Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > alt.cellular > #3531 > unrolled thread

"Emergency service only"

Back to article view | Back to alt.cellular

Contents

  "Emergency service only" micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2015-06-16 17:55 -0400
    Re: "Emergency service only" "Terry Coombs" <snag_one@msn.com> - 2015-06-16 19:28 -0500
      Re: "Emergency service only" micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2015-06-16 21:21 -0400
        Re: "Emergency service only" "Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.net> - 2015-06-16 21:39 -0400
          Re: "Emergency service only" Mark Lloyd <not@mail.invalid> - 2015-06-17 12:09 -0500
            Re: "Emergency service only" micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2015-06-17 14:28 -0400
              Re: "Emergency service only" Mark Lloyd <not@mail.invalid> - 2015-06-18 10:38 -0500
      Re: "Emergency service only" sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> - 2015-06-18 07:00 -0700
        Re: "Emergency service only" micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2015-06-18 18:20 -0400
    Re: "Emergency service only" Ed Pawlowski <esp@snet.net> - 2015-06-16 21:50 -0400
      Re: "Emergency service only" "Terry Coombs" <snag_one@msn.com> - 2015-06-16 21:53 -0500
      Re: "Emergency service only" micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2015-06-16 22:54 -0400
        Re: "Emergency service only" danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> - 2015-06-17 02:59 +0000
          Re: "Emergency service only" micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2015-06-18 03:01 -0400
            Re: "Emergency service only" Stormin Mormon <cayoung61@hotmail.com> - 2015-06-18 07:40 -0400
            Re: "Emergency service only" "(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid> - 2015-06-18 10:35 -0400
              Re: "Emergency service only" micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2015-06-18 21:23 -0400
          Re: "Emergency service only" sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> - 2015-06-18 07:08 -0700
            Re: "Emergency service only" danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> - 2015-06-18 15:29 +0000
              Re: "Emergency service only" Mark Lloyd <not@mail.invalid> - 2015-06-18 14:16 -0500
            Re: "Emergency service only" micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2015-06-18 18:34 -0400
    Re: "Emergency service only" Tekkie® <Tekkie@comcast.net> - 2015-06-17 16:18 -0400
    Re: "Emergency service only" sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> - 2015-06-18 06:58 -0700
      Re: "Emergency service only" micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2015-06-18 18:28 -0400

Page 1 of 2  [1] 2  Next page →

#3531 — "Emergency service only"

Last month, using an Android phone on ATT, a Gophone,, I tried to call
my nephew on his home phone (FWIW, he has no cell phone.)    But it
appears his father changed the phone number when I wasn't looking, so I
had the wrong number.   I called and it changed to the screen it uses
during dialing, but a moment after that it changed to some other screen
and clearly wasn't dialing.   The possible dialing period was only a
second or two.    But I got no message, no cell phone equivalent of "The
number you have reached is not available." I was using a headset but I
got nothing aural either. 

I did this 3 times and after the third time, a message displayed on the
top line (the notification line) that said "Emergency service only" or
almost that.    Isn't that the message they give when someone hasn't
paid his bill, or he's switched his contract to a newer phone and the
older phone is only useful to call the police, fire, ambulance? 

I assumed what had happened is that I buy 100 dollar gophone cards that
last for 365 days, and that the time period had expired (I hadn't made
other calls that day, none since the previous day.) 

If the message doesn't mean that I'm no longer eligible to make phone
calls, what does it mean?  

I was in the basement of a new, 10-story building, so there was some
iron above me, but if I had no bars and no signal, there would have been
no cryptic "Emergency service only" message either, right?? 

Later in the day the phone worked fine. 

Thanks a lot for any help you can give. 

[toc] | [next] | [standalone]

#3532

micky wrote:
> Last month, using an Android phone on ATT, a Gophone,, I tried to call
> my nephew on his home phone (FWIW, he has no cell phone.)    But it
> appears his father changed the phone number when I wasn't looking, so
> I had the wrong number.   I called and it changed to the screen it
> uses during dialing, but a moment after that it changed to some other
> screen and clearly wasn't dialing.   The possible dialing period was
> only a second or two.    But I got no message, no cell phone
> equivalent of "The number you have reached is not available." I was
> using a headset but I got nothing aural either.
>
> I did this 3 times and after the third time, a message displayed on
> the top line (the notification line) that said "Emergency service
> only" or almost that.    Isn't that the message they give when
> someone hasn't paid his bill, or he's switched his contract to a
> newer phone and the older phone is only useful to call the police,
> fire, ambulance?
>
> I assumed what had happened is that I buy 100 dollar gophone cards
> that last for 365 days, and that the time period had expired (I
> hadn't made other calls that day, none since the previous day.)
>
> If the message doesn't mean that I'm no longer eligible to make phone
> calls, what does it mean?
>
> I was in the basement of a new, 10-story building, so there was some
> iron above me, but if I had no bars and no signal, there would have
> been no cryptic "Emergency service only" message either, right??
>
> Later in the day the phone worked fine.
>
> Thanks a lot for any help you can give.

