = redirects work and caller ID is preserved - outward presentation works oerfectly,m asnd respects proivacy and *82, etfc, for both psrinbt and the 860 -CDPD satarts on hill on I-15 heading easat and is pretty good at the little mino Casaoino towen - Pri,mm Valley, although uit slows from time to timr..still mainly in ther bklue [] 00224 Airtouch Stockton -note "double" of Sac system (112) [] 00250 / BAMS-Atlantic City-South Jersey Roam Port: (609) 226-7626 Outdial ANI: (609) 272-0816 (Cape May area, also extreme east DE on DE-9) (732) 269-1610 (Seaside Hights outdial on barrier island) (609) 272-0186 (Is this the correct #, I-295 NB rest area) -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID available throughout system -Alpha messaging works -ATT 0-500 does NOT route to AT&T, goes to MCI or BAMS operator service. -Prefacing 10288-0-500 does route to AT&T, but it supervises -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring works(?) -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns 00250 -Feature Code Compliance: *70 works *71 works *72 works (so does *720 to unforward) *73 works *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: [] 00254 / Unicell Bangor, ME from Bangor out along I-395 to US-1A to Ellensworth to Acadia Park to Buckport; parts along I-95 and Bangor are included in the BAMS extended-home plan, other areas south and east along US-1 and towards Acadia Ntl Park are not. Roam Port: Outdial ANI: *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: No CDPD as of 08/26/2000 [] 00300 / BAMS-VT Roam Port: (802) Outdial ANI: (802) 860-7625 -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID available in system -Alpha messaging works -ATT 0-500 works -ATT 0-500 does not supervise -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring does NOT work -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns 00078 (Albany) -Feature Code Compliance: *70 works *71 works *72 works (so does *720 to cancel) *73 works *Notes: -Seems to work off of the Albany switch, all recordings have the Albany 00078 SID message code. -Used to be Contel or something like that, and was sold to NYNEX Mobile around 1994. Reasonably decent coverage along I-89 from where the 01484 system cuts off (heading north) just west/north od White River Junction (at the JCT of I-89 and I-91) all the way to the Canada border (or about a few miles before where the Bell Mobility (Canada) PQ system takes over. -Local calls are free for BAMS customers in tne entire 00300 system, but be careful where you call, since 00300 does not cover all of VT and northern NH, so areas outside these general zones may not be local toll free. -Handoffs between the 00300 and the 01484 Keene (NH) system to the south seem to now take place along I-91 just about 1 mile south of White River. Calls used to drop there and not hand off (12/98) *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: -Poor coverage between Mile Marker 75 and 77 in Vermont along I-89, a lot of static, and handheld calls generally drop. *CDPD Notes: -No CDPD coverage as of 10/98 [] 00313 / Cell One VT and Western NH Roam Port: (802) 343-7626 (603) 448-7626 (413) 772-9626 (note 9626, Franklin County, MA) (518) 572-7626 (NY properties) Outdial ANI: (802) 655-1859 (603) 434-9840 Cust Service: (800) 215-7004 *Notes: -The superior system in Western Northern New England, covering all of Vermont, Western NH, and parts of northeastern NY state. Very good coverage, often "handheld quality" on all major Interstates and limited access Federal (US) and state roads. Also excellent coverage on most major cross Vermont roads such as VT-30, VT-11, US-4, etc. System has grown in area and coverage quality dramatically since it first started around 1990. System acquired the failing Montpieler system, which covered a small section of northeaster Vermont around 1993 or 1994, as well as the undercovered Franklin County mass system from Bell Atlantic (which I think was owned by some rip off soak-the-roamer outfit called Boston Cellular. Properties around Lake George NY were added around the same time, and new towers in the current (large) coverage area are added regularly. Unlike many system bogged down with zoning issues and poor planning, this system continues to grow and develop at a rapid pace and a relatively unpopulated and very challenging (topographically) area is in many cases more well covered than some large cities. Atlantic Cellular (Providence, RI) own this system, and unlike their Lake Tahoe/El Dorado county system in CA which is poorly integrated into the B side roaming network and has relatively poor coverage in a topographically similar area, this system is