Analog cellular networks, R.I.P.: 1983 - 2008

Marking the end of a remarkable era in cellular technology, the FCC is officially letting American carriers decommission their legacy analog networks as of today, February 18, 2008. Few of us still own a phone based on AMPS -- Advanced Mobile Phone System, ironically, despite the fact that there's been nothing "advanced" about it for many years -- but we owe the very existence of the world's modern wireless infrastructure to the introduction and overwhelming success of the Bell Labs-developed technology. So successful was AMPS, in fact, that it eventually covered virtually 100 percent of the continental United States, a statistic CDMA and GSM have only recently begun to approach.

In the US, Verizon, AT&T, and Alltel operate AMPS networks, and it's no secret that they've been itching to flip off the switch just as soon as the government would allow in order to free up cell sites, bandwidth, and maintenance dollars for modern digital systems (in fact, AT&T will be taking the opportunity to shut down its first-generation digital network as well). Verizon and AT&T begin closing their doors on cellular history this week, while Alltel will take a more gradual approach, phasing out its AMPS operations through September of this year.

So on that note, if you've got a late-model vehicle equipped with OnStar, DynaTAC, MicroTAC, Lifestyle, or some other relic from Motorola's glory days lying around, give it a proper send-off: light it up one last time, let it handshake with the airwaves it'll never see again, and in the unlikely event you still have an active account, place a call. Then take a second to marvel at how far we've come and go back to that Voyager, Tilt, or iPhone, knowing that in another 25 years, we could be doing it all over again.

[Rob S @ Feb 18th 2008 7:55AM]

Dupady durpdy durp durp

I was wondering why my phone wasn't working today...

[Jon @ Feb 18th 2008 8:12AM]

My dad still has his old Ericsson analog phone in storage. He doesn't use it of course (we went digital in 97). Back then the phones were made of very tough none-glossy materials which contributed to its almost pristine look even today.

[Todd @ Feb 18th 2008 8:18AM]

"Can you hear me now?" - Nope

[Frankenstein Black @ Feb 18th 2008 8:58AM]

"Turn my phone back on you whippersnappers!" Oh, and get of my lawn!

[ChillyWilly @ Feb 18th 2008 9:00AM]

I used a lot of analog minutes on my StarTAC back in the day. I remember getting a deal from the place I worked of 15 cents a min.... which beat out a lot of my friends that were still at 60 cents a min (and that was not a roaming rate, which could sometimes be $3.00 a day plus $1.25 a min.)

Still have an active phone that supports analog (it's CDMA with an analog option for roaming). Last time we used it on analog was almost 3 years ago when we were near Moab, UT and got to a place that didn't have digital coverage, but analog worked (and drained the battery pretty quick).

Hope some of the remote places have digital coverage as I am sure there are tens of thousands of cell users that still rely on analog for their phone use.

[BatteryAcid @ Feb 18th 2008 4:05PM]

2nd that digital expansion comment.

My town is all analogue verizon.

[Bobs @ Feb 18th 2008 9:02AM]

Ive got one of those classic bricks. thing was heavy as hell, and it only had 2 LEDs, in or outgoing call, and low battery.
Now to wire a prepaid phone inside this old brick.

[Craig @ Feb 18th 2008 9:06AM]

I know someone that's a pilot in Alaska. He still uses an analog phone because it gets better reception up there. According to him, digital signals do not travel well across the mountains.

[macona @ Feb 18th 2008 11:30AM]

Those old phone pumped out the power thats why they worked better in the middle of nowhere. Some of the old models put out as much as 3 watts. GSM is limited to 2 watts in GSM850/900 and 1 watt in GSM1800/1900. I doubt if most phones push even this much.

[jacquerr @ Feb 18th 2008 9:35AM]

aaarg dangit. I've still got one of those back pack type a cell phones like what they used in wwII and vietnam. I guess now I hafta upgrade!

[Joseph Singer @ Feb 18th 2008 11:41AM]

World War II? I don't think so Charley. The first commercial cell phones weren't even introduced until 1983.

[Johan S @ Feb 18th 2008 11:58AM]

Dude, let the man have his joke.

[jacquerr @ Feb 19th 2008 12:15AM]

lol not to mention my joke didn't say "commercial", i didn't say i bought one from the store. it's sad that even a really lame joke needs to be completely defined for people here.
1. read lines
2. realize i was placing myself in army
3. realize it's bad
4. groan/laugh
5. get gun
6. write will
7. probably won't get this either so i give up.

That's for you literal people.

Tho he probably didn't get it because I didn't say anything pro/anti microsoft/sony

[Raimo @ Feb 18th 2008 9:44AM]

I was pretty surprised they still had an analog network there. Here in Finland they shut down the analog cellular network (NMT) back in 2002 to make room for digital cellular networks. It used 900Mhz and 450Mhz frequencies which are now used for GSM, UMTS (900Mhz) and Flash-OFDM (450Mhz)

[MaLer @ Feb 19th 2008 4:55AM]

"AT&T will be taking the opportunity to shut down its first-generation digital network as well" - you mean DAMPS? Of some older CDMA?