That's the message I get when there's not a cell tower in range . We get it 
a lot out here in the woods ... no coverage at all down here in The Holler . 
It's spotty on the road into town .

-- 
 Snag

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3533

On Tue, 16 Jun 2015 19:28:27 -0500, "Terry Coombs" <snag_one@msn.com>
wrote:

>micky wrote:
>> Last month, using an Android phone on ATT, a Gophone,, I tried to call
>> my nephew on his home phone (FWIW, he has no cell phone.)    But it
>> appears his father changed the phone number when I wasn't looking, so
>> I had the wrong number.   I called and it changed to the screen it
>> uses during dialing, but a moment after that it changed to some other
>> screen and clearly wasn't dialing.   The possible dialing period was
>> only a second or two.    But I got no message, no cell phone
>> equivalent of "The number you have reached is not available." I was
>> using a headset but I got nothing aural either.
>>
>> I did this 3 times and after the third time, a message displayed on
>> the top line (the notification line) that said "Emergency service
>> only" or almost that.    Isn't that the message they give when
>> someone hasn't paid his bill, or he's switched his contract to a
>> newer phone and the older phone is only useful to call the police,
>> fire, ambulance?
>>
>> I assumed what had happened is that I buy 100 dollar gophone cards
>> that last for 365 days, and that the time period had expired (I
>> hadn't made other calls that day, none since the previous day.)
>>
>> If the message doesn't mean that I'm no longer eligible to make phone
>> calls, what does it mean?
>>
>> I was in the basement of a new, 10-story building, so there was some
>> iron above me, but if I had no bars and no signal, there would have
>> been no cryptic "Emergency service only" message either, right??
>>
>> Later in the day the phone worked fine.
>>
>> Thanks a lot for any help you can give.
>
>That's the message I get when there's not a cell tower in range .

Thanks. 

But if there's no cell tower in range, then there's no emergency service
either, right?    Or maybe, is there some data signal that takes less
signal strength than a voice signal does, but  represents an emergency?
Maybe ...---...   ...---...? 

> We get it 
>a lot out here in the woods ... no coverage at all down here in The Holler . 
>It's spotty on the road into town .

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3535

On 06/16/2015 09:21 PM, micky wrote:

>>> Last month, using an Android phone on ATT, a Gophone,, I tried to call
>>> my nephew on his home phone (FWIW, he has no cell phone.)    But it
>>> appears his father changed the phone number when I wasn't looking, so
>>> I had the wrong number.   I called and it changed to the screen it
>>> uses during dialing, but a moment after that it changed to some other
>>> screen and clearly wasn't dialing.   The possible dialing period was
>>> only a second or two.    But I got no message, no cell phone
>>> equivalent of "The number you have reached is not available." I was
>>> using a headset but I got nothing aural either.
>>>
>>> I did this 3 times and after the third time, a message displayed on
>>> the top line (the notification line) that said "Emergency service
>>> only" or almost that.    Isn't that the message they give when
>>> someone hasn't paid his bill, or he's switched his contract to a
>>> newer phone and the older phone is only useful to call the police,
>>> fire, ambulance?
>>>
>>> I assumed what had happened is that I buy 100 dollar gophone cards
>>> that last for 365 days, and that the time period had expired (I
>>> hadn't made other calls that day, none since the previous day.)
>>>
>>> If the message doesn't mean that I'm no longer eligible to make phone
>>> calls, what does it mean?
>>>
>>> I was in the basement of a new, 10-story building, so there was some
>>> iron above me, but if I had no bars and no signal, there would have
>>> been no cryptic "Emergency service only" message either, right??
>>>
>>> Later in the day the phone worked fine.
>>>
>>> Thanks a lot for any help you can give.
>>
>> That's the message I get when there's not a cell tower in range .
>
> Thanks.
>
> But if there's no cell tower in range, then there's no emergency service
> either, right?    Or maybe, is there some data signal that takes less
> signal strength than a voice signal does, but  represents an emergency?
> Maybe ...---...   ...---...?
>
>> We get it
>> a lot out here in the woods ... no coverage at all down here in The Holler .
>> It's spotty on the road into town .