exceedingly well covered and even with an aging Motorola EMX switch still manages to integrate nicely into the NACN. (It's nice to see an EMX working so well and working well with OTHER nearby systems...!). -Handoffs between this (00313) system and Eastern NH 00445 system getting better, including on I-93 and NH-25 heading north and east from 00445 system into 00313 system, as well as NH-101 heading east from 00445 system to 00313 system, around the vicinity of NH-123, where it always used to drop prior to 10/98. Last tested 12/98 -Interstingly, it can be picked up in a small area along MA-9 east of Amherst at the US-202 JCT, and if you head south on US-202 until the JCT of MA-21. That whole area comes in and out of the CO/VT 00313 and BAMS/00119 system (and just north and up the road on US-202 where you can see clearly to Worcester you can get the Boston/00007 system (as well as the Boston B-00028 system) *General Problems: - Poor coverage (even with 3 watt phones) on Mile Marker 48 on I-91, calls frequently dropped. - Fixed, 11/98 (sort of, there is still a lot of static beween Mile Markers 3 and 0 on I-91, but it will eventually hand off to the Franklin County system in Northern Mass.) (prior problem: Handoffs between the "old" VT system and the more recently acquired Franklin County system are still not working, although they have been informed of this problem as of November 1997. Last test 7/98. Fixed 11/98) *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -No CDPD coverage [] 00404 / BAMS-Orange County, NY Roam Port: (914) 343-7626 Outdial ANI: (914) 334-0000 -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID available in system -Alpha messaging works -ATT 0-500 works -ATT 0-500 does not supervise -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring works(?) -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns 00078 (Albany) -Feature Code Compliance: *70 works *71 works *72 works *73 works *Notes: -Seems to be based in Orange County, and operates in conjunction with the 00486 Poughkeepsie/Ducthes county system *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: -Won't hand off general to 00486, picked up 00404 on US-9W before Mid Hudson (Poughkeepsie) Bridge and then on east side got so much static that it soon dropped, but was in good coverage on the 486. *CDPD Notes: -Small pocket of CDPD coverage in Middletown, NY, at JCT I-84 / NY-17 (soon to be I-86). Otherwise this system and the remainder of the Mid-Hudson valley is pretty much "dead" CDPD-wise. [] 00428 / BAMS-Manchester, NH Roam Port: (603) 493-7626 (not working, 10/99?) (603) 494-7626 THIS is the correct port (617) 285-7626 Will page in the NH 00428 system, toll charge? (617) 571-7626 Will page in the NH 00428 system, toll charge? Outdial ANI: (603) 434-9840 *On almost all BAMS accounts (home and roamer), correct Subscriber ANI is returned, ie, the subscriber's mobile and not the outdial ANI. Covers mainly Manchester/Concord area, from I-93 north of NH-101 and points west, meets to the sothwest with 01484 US Cell for Keene, NH, and the BAMS-00300 northern VT/NH system. Included in BAMS Digital Choice expanded home airtime market. -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID available in system (but as everywhere else, not for CT customers) -Alpha messaging works -ATT 0-500 does NOT work (It used to...11/98) -ATT 0-700 does work -Voicemail audible tone works on inbound/outbound calls -Voicemail Digital Choice (and other) visual notification works (?) -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring works(?) -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns 00028 (Boston) -Feature Code Compliance: *70 works *71 works *72 works *73 works *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -Pockets of CDPD coverage in Manchester and Nashua, otherwise pretty much dead. In Nashua pretty good coverage up to the FAA facility in E. Dunstable, and along US-3 until about Exit 4 on US-3. -11/99 - Very much expanded CDPD coverage along the entire Seacost US-1/I-95 corridor, up the Spalding Tpke from Portsmouth to some coverage in Dover (JCT US-4), pockets of coverage along US and thwn very good 10 miles East of Concord, good coverage up to MM 55 on I-93 north of Concord to about rest stop area, coverage on I-89 west to US-202 and then some coverage for about 5 miles west on US-202, also full coverage from Concord down I-93 to Manchester (where there used to be VERY little there is now full coverage). Still need to try NH-101 from Seacoast to Manchester. [] 00445 / ?, Central Eastern New Hampshire, Nashua, Concord, and Manchester Roam Port: (603) Outdial ANI: (603) *Notes: -Relatively small system lodged