Disposable cell phones

[Thomason]

Are they available yet? Has anyone used one? The patents were issued in 1999 I believe. I have heard they are selling well in Japan. They are aimed at the "glove compartment" user. They are prepaid, about 60 minutes of air time, some have two way communication and some are outgoing calls only. I have no need for a regular cell phone. Something to have in the car and use only for emergencies sounds perfect for me.

 

[Bob W]

Wal Mart and other stores sell 'disposable' phones, if we're talking about the same things. The phones aren't actually thrown out; you buy calling-cards to re-load the phone. The price-per-minute is considerably higher than a traditional cell phone service, and the cards expire after a certain amount of time. On the plus side, you don't sign a contract and there are no bills.

-Bob

 

[Gollnick]

The thing to remember about these is that the minutes expire typically a year after purchase; use it or loose it. So, this idea that you can buy this thing and stick it in your glove box in case you ever need it isn't valid. If you break down two years later and pull that thing out, you're likely to find that you have no service.
:grumpy:

 

[Point44]

I think even without credit, emergency phone calls are allowed. This is for 911 type emergencies. If you breakdown most probably you won't be able to call the tow truck. However, as with everything (i.e. flashlights, medicine etc.) you have to check it anyway once in awhile.. Plus there is the problem of the battery running out anyway, even when it's switched off.

I keep a car charger in the car all the time. But i do use a contract phone.

 

[Gollnick]

Don't trust the "it works for 911 no matter what" rummor. In the US, there is no nation-wide law that requires cell carriers to accept 911 calls from non-subscribers. Some states require it. Even in states where it's not required, many carriers still do, but many don't. Some do in some areas but not in other areas. Some older cell-site equipment just isn't capable of handling a call from a non-subscriber so even a carrier that prefers to accept such calls may not be able to in all areas. Keep in mind that, especially in rural areas, the cellular carriers often don't own the cell-sites they use. They, themselves, rent air time from what is called a "tower service company." So, it may not be the carrier's choice to be using older, less-capable equipment.

 

[NIB]

I know the ones your talking about, I saw them on some show doing a segment of upcoming electronic gadgets. That was probably 2 or 3 years ago and have not heard anything else since.

It's possible that maybe the FCC didn't approve them for some reason. I know there are cell phones overseas that don't fall under FCC regs for one reason or another so they are not available here. Case in point the phone Neo uses in the first Matrix movie. There was a huge demand for it here after the movie was released but the FCC would not approve it for use in the US.

 

[tonyccw]

The thing to remember about these is that the minutes expire typically a year after purchase; use it or loose it.

No longer true with some of the carriers. TMobile's pre-paid minutes do not expire.

In the US, there is no nation-wide law that requires cell carriers to accept 911 calls from non-subscribers. Some states require it. .

This is true. But there are FCC mandates regarding mandatory no charges for 911 calls carried through their service. As such, all 911 calls must be routed to the local emergency service. The only thing so far not mandated is the GPS/location verification system.

 

[Ken C.]

If you break down two years later and pull that thing out, you're likely to find that you have no service.
:grumpy:

He will still be able to dial 911 on it if he ever needs to call in an emergency. Most cellphones are required to have, at the very least, that service available.

 

[JohnG]

A year or two ago I also read about a woman(here in NJ I think) who had a patent for a true disposable phone, made of some sort of cardboard--sort of like a disposable camera....wonder what happened to that one, too

 

[MadDaddy]

The phones you are most likely refering too where littl bit bigger than a credit card and made of many layers of folded paper. Paper was used because they could print the curcuitry and it was cheap and made to be thrown out, the speaker and mic where the bulkiest things about them. I don't know what ever happened to them, my guess would be that pre-paid service has pretty much taken away most of the demand for something like them.

As far as having a 911 phone only, any phone with or without active service can make a call out to 911 and which ever carrier you are picking up at any given time will route the call to the closest dispactcher. This is something that is federally regulated as well as E911 service which uses GPS to plot you location to the local PSAP or dispatcher. E911 service is not up in all areas/states at this time and I can't recall what the dates are for having it nation wide, this also assumes you have a newer phone (last 2 years) with GPS.
Also any wireless phone without an active account "should" be able to place a call out besides 911, all phones will pick up an available signal and call to the carriers switch, if you are not one of that carriers customers you will/should be routed to the American Roaming Network which will ask you to enter a credit card to place the call and change you xxx amount per minute.