Maybe the OP was out of range of an AT&T tower at that moment 
(propagation is not constant even if he was standing in the same spot) 
but within range of some other phone company's tower -- Verizon? (which 
I understand has the best coverage, although it's not what I use, 
because of the cost).

Perce

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3540

On 06/16/2015 08:39 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:

[snip]

> Maybe the OP was out of range of an AT&T tower at that moment
> (propagation is not constant even if he was standing in the same spot)
> but within range of some other phone company's tower -- Verizon? (which
> I understand has the best coverage, although it's not what I use,
> because of the cost).
>
> Perce
>

AT&T works on the highway in front of Kroger (about a mile away), butis 
almost unusable at my house. Getting a signal at all requires being on 
the south side of the yard (closest to the highway), and calls are 
likely to be dropped (even if I do stand on one foot and hold the phone 
over the fence).

I use Verizon, which works decently here.

I have gotten the "Emergency Service Only" message once. Possibly 
because the cell tower here was overloaded.

That (cell towers overloaded) happened after the tornado that came 
through here May 25.

-- 
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"People who feel themselves to be exiles in this world are mightily
inclined to believe themselves citizens of another." [George Santayana]

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3542

On Wed, 17 Jun 2015 12:09:57 -0500, Mark Lloyd <not@mail.invalid> wrote:

>On 06/16/2015 08:39 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>
>[snip]
>
>> Maybe the OP was out of range of an AT&T tower at that moment
>> (propagation is not constant even if he was standing in the same spot)
>> but within range of some other phone company's tower -- Verizon? (which
>> I understand has the best coverage, although it's not what I use,
>> because of the cost).
>>
>> Perce
>>
>
>AT&T works on the highway in front of Kroger (about a mile away), butis 
>almost unusable at my house. Getting a signal at all requires being on 
>the south side of the yard (closest to the highway), and calls are 
>likely to be dropped (even if I do stand on one foot and hold the phone 
>over the fence).
>
>I use Verizon, which works decently here.
>
>I have gotten the "Emergency Service Only" message once. Possibly 
>because the cell tower here was overloaded.

Yes,  during overloads, they probably give priority to 911 calls.  I
would hope so.  Even dropping calls in progress if they need the famous
"bandwidth".  

I don't know if I mentioned it on either of these ngs, but I was just
outside Madison Square Garden about a month ago, and her mother and I
could call my niece, and my niece could call the two of us, but neither
her mother nor I could call each other.     

My niece told me she had ATT until the storm surge that hit NYC about 3
years, and neither she nor her girlfriends could make a cellphone call
after that, except one who had Verizon. (This is probably a large part
of where Verizon in NY got its good reputation.)  So she and her mother
signed up with Verizon, and they have phone numbers 10 or 20 apart. 

So at MSG I think maybe both Verizon and ATT were letting us call, but
not relaying the call and just sending it to voice mail.  This would cut
the number of circuits needed by half, and people wouldn't talk as long
either. 


>That (cell towers overloaded) happened after the tornado that came 
>through here May 25.

Well that seems fair.  You have to give them a pass after each tornado. 

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3554

On 06/17/2015 01:28 PM, micky wrote:

[sip]

> Well that seems fair.  You have to give them a pass after each tornado.
>

I did. Wires were down all over town, so most people could not use their 
wired phones. I suppose most of the calls then (just a few minutes after 
the tornado) were people checking on friends and relatives.

BTW, I gave up on reporting the power outage, when it became obvious 
that too many people were doing so.

-- 
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it." [Oscar
Wilde]

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3550

On 6/16/2015 5:28 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:

<snip>

> That's the message I get when there's not a cell tower in range . We get it
> a lot out here in the woods ... no coverage at all down here in The Holler .
> It's spotty on the road into town .

You should be getting "No Service" not "Emergency Service Only." The 
phone is connecting to a tower that you are not allowed to roam onto but 
they have to allow emergency service. In most cases it's T-Mobile being 
unable to roam onto AT&T, or a Sprint phone on one of Sprint's prepaid 
services or on a Sprint MVNO.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3556

On Thu, 18 Jun 2015 07:00:50 -0700, sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote:

>On 6/16/2015 5:28 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
>
><snip>
>
>> That's the message I get when there's not a cell tower in range . We get it
>> a lot out here in the woods ... no coverage at all down here in The Holler .
>> It's spotty on the road into town .
>
>You should be getting "No Service" not "Emergency Service Only." The 
>phone is connecting to a tower that you are not allowed to roam onto but 
>they have to allow emergency service. 