between Cell One Boston the south and east, Cell One/VT-Western NH to the north and west, and the Cell One/Boston and Cell One/VT "partnership" 01485 system around the Lakes Region. Coverage is pretty good, with decent handoffs along I-93 to the Cell One/VT 00313 system to the north and Cell One Boston to the south, as well as US-3 to the Cell One/Boston system south of Dunstable. Good handoffs also to the east to the Cell One/Boston system along NH-101, as well as to the west to the 00313 VT/Western NH system neae the JCT of NH-123 and NH-101 (this used to be a problem until 11/98, when handoffs started working, probably due to improved coverage by either/or the 00445 and 00313 systems along that route. *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: -Very poor coverage along Mile Markers 65 to 68 on I-93 near New Hampton, but 3 watts generally do not drop. A lot of static, though. *CDPD Notes: -No observed CDPD coverage as of 12/98 [] 00482 / Star Cellular Portland ME and north along I-95 to Bath Roam Port: (207) 233-7626 Outdial ANI: Kitterey (207) 283-8978 Portland (207) 721-0431 *Notes: *General Problems: -12/06/99: If you roam south into the Kittery/Kennebunk 00484 system the 233-7626 roam port will work, but Caller ID will not show up. Neither will it if you are in the 00484 and are called via the (207) 468-7626 port. *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -No observed CDPD coverage as of 4/99 [] 00484 / Star Cellular South of Portland ME (Saco I-195) down to NH line Roam Port: (207) 468-7626 + (207) 233-7626 (Portland port also works) Outdial ANI: (207) 283-8978 *Notes: -Has CDMA digital, 8/99, but does not seem to hand off to the Boston system in Digital mode, only analog. *General Problems: -3 Way calling doesn't seem to work for BAMS/CT 00119 customers (8/99) *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -No observed CDPD coverage as of 4/99, none as of 8/2000. [] 00486 / BAMS-Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County, NY Roam Port: (914) 474-7626 Outdial ANI: (914) 471-4770 (914) 431-1140 US-9 south of POUGH also US-9/NY-299 -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID available in system -Alpha messaging works -ATT 0-500 works, ATT 0-700 works -ATT 0-500 does not supervise -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring works(?) -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns 00078 (Albany) -Feature Code Compliance: *70 works *71 works *72 works *73 works *Notes: -Seems to be based in Dutchess County, and operates in conjunction with the 00404 Orange County system. *General Problems: *Coverage Problem: - System is OK for 3-watt in about 50% of its territory, otherwise spotty and really needs work. Anytwhere off the main roads handhelds will have lots of static, drops, and problems. A-side 00503 has superior coverage in the area. -Handoffs between 00486 to 00022/NYC does not work on US-6 Eastbound. -BAMS has been trying for years to get a tower placed in Lagrange to improve a poor area of coverage along the Taconic. Locals have nothing better to do with their time but fight tower placement (there is already a tower where it is needed, BAMS just wants to build it taller, and locals are fighting it, despite general polls which show most residents want better coverage in the area. Just another reason for Federal Pre-emption of tower location; taking 2 years to get a tower put up in just one part of an exurban market is rediculous). When completed, a current coverage problem at JCT NY-82 and the Taconic Parkway should be alleviated. Right now, calls don't hand off going north or southbound. 5/98: BAMS New England Region newsletter indicates that a new tower was put up in the general area, but the handoffs on the Taconic and NY-82 are still not working, and calls drop in that general area both northbound and southbound on the Taconic. -Generally spotty coverage along Taconic, which goes from strong to weak and back to strong again. Needs better saturation and integration and hadoffs with 01516 system to the north, and in some areas with the 00022 system to the south. -00486 coverage in Bear Mountain area is poor, borders with 00022 NYC system. Both need to cover the area better. -Doesn't seem to want to hand off to 00404 system. -On the Taconic, there is strong coverage in the area of JCT NY-82, yet it drops all the times heading north or south, 3-watt or digital, around the NY082 area. This may have been fixed after a recent report was submitted AGAIN to them in Aug 1999, although it needs further testing to see if they fixed it. It seems better as of 10/10/99. *CDPD notes: -No CDPD coverage anywhere in system; small patch