The End of AMPS
Filed in archive Mobile Phones by Eric Hanson on October 5, 2006
AMPS is venerable: it was the first cell phone technology in the United States, dating back to an FCC program in the early 1980s. It was the bee's knees at the time, but with digital technology has turned into a money drain and according to this article in Consumer Affairs, will be effectively removed from cell networks in February 2008 when an FCC sunset period on AMPS ends.
There are three problems with the end of AMPS that various manufacturers still need to deal with:
- Wavelength Issues: Because digital cell technology uses shorter broadcast wavelengths, it has a shorter range. Right now, AMPS covers areas of the country where digital doesn't reach (the Rockies, Appalachia
, etc.) and cell phone providers will need to find a solution to make sure rural customers aren't left without service. - Hearing Aid Interference: Digital cell phones interfere with hearing aids. Fortunately, the American National Standards Institute has developed something called an M rating for both cell phones and hearing aids that measures interference. As long as the combined M rating of the two devices is 6 or more, there should be no interference problems.
- Alarm Company Transmissions: Most alarm companies use AMPS to communicate between the alarm system and emergency servcies and even though the FCC announced the "AMPS sunset" in 2002, many alarm companies say they won't be ready for the 2008 cutoff.
Consumeraffairs.com has more information about AMPS and the transition from analog to digital services.
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