Then doesn't that mean I was getting the right message?   "They have to
allow emergency service" and the message says Emergency Service Only.

>In most cases it's T-Mobile being 
>unable to roam onto AT&T, or a Sprint phone on one of Sprint's prepaid 
>services or on a Sprint MVNO.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3536

On 6/16/2015 5:55 PM, micky wrote:

> I did this 3 times and after the third time, a message displayed on the
> top line (the notification line) that said "Emergency service only" or
> almost that.    Isn't that the message they give when someone hasn't
> paid his bill, or he's switched his contract to a newer phone and the
> older phone is only useful to call the police, fire, ambulance?
>
> I assumed what had happened is that I buy 100 dollar gophone cards that
> last for 365 days, and that the time period had expired (I hadn't made
> other calls that day, none since the previous day.)
>
> If the message doesn't mean that I'm no longer eligible to make phone
> calls, what does it mean?
>
> I was in the basement of a new, 10-story building, so there was some
> iron above me, but if I had no bars and no signal, there would have been
> no cryptic "Emergency service only" message either, right??

It is because you can connect to a tower, but not the one from your 
service provider.  Happens once in a while depending on where you are. 
You can reach 91, but not other numbers.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3537

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 6/16/2015 5:55 PM, micky wrote:
>
>> I did this 3 times and after the third time, a message displayed on
>> the top line (the notification line) that said "Emergency service
>> only" or almost that.    Isn't that the message they give when
>> someone hasn't paid his bill, or he's switched his contract to a
>> newer phone and the older phone is only useful to call the police,
>> fire, ambulance? I assumed what had happened is that I buy 100 dollar 
>> gophone cards
>> that last for 365 days, and that the time period had expired (I
>> hadn't made other calls that day, none since the previous day.)
>>
>> If the message doesn't mean that I'm no longer eligible to make phone
>> calls, what does it mean?
>>
>> I was in the basement of a new, 10-story building, so there was some
>> iron above me, but if I had no bars and no signal, there would have
>> been no cryptic "Emergency service only" message either, right??
>
> It is because you can connect to a tower, but not the one from your
> service provider.  Happens once in a while depending on where you are.
> You can reach 91, but not other numbers.

  Thanks Ed , I was wondering how I could have emergency service when I 
couldn't make or receive a call .

-- 
 Snag

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3538

On Tue, 16 Jun 2015 21:50:10 -0400, Ed Pawlowski <esp@snet.net> wrote:

>On 6/16/2015 5:55 PM, micky wrote:
>
>> I did this 3 times and after the third time, a message displayed on the
>> top line (the notification line) that said "Emergency service only" or
>> almost that.    Isn't that the message they give when someone hasn't
>> paid his bill, or he's switched his contract to a newer phone and the
>> older phone is only useful to call the police, fire, ambulance?
>>
>> I assumed what had happened is that I buy 100 dollar gophone cards that
>> last for 365 days, and that the time period had expired (I hadn't made
>> other calls that day, none since the previous day.)
>>
>> If the message doesn't mean that I'm no longer eligible to make phone
>> calls, what does it mean?
>>
>> I was in the basement of a new, 10-story building, so there was some
>> iron above me, but if I had no bars and no signal, there would have been
>> no cryptic "Emergency service only" message either, right??
>
>It is because you can connect to a tower, but not the one from your 
>service provider.  Happens once in a while depending on where you are. 
>You can reach 91, but not other numbers.

Aha.  That accounts for everything.   Thanks for your wise advice. 

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3539

>>It is because you can connect to a tower, but not the one from your 
>>service provider.  Happens once in a while depending on where you are. 
>>You can reach 91, but not other numbers.

>Aha.  That accounts for everything.   Thanks for your wise advice. 

Just to expand on this a bit. Per FCC regs, if your phone
can physically connect to a cellular system (right frequencies,
strength, ptotocols), then even if you don't have an account
with that company (or in the case of a SIM card phone, even
if the card is missing...) then the cellco will let you
make a 911 call.

So if you've got an account with company A and you're
broken down on the highway in the middle of nowhere,
and the only signal is from comapny D, then you won't
be able to call AAA or your brother-in-law, but you
will be able to reach 911.