of CDPD in sister 00404 Orange County system around Middletown, NY at the JCT of NY-17 and I-84. [] 00499 / Vanguard Cell One Freeport/Bath, ME (ie, I-95N just N of Portland) Roam Port: (207) Outdial ANI: (207) *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -CDPD: SPNI: 766, VERY good CDPD coverage from central coastal NH inland to Stratham NH on NH-101, ALL the way up to Portland, ME along coastal sections and at least 5 to 10 miles inland, and then up to York along US-1. (This covers parts of the A-side 00501 Vanguard and A-side 00007 CO/Boston systems as well.) Reasonably good coverage in the Kennebunk area delimited by US-1 to the west and ME-9 to the east (they form a closed circle around the Kennebunk area), with better coverage south of ME-9A and north of ME-9B; good coverage in Kennebunkport, but drops off a bit south/east of Bidderford along ME-9. As on 8/28/00, coveragr continued well past (North) of Bath on US-1 to the town with the downhill (US-1 north) slope before the bridge that first has a 35 MPH zone wiokcly followed by a 45 MPH zone. I tried to pick up the signal on the northside (eastside) hill a whilw back there and it was minimal. Coverage then fades out there for about 20 miles until Rockport (town with the US1-A "bypass" around US-1, which is not any faster). Rockprt is basically along the bay, so you start getting the AT&TWS (ex-Vanguard ) 01319 system along US-1 and then it comes in strongly just south of Buckport and then further up? (need to check that) Buckport is where US-1 meets ME-15... [] 00501 / Vanguard Cell One Portland/Biddeford ME (ie, Portland and I-95S) Roam Port: (207) Outdial ANI: (207) Cust Service: (603) 533-2100 *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD notes: -CPDP: See 00499 / SPNI 766 section, above. [] 00503 / Cell One Poughkeespie US Cellular, now AT&TWS as of 5/2000 (?) Cust Svc: (800) 442-3551 (888) 910-9191 (Vanguard/AT&T General Cust Service #) (914) 453-1111 Fax Roam Port: (914) 453-7626 Outdial ANI: *Notes: *General Problems: -Call to roam port for some CO/NY numbers (917-855) cause the port to just hang up and not query/ring roaming CO/NY mobile, others from CO/NY and other carriers work fine. *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -no CDPD in systen [] 00531 / ATTWS Santa Barbara - Solvang - Los Alamos Sysyem - like the B side 00040, extends to western SB county along CA-166 to county line - like the Ventura system (and unlike the newly acquired LA), CID shows, and is also properly presented outward. - CID showed on the 860 AND Sprint (analog roam) - CID was properyl presented outward from the Sprint too (didn't try the 860) - PROBLEM: if the Sprint is iunanswered, the redirect doesn't go anywhere, yert the call supervises for the caller (and is thr Sprint customer billed?) - - - CDPD Notes: Very good CDPD all along US-101, from Camarillo and the US-101 grade (Ventura area and system) to this 00531 system and all the way to US-101 in Los Alamos/Solvang. (NO GTE B coverage, either). A dead spot at the rest stop north of SB with the GTE payphones, but comes in just nboeth of the single northbound tube on US-101. [] 00575 / ComCast-Cell One Trenton NJ Roam Port: Outdial ANI: (732) 826-0458 (732) 321-0156 (near I-195, East of Trenton) -00029 Philly/A ComCast Metrophone Roam Port: (215) 350-7626 pages in this system. *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: [] 01101 / Litchfield, CT ATTWS (see 00025, above) Cust Svc: (800) 270-8111 Roam Port: (860) 480-7626, (917) 847-7626 Outdial ANI: (212) 261-0000 *Notes: Run off of the ATTWS Switch "RP". 860 port pages anyone in RP switch (in both CT and NY/NJ), NY/NJ RP port (917) 847-7626 pages anyone in RP switch (in both CT and NY/NJ). System needs work, very little coverage, should just sell it out to BAMS already. Many BAMS/CT plans, including digital offer home rates in this market (and a good number do not, check with BAMS). Interestingly, AT&T doesn't include this system in its "A" side expanded home rate area for NY customers. (They would probably complain they can't get good coverage there :) ) Can get calls, and at tims even does redirects, via (9217) 8477626 port Caller ID shows UNAVAIL for all calls, but no CID if called via the 860 or 917 rpoam ports - BUT - at JCT CT-10-0 CT 63 in lychfiled it DOES show restricted, ie, caller ID, and this is VIA NY roam! I think there are two switches or something...it works differently in downtown kent as compared to here. All features seem to weork, ibcludinfg redirects IF called directly. Has an inresting way of "looping" onto itself (callin itsrelf over and over) when calle dvia the roam port, even oif NAT or CF is in