Edwards AFB cell phone frequency restriction

contract

I'd cut and paste except the document is carefully designed not to allow cutting and pasting. ;-) Nothing terribly earth shattering other than Edwards AFB has a unique restriction on the frequencies allowed to be used by cell phones on base. They can only be in the 800-900MHz range. Maybe the spectrum management group put filters on critical gear to block this one band and doesn't want to go around the facility and change filters for a new vendor. Since modern cell phones have multiple bands (ex. Verizon has a 700MHz LTE), I assume the phones have special programing not to use all the bands they are capable of.

a reply to: gariac

100 years ago the POTUS banned 'wireless technology'...

Pirate radio
en.wikipedia.org...
The Radio Act of 1912 gave the president legal permission to shut down radio stations "in time of war", and during the first two and a half years of World War One, before US entry, President Wilson tasked the US Navy with monitoring US radio stations, nominally to "ensure neutrality." The navy used this authority to shut down amateur radio in the western part of the US (the US was divided into two civilian radio "districts" with corresponding call-signs, beginning with "K" in the west and "W" in the east, in the regulatory measures; the navy was assigned call-signs beginning with "N"). When Wilson declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, he also issued an executive order closing most radio stations not needed by the US government. The navy took it a step further and declared it was illegal to listen to radio or possess a receiver or transmitter in the US, but there were doubts they had the authority to issue such an order even in war time. The ban on radio was lifted in the US in late 1919.[2]

That means no T mobile US service on base.
Maybe they don't want the Germans spying on them?

a reply to: Cauliflower

That makes since...the towns around Fort Knox don't have T-Mobile either.

International cell phones can hit every single frequency. That means two phones of the same make and model, one by carrier and one that's the international version will get different reception side by side.

During emergencies all the various cell phone towers have different reactions. Limiting the base to that one frequency may not be safe. What if the only one working or back up first isn't in that frequency?

Well for what it is worth, I've made calls from a T-mobile phone when on base. But that is different from walking around inside a building with your cell phone pinging the tower.

So not only does this contract only allow version, but it only allows one band of version. This I don't get since I thought Version used different bands for voice and data. CDMA isn't like GSM where voice and data are the same. Well eventually since not everyone has voice on LTE (VoLTE).

Sole sourced contracts by themselves are not that unusual. Mostly software licenses though, where once you buy a package, there is no alternative.

As an aside, often smartphones need to have their cameras disabled. This is an option with Blackberry. i.e. no camera installed. For Apple devices, they alter the phone. President Obama has an ipad, but it is totally hacked up. They won't let him use an iphone due to lack of security.

Hey guys, first post here. I've been enjoying the site for many years, but never felt compelled to post until now.

I can tell you without a doubt that there is no cell freq restriction. I take my personal cell everyday without issue. It works fine inside and out, although some places are a bit spotty.

Red

originally posted by: RedTheAlien
Hey guys, first post here. I've been enjoying the site for many years, but never felt compelled to post until now.

I can tell you without a doubt that there is no cell freq restriction. I take my personal cell everyday without issue. It works fine inside and out, although some places are a bit spotty.

Red

Did you read the fbo.gov website?

I can assure you that if this restriction is not legit, the losers (ATT, T-Mobile, Sprint) would sue.

It may be that this Verizon tower is on base, while the towers you use are not.

originally posted by: gariac

originally posted by: RedTheAlien
Hey guys, first post here. I've been enjoying the site for many years, but never felt compelled to post until now.

I can tell you without a doubt that there is no cell freq restriction. I take my personal cell everyday without issue. It works fine inside and out, although some places are a bit spotty.

Red

Did you read the fbo.gov website?

I can assure you that if this restriction is not legit, the losers (ATT, T-Mobile, Sprint) would sue.

It may be that this Verizon tower is on base, while the towers you use are not.

This is a requirement for a NEW tower. I can see them restricting bandwidth to sandwich in a new carrier. EAFB is a very RF noisy environment. Have you ever been to the base? You're not reaching any tower off base. I can assure you that there is no restrictions on cell freq's allowable. Much ado about nothing really.

originally posted by: RedTheAlien

originally posted by: gariac

originally posted by: RedTheAlien
Hey guys, first post here. I've been enjoying the site for many years, but never felt compelled to post until now.

I can tell you without a doubt that there is no cell freq restriction. I take my personal cell everyday without issue. It works fine inside and out, although some places are a bit spotty.

Red

Did you read the fbo.gov website?

I can assure you that if this restriction is not legit, the losers (ATT, T-Mobile, Sprint) would sue.

It may be that this Verizon tower is on base, while the towers you use are not.

This is a requirement for a NEW tower. I can see them restricting bandwidth to sandwich in a new carrier. EAFB is a very RF noisy environment. Have you ever been to the base? You're not reaching any tower off base. I can assure you that there is no restrictions on cell freq's allowable. Much ado about nothing really.

There is already a Verizon tower on base. It is located at n34 56 19.0 w117 41 29.0. License KNKA405 site 36.

I have made calls from south base on T-Mobile, probably an AT&T roam,so yeah, I have been on base. But EDW isn't so big that it can't be reached from towers at the edge of base. Even 2G, the only service with a strict distance limit due to TDMA, can go 35km.

There is an AT&T tower at n 34 49 39.0 w118 10 16.7, only 17 miles from south base. There are other towers circling the base as well.

GIven that the contract specifically states the phones must use a particular band, I would say it is more than "much ado about nothing."

If there were restrictions in place, personal cell phones would be prohibited, and they're not. Again, much ado about nothing. I guess some folks will read more into something when they "want" to see something.

They are simply trying to reduce crowding, not prohibit anything.

originally posted by: RedTheAlien
If there were restrictions in place, personal cell phones would be prohibited, and they're not. Again, much ado about nothing. I guess some folks will read more into something when they "want" to see something.

They are simply trying to reduce crowding, not prohibit anything.

Again, you simply haven't read the document. They have specifically restricted T-Mobile and AT&T from bidding on the contract based on frequencies use. What part of 'no" do you not understand? No bid contracts come under scrutiny, so they are not done without due regard. And in fact it was their spectrum management group doing the restriction.

Crowding? Plenty of room on the tower, or they can put up another.

Next time you are on South Base, snap me some photos in the hangars. After all, there is no restriction on cellphone use.

a reply to: gariac

So taking pictures and using a cell phone to make calls is the same thing? That's absurd to even make that correlation. Your reading comprehension is even worse. When I mentioned crowding I was referencing bandwidth, not physical space for another tower, once again an absurd leap on your part.

This is a sole source justification for niche bandwidth they are looking for. Nothing more, nothing less. There isn't a smoking gun behind everything that the military does.....

Oh, and no problem taking pics at South Base, as long you aren't taking pictures of prohibited things. I have many fine pics of the X-1 pit and the museum boneyard aircraft. See, that's the problem with making sweeping generalizations, you usually wrong.

originally posted by: RedTheAlien
a reply to: gariac

When I mentioned crowding I was referencing bandwidth, not physical space for another tower, once again an absurd leap on your part.

I'll ignore your petty insults.

Regarding spectrum, it is allocated by the FCC. There is no "crowding" as you like to call it, since the spectrum is managed.

Since you don't really understand radio, it is a waste of my "bandwidth" to be conversing with you. But I do welcome others to post intelligent comments.

a reply to: gariac

You're arguing in circles now, lol Why don't you enlighten us all and tell us what its really all about?

I thought this forum was about denying ignorance?