-- 
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
		     dannyb@panix.com 
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3546

On Wed, 17 Jun 2015 02:59:23 +0000 (UTC), danny burstein
<dannyb@panix.com> wrote:

>>>It is because you can connect to a tower, but not the one from your 
>>>service provider.  Happens once in a while depending on where you are. 
>>>You can reach 91, but not other numbers.
>
>>Aha.  That accounts for everything.   Thanks for your wise advice. 
>
>Just to expand on this a bit. Per FCC regs, if your phone
>can physically connect to a cellular system (right frequencies,
>strength, ptotocols), then even if you don't have an account
>with that company (or in the case of a SIM card phone, even
>if the card is missing...) then the cellco will let you
>make a 911 call.
>
>So if you've got an account with company A and you're
>broken down on the highway in the middle of nowhere,
>and the only signal is from comapny D, then you won't
>be able to call AAA or your brother-in-law, but you
>will be able to reach 911.

That's good to know.   I used to keep an old cell phone and its charger
in the trunk of the car, for emergencies, but I think I took it out.  If
I haven't had an emergency in 50 years I probably won't.  I've only been
towed 4 times and each time I was in the middle of civilization.  (Of
course I should replace the timing belt.....) 

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3548

On 6/18/2015 3:01 AM, micky wrote:
> That's good to know.   I used to keep an old cell phone and its charger
> in the trunk of the car, for emergencies, but I think I took it out.  If
> I haven't had an emergency in 50 years I probably won't.  I've only been
> towed 4 times and each time I was in the middle of civilization.  (Of
> course I should replace the timing belt.....)
>

Much same, here. I do cary old cell phone, and
a car charger. It's not perfect, but it's a
chance at calling help.

-
.
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.    www.lds.org
.
.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3552

Per micky:
>If I haven't had an emergency in 50 years I probably won't.

I would think that the probability experiencing an emergency situation
rises with age.

-- 
Pete Cresswell

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3559

On Thu, 18 Jun 2015 10:35:01 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid>
wrote:

>Per micky:
>>If I haven't had an emergency in 50 years I probably won't.
>
>I would think that the probability experiencing an emergency situation
>rises with age.

Yeah in one way, but I drive less, live in a warmer climate, cars are
more reliable, and I have fewer years left than I've already spent.
so I think the odds are increasing that I won't have an emergency
regarding the car, integrated over the time from now until the end of my
life. . 

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3551

On 6/16/2015 7:59 PM, danny burstein wrote:
>>> It is because you can connect to a tower, but not the one from your
>>> service provider.  Happens once in a while depending on where you are.
>>> You can reach 91, but not other numbers.
>
>> Aha.  That accounts for everything.   Thanks for your wise advice.
>
> Just to expand on this a bit. Per FCC regs, if your phone
> can physically connect to a cellular system (right frequencies,
> strength, ptotocols), then even if you don't have an account
> with that company (or in the case of a SIM card phone, even
> if the card is missing...) then the cellco will let you
> make a 911 call.
>
> So if you've got an account with company A and you're
> broken down on the highway in the middle of nowhere,
> and the only signal is from comapny D, then you won't
> be able to call AAA or your brother-in-law, but you
> will be able to reach 911.

On inactive CDMA phones the phone will connect you to ARN where you can 
place a call with a credit card. No incoming calls. This doesn't work 
with GSM phones. If the CDMA phone is active on a carrier that can't 
roam onto the tower to which it is connected this doesn't work and you 
can only make emergency calls. Also, a CDMA phone that you stop using 
does not instantly go into the inactive phone database.

You can purchase a block of minutes to use with an inactive phone on 
ARN. The minutes are good for a year. 
<http://www.americanroaming.com/BuyVirtualPin.html>. Remember, no one 
can call you, it's outgoing only.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3553

In <mluja4$kd8$1@dont-email.me> sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> writes:

>On inactive CDMA phones the phone will connect you to ARN where you can 
>place a call with a credit card.

Grandpa, what's CDMA? Isn't that like iDen?

Is Sprint still using it? Thanks


-- 
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
		     dannyb@panix.com 
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#3555

On 06/18/2015 10:29 AM, danny burstein wrote:
> In <mluja4$kd8$1@dont-email.me> sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> writes:
>
>> On inactive CDMA phones the phone will connect you to ARN where you can
>> place a call with a credit card.
>
> Grandpa, what's CDMA? Isn't that like iDen?
>
> Is Sprint still using it? Thanks
>
>

Sprint and Verizon use CDMA. AT&T and T-mobile use GSM.

IIRC, 4G is the same for all systems.

For some reason the CDMA networks are the only ones I can use here. BTW, 
I have 2 cell phones, one on Verizon and the other on Ting (Sprint MVNO).

-- 
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it." [Oscar
Wilde]

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

Page 1 of 2  [1] 2  Next page →

Back to top | Article view | alt.cellular

csiph-web