effect to somewhere else. (will not eventially fwd to NAT after the loop) At JCT CT-109 and CT-63, redirects via NY roam work! *General Problems: -BAMS/CT customers can not be called via the roam port; phone rings once, and then stops. If call is answered during first ring, call proceeds OK. -3-way calling is also quirky, many times when a second call is placed it can not be added to the first call, but the caller can keep alternating between the two as if it were Call-Waiting instead of 3-way calling. *Coverage Problems: -incredibly bad coverage, especially for an AT&T property. They inherited it years ago, one would think they would make more progress than they have. The FCC should give the license to someone else who will actually BUILD a system there, and not sit on their hands all day long and do nothing like ATTWS apparently is. *CDPD coverage: -since it is ATTWS there is CDPD, but it is mitigated by the incredibly poor coverage. More or less worthless, in other words. OK coverage along US from Kent to CY/NY-55 (5/1/99) [] 01314 / UniCell, Northern and Western Maine Roam Port: (207) Outdial ANI: (207) 622-6478 Rockland to Buckport on US-1 *Notes: -Pretty good coverage for a rather unpopulated area, generally along the US-2 corridor. Still need to test coverage way north of that, between the US-2 and the PQ state/province line. *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD: [] 01315 / US Cell, Northern and Western Maine Roam Port: (207) Outdial ANI: (207) *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD: -No CDPD coverage (unlike to excellent coverage of the Maine A-side Vanguard systems to the south) [] 01317 / US Cellular A-side, Augusta, Maine (I-95 north of Bowdointown) Roam Port: (207) Outdial ANI: (207) *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD: -No CDPD coverage as of 10/98 [] 01318 / Unicell B-side, Augusta, Maine (I-95 north of Bowdointown) Roam Port: (207) 242-7626 Outdial ANI: (207) 764-1071 *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD: HAS CDPD coverage as of 4/8/99, SPNI: 666, but AT&TWS customers as of yet can't use it ("Not Authorized for Network"). Seems to have abandoned CDPD as of 3/2000 and still no CDPD anywhere in this system on 08/26/2000. [] 01484 / US Cellular B-side southwestern and western NH and southern VT system. Roam Port: (603) 252-7626 Outdial ANI: (603) 798-9999 *Notes: -Notrel (?) system, has the same funny three-way calling implementation that the Catskills 1516 system does. *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD: -No CDPD coverage (12/98) [] 01487 / Felmington, NJ ComCast? Or ATTWS now? Roam Port: Outdial ANI: (201) 646-1392 *Notes: -Seems to be branded as ATTWS, did they buy it? *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: [] 01489 / South of Seaside Hights, NJ, ie, south of 00177 system Roam Port: Outdial ANI: - Comes in on NJ-35 just south of Seaside Hights right on the barrier island *Notes: *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD notes: [] 01491 / Sussex Cellular, Sussex County, NJ Roam Port: (201) 380-7626 Outdial ANI: *Notes: -Pathetic little A side system just north of ATTWS/NY/00025 system. Has had a number of fueds with ATTWS; AT&T once cut off roaming to them. Initially they had an Ericsson switch which was connect to AT&Ts and got some services from them (roaming perhaps?) ATTWS then got into some sort of fight with them and ATTWS customer coulds not use their phones on the A-side there until late 1997 or early 1998 when they apparently worked something out. The system has pathetic coverage, and I have no idea how they make any money other than scamming roamer traffic on I-80 (they get a decent chunk of I-80 for a few miles in NW New Jersey). They should just sell out to ATTWS and get out of the cellular business already; elsewhere were there is little incidence of roaming they have pathetic coverage and do a disservice to the communities which they supposedly are licensed to serve. *General Notes: *Coverage Notes: *CDPD Notes: -No CDPD anwhere in system [] 01508 / Frontier Cellular, Lake Champlain Area Roam Port: Outdial ANI: *General Notes: -Interferes with BAMS 00300 VT system along I-89 north of Winoski (along with Bell Canada's 16420 system), comes imn and out along US-2 all the way through the islands in Lake Champlain to the NY bridge/line, where all three systems (00300, 01508, and 16420 all come in). *Coverage Notes: *CDPD Notes: -No CDPD anwhere in system [] 01513 / Orange County, ex-US Cellular, now AT&TWS after 5/2000(?) Roam Port: (914) 453-7626 Poughkeepsie/00503 also works, seems the two are networked together. Outdial ANI: *Notes: -Didn't this use to be the 00479? Covers Orange County, NY, from I-84 just east of Port Jervis until Bear Mountain, basically above the 00025 system, and west of the 00503 system. *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -No CDPD anywhere in system [] 01515 / Kingston Cell One (who owns this?) Same area (Columbia County and Catskill region) which its analog, the "B" carrier for the region, covers. *Notes: -Well integrated into NACN, coverage is OK, no major problems here. *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD notes: -no CDPD anywhere in system [] 001516 / BAMS(?)