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Calling any cell-phone expert!!

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Brad Johnson:
I have two phones on my plan - a newer Audiovox digital and an older Motorola MicroTac 650 analog (mounted in my car with an amplifier). I want to swap numbers on the phones - literally. I want to take the numbers the phones are currently assigned and swap them, one to the other. My provider (Cellular One, now AllTel) says they can't do it because the old phone is analog. I refuse to believe that is the case or I wouldn't be able to use the old phone on the system at all.

Anyone with advice? And PLEASE!!.. I don't want this to be a "use a difference service provider" thread unless there is actual techinical info included.

Thanks in advance!
Brad

cfabe:
Unfortunately you're going to have a very hard / impossible time finding anyone who will provide you new service on your analog cell phone. Alltel probably considers switching the phone numbers to be the same as signing up a new service. About the only carriers left that will turn up a new service on an existing analog cell phone are some of the bring-your-own-phone prepaid carriers, but given your line of work I'm assuming that doing prepaid is probably out of the question. The prepaid guys can probably port in your existing number, though, so that would be about the only way I can think to get it to happen.

Might be time for an upgrade. The analog AMPS network is going to start being phased out next year anyway. There are car install kits and amplifiers available for the newer digital phones.

Brad Johnson:
It's not that they won't - they say they can't.  They claim their system literally won't accept any changes in relation to the old analog phone. They say the only reason I have service now is because the phone was activated before their system changeover (to digital). If the phone ever craps the bed there is no way to shift the number over to another analog phone. It will have to be digital or nothing.

I have a hard time believing that the numbers can't be swapped into a phone that currently working on the system - digital or not - but I don't know enough about the system or the electronics involved to dispute their claim. I was