Here in czech they replaced NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone) with CDMA technology :). IIRC first CDMA 1x EV-DO network (not for voice, just for data) on 450 MHz in world.

RIP, analog!

[thethirdmoose @ Feb 18th 2008 1:28PM]

Dude, that's because my backyard is bigger than finland.

[guerilla779 @ Feb 18th 2008 9:51AM]

February 18, 2008

The day analog cell networks and HD-DVD died.

I miss the good ol' days :)

R.I.P

[spam_from_engadget @ Feb 18th 2008 10:29AM]

> So successful was AMPS, in fact, that it eventually covered
> virtually 100 percent of the continental United States

and virtually 0% of the rest of the world. Only "successful" if you forget that RoTW exists.

> a statistic CDMA and GSM have only recently begun to approach.

Except in rest-of-the-world.

[Jake @ Feb 18th 2008 12:42PM]

The rest of the world kicks as and the U.S. sucks juevos.

You, my friend, are a douche-bag.

[Jeff @ Feb 18th 2008 5:30PM]

AMPS didn't exist in the rest of the world? Shock, horror, stop the presses! I suppose Hong Kong, China, Mexico, Brazil,Brunei, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Russia, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore,Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, and quite a few places in Africa and many other places I didn't mention. Prior to GSM, AMPS was the most widely deployed mobile phone standard in the world.

[bartoron @ Feb 18th 2008 10:43AM]

Rest in peace, revolutionary telephone which lacks the wires of your conventional telephone.

[Asten @ Feb 18th 2008 10:43AM]

Of course, Motorola beat Bell to the punch and demonstrated a live system first. If they hadn't, the bell monopoly would have likely extended into cellular. Their argument was that only the Bells had the capability to create something like this.

[OneLove @ Feb 18th 2008 10:54AM]

its ryan's dad!

[SeVeMaS @ Feb 18th 2008 11:18AM]

I wonder what frequencie uses ATT as a analog? is the 850Mhz?

[Joseph Singer @ Feb 18th 2008 11:43AM]

Cellular has always been 800 nka 850 as opposed to PCS which by definition uses 1900 Mhz.

[eldard @ Feb 18th 2008 11:18AM]

And so we say goodbye. Thanks, Captain Kirk and co.

[kev @ Feb 18th 2008 11:26AM]

And people still don't understand the importance of analog signal resiliency. Probably because they're not engineers.

I'll put it this way. If you think digital is better than analog simply because of marketing, you're an idiot. Besides, digital signals are analog signals anyway, just in the form of rising and falling edges.

[RijilV @ Feb 18th 2008 11:27AM]

You all know of course that this just means its no longer federally mandated that these networks remain up. Considering how many devices there still on on AMPS (security systems, remote weather units, etc) I'd be really really surprised to see this go away within 10 years.

[Joseph Singer @ Feb 18th 2008 11:46AM]

All the users of analog AMPS have been on notice for a good while that the analog network was going away as of February 18,2008. If they didn't get off their arses and make a contingency for the sunset of the legacy network it's just tough cookies. Next year about this time if certain over-the-air TV viewers find that they don't have any TV reception they'll wake up as well.

[Allen @ Feb 18th 2008 11:27AM]

Actually, if you still have one of the old OnStar systems, you have a golden opportunity: Popular Science covered (just a few months ago) a story on how using the Analog Onstar chip and Google Maps you could make a GPS for your laptop that needs no subscription fee. It only works when you are in range of the network your broadband cellular card picks up, but when it does, its spot on.

And it will keep working past the analog switch-over because it works through that broadband network. In twenty five years when we do it all over again sure, you will need a new one.

But in twenty five years, I highly doubt that you will have the same laptop, or that you won't be able to use an older OnStar device (newer from today).

[The_Steven @ Feb 18th 2008 12:25PM]

Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na, Na,
Hey, Hey, Goodbye.

Remember this?
"Mobile Operator, please connect me to...."
Ah, but then I date myself.

[Dasutin @ Feb 18th 2008 12:40PM]

Does this mean that Hospitals will now stop nagging you to turn off your cell phones?

[der00 @ Feb 18th 2008 1:08PM]

Good Bye My Friend Good Bye. May You Rest in Peace and Live in Our Harts Forever...... :(

[Mile @ Feb 18th 2008 1:11PM]

Wait a second - today is Friday??

[granny down east @ Feb 18th 2008 1:26PM]

I guess I can now remove the MOTO handset that is physically attached to the console of my 1993 BMW. And so long to my 5 lb. bag phone...(better know as Windows Mobile Device)
heh

[Long Circuit @ Feb 19th 2008 8:43PM]

Shame on Engadget not to identify the man in the photo as he isn't just some old dude using an electronic relic.

It is Martin Cooper, inventor of the "portable radiotelephone" or what we today know as the mobile phone and previously director of R&D for Motorola. He is also the first person to make a call from the first portable handset.