-Columbia County-Catskills System Roam Port: (518) 755-7626 Outdial ANI: (518) 755-9999 (518) 755-9998 -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID not available in system -no Alpha messaging -ATT 0-500 works(?) -ATT 0-500 does not supervise(?) -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring does not work -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns no specific information -Feature Code Compliance: *70 - works *71 - works *72 - works *73 - works *Notes: -system integration was updated (mainly due to my pestering :) ) so that everything works now, all features, call delivery, etc. (There used to be no automatic call delivery to many carriers, notably BAMS's own CT 00119 system, despite BAMS suggesting that their A customers switch to the B side in this market for better rates.) -BAMS New England Digital Choice customers get this as part of their extended home airtime rate system; early bills did NOT reflect this; I called them a few times about this in the fall of 1997 and it seems to have been fixed. -Old stuff: 12.6 inability on 860 # to make outw. calls on East side of Hudson River. no call deliv. to eitehr CT a side # is call deliv. to 516 and 201 NY numbers calls to 860 # via roam port return busy when 860 is busy *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: -no CDPD anywhere in system [] 01626 / 360 Communications, now Allcom Communications, Hazleton, PA Roam Port: Outdial ANI: *Notes: -Part of a plethora of small RSA's owned by 360 Communications in the general area bounded by I-80 to the north, I-78 to the south, I-81 to the east, and I-99 (misnumbered IMO) / US-222 to the west, including State College and the I-80/I-180 JCT area. *General problems: -Needs more testing, nothing stands out as of yet *Coverage Problems: -Generally good coverage considring the semi-challenging topography of the area and the endless series of parallel valleys in central/northern PA. Needs some more work in terms of handoffs between systems and even between towers in the 16216 system (ie, you can go up a hill, drop, and then get to the other side in a few seconds and have very strong coverage, so it is in the handoffs from tower to tower that you loose the call). -System needs further testing; other than general tower-to-tower handoff problem noted above nothing in terms of coverage stands out; needs to just have more coverage (more saturation) [] 16420 / Bell Canada Southern Quebec system Roam Port: Outdial ANI: *General Notes: -Generally does not interfere with 00300 BAMS VT system, although comes in along US-2 near the VT/NY line, and on I-89 just south of the border crossing. Also, along VT-105 in the hilly section 10 miles west of I-91 border crossing also comes in. Also comes in quite well on I-91 from St James(?) (border) down for about 7 miles to hill just south of JCT VT-1. -Good system, very well covered in Quebec, seems like they are unifiying the SIDs and not having lots of small systems anymore. The 16420 covers the entire legthn of Vermont, and I think before there were amny different systems. *Coverage Notes: *CDPD Notes: -No CDPD anwhere in system [] 02058 / BAMS-(NY-17 system, not Binghamton, which is RCI/Frontier) Oswego? Roam Port: (607) 435-7626 Outdial ANI: (518) Cust Svc: (800) 227-1073 -Caller ID not sent on LD calls -Caller ID not available in system (?) -Alpha messaging works -ATT 0-500 works -ATT 0-500 does not supervise -Special Immediate Call Forwarding ring does work (?) -Switch recordings throughout system(s) returns 00078/Albany switch recording -Feature Code Compliance: *70 - works *71 - works *72 - works *73 - works *Notes: -It now IS part of the BAMS/Northeast Digital Choice plans according to their 1/98 coverage maps. Below is old \/ NOT part of the Northeast Digital Choice rate plan; standard (BAMS?) roam rates apply. (why? it is a seemingly little-utilized system which would benefit from NE BAMS roamers using the system, drive testing it, etc. It is immediately adjacent to the 00404/00486 NY systems when heading West on NY-17). *General Problems: *Coverage Problems: *CDPD Notes: