TRACNotes
Vol. 3 # 31 --
August 5, 2005
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WIRELESS WATCH
Wireless Connection Quality Improving Dramatically, Says J.D. Power - The number of instances where a wireless call does not go through on the first try has decreased dramatically since 2004, announced market research firm J.D. Power and Associates this week. According to the company’s annual Wireless Call Quality Performance Study the average number of initial connection problems has dropped 50 percent during the past year despite an increase in overall wireless calling volume. The study, which measures wireless call problems nationwide, finds that three out of every 100 calls includes at least one call quality problem with the initial connection—down from six out of 100 in 2004. The survey found that among six major national wireless carriers, Verizon Wireless again ranked as one of the best-quality carriers in the market. In four out of six regions surveyed (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, North Central, and West) Verizon Wireless ranked highest for initial connection quality. In the Southeast region, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile tied for top honors and Nextel came out ahead in the Southwest region. The biggest factor affecting initial connection quality appeared to be geography, with urban users reporting fewer problems than rural users thanks to greater concentrations of cellular towers in urban areas. Additionally, the survey found that the typical wireless customer in America talks 418 minutes (6.9 hours) per month, on average—a 7 percent increase from 2004 (389 minutes or 6.5 hours). The number of calls made or received in a typical month has also increased, from an average of 77 in 2004 to 84 in 2005. What does this mean for consumers? While Verizon Wireless continues to top industry rankings for call quality and customer service, new subscribers should not take the company’s reputation or to the reputation of any wireless company for granted. When switching to a new carrier, be sure to take advantage of the carrier’s risk-free trial period (typically 15-30 days after service activation). Most wireless carriers will not charge you an early termination fee if you find that their service is lacking and return your phone before the trial period ends. For more information on the J.D. Power survey, click here.
VOIP WATCH
Recent Vonage Outage Illustrates Need for Precautions - On Wednesday, August 3, 2005, Vonage users nationwide reported experiencing near-total service outages according to several online blogs and e-zines. It is unclear at this time exactly how long and widespread the outage was. An e-mail to Vonage subscribers from the VoIP telephone company explained it as “minor isolated call disruptions,” due to a “firewall issue.” While it appears that the issue has been addressed, this kind of a disruption points to a worry that keeps many prospective VoIP users from getting rid of their old landline phones – namely, what to do when service is disrupted. First, all Vonage subscribers should be sure to have either a wireless phone or “old-fashioned” wired phone handy in case of a long-term Vonage outage. Second, be sure to have the Vonage customer service number (866-243-4357) and the customer service numbers of your broadband provider and local electric company either written down on an easily accessible piece of paper or programmed into your wireless phone’s contact list. In this way, in the event of a service outage, you will be able to contact any of the three companies necessary for Vonage phone service to work (electric, broadband, and Vonage itself) without using your VoIP phone. With any VoIP service, it is especially important to have a backup phone in the case of an emergency. While Vonage does provide a 911 dialing feature, it differs significantly from traditional 911 service from a wired telephone in that the 911 operator may not have your phone number and address available to them if you dial 911 from a Vonage phone. Additionally, be sure to take advantage of the 911 dialing stickers that Vonage includes in their welcome packet for new subscribers. These stickers explain what information needs to be communicated to emergency personnel when calling 911 and should be placed on every Vonage-enabled phone in the home. For more information on the recent Vonage outage, click here.
TRAC IN THE NEWS
Consider Your Lifestyle Before Cutting the Cord, Says TRAC - Frequent travelers who get signal in every room of their house may be good candidates to get rid of the their landline phones, said TRAC chairman Sam Simon in a recent MSN Money article. "If you travel a lot and you want to be reached wherever you are, that's another reason to use your cellular phone as your primary phone," said Simon. Heavy users and users with teenagers at home should think twice before ditched their “old-fashioned” wired phones, however, cautioned Simon. “If you, all by yourself, talk for two hours or more every day, you may want to hang on to your land line. If you're on the phone a couple hours a day, it just makes sense.” Before cutting the cord, make sure and test the reception in your house by placing and receiving a call from the phone from every room, especially bathrooms and basements. "The most important thing is, does your cell phone work in every room in your house," said Simon. "If you need to reach 911, you should be able to do it in every room." To read the full article, click here.
Correction: In last week’s edition of TRACNotes, we incorrectly wrote that Virgin Mobile operates on T-Mobile’s GSM network. In fact, Virgin Mobile operates on the Sprint PCS CDMA network. We apologize for the error.
INTERESTING LINKS
FCC Main Page: http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions: http://www.naruc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=15
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