 

[Gollnick]

As far as having a 911 phone only, any phone with or without active service can make a call out to 911 and which ever carrier you are picking up at any given time

This is NOT federally mandated. Don't count on it. Some states mandate it. Even in states that don't many carries still do it.

But, older cell-site equipment does not support this. This is why the FCC has not yet mandated it. In an urban area where the sites are new, often owned by the carriers, and have the latest equipment, this is often true. But in rural areas where the sites are older and often owned by tower service companies who have to run the equipment longer to get the return on their investment, this may not be true.

Also any wireless phone without an active account "should" be able to place a call out besides 911, all phones will pick up an available signal and call to the carriers switch, if you are not one of that carriers customers you will/should be routed to the American Roaming Network which will ask you to enter a credit card to place the call and change you xxx amount per minute.

Again, if the cell site has newer equipment, this will often be true. It makes sense too because they're gonna soak you a huge fee. Of course they'll process the call. These are probably the highest profit-per-minute calls they handle.

But, older equipment will simply refuse to give you service.

 

[tonyccw]

But, older cell-site equipment does not support this. This is why the FCC has not yet mandated it.

I think you are confusing the new GPS locator technology with a standard 911 Emergency call. The 911 Emergency call routing is a FCC Operational mandate for all cellular carriers in the US. Has been since the late 1990's. With the old analog technology, cellular companies are required to route the 911 call free of charge, and without being a customer. The new GPS/911 addresses the one item not possible with the old analog cell calls, and that is to display your calling location. With the non-GPS phones, you will need to give out your location to the 911 center.

 

[MadDaddy]

This is NOT federally mandated. Don't count on it. Some states mandate it. Even in states that don't many carries still do it.

But, older cell-site equipment does not support this. This is why the FCC has not yet mandated it. In an urban area where the sites are new, often owned by the carriers, and have the latest equipment, this is often true. But in rural areas where the sites are older and often owned by tower service companies who have to run the equipment longer to get the return on their investment, this may not be true.

Again, if the cell site has newer equipment, this will often be true. It makes sense too because they're gonna soak you a huge fee. Of course they'll process the call. These are probably the highest profit-per-minute calls they handle.

But, older equipment will simply refuse to give you service.

Both of these functions are controlled by the translations and routing at the switch level, not the cell tower/site itself. So the type of tower, age and technology don't have any impact on wheather or not a call will be processed or denied.

 

[cockroachfarm]

I thought they were ALL disposable? At least my kids seem to think so! In addition to my every-day-use Treo-650, I also have two pre-paid cellphones - one registered on each side of the border. The higher per-minute rate still seems to be a better deal then the daily 'system access fee' and additional 'roaming' charges' that I get dinged with if I use my Canadian contract phone in the U.S. (like, in Chicago this weekend!) The minutes do expire on Virgin after 30/60 days, but the phone number stays active for several months.

 

[Thomason]

Thanks gentleman. Yes, JohnG and NIB the "paper" ones were what I was thinking about. I saw BobW's post and ran out to WallyWorld. I got a phone and 150 minute card that stays in effect for one year. As long as I make sure the battery is charged I should be good to go. I am just not a cell phone using kind of doofus so I did not want contracts and monthly service fees. Thanks again one and all for putting me on the path.

 

[MadDaddy]

Pre-paid should suit you well as a non user kind of guy....but once you start using it, you may become a user "doofus" the convenience and ability to keep in touch with peope is nice.

 

[tonyccw]

Both of these functions are controlled by the translations and routing at the switch level, not the cell tower/site itself. So the type of tower, age and technology don't have any impact on wheather or not a call will be processed or denied.

The GPS location signal is a triagulation of the tower and the satellite, not at the switch level. However, the type of transmit and receive protocol are at the tower level, so towers does come into play WRT to phone types.

 

[MadDaddy]

The GPS location signal is a triagulation of the tower and the satellite, not at the switch level. However, the type of transmit and receive protocol are at the tower level, so towers does come into play WRT to phone types.

I know I wasn't really speaking about the GPS end of it, all the call routing is translations/switch based, except some of our Nortel networks, and then that even depends upon how old they are and if the are internal or external HLR and even down to that regions translator in sometimes. E911 is so caught up in each states political pocket lining, who knows when it will actually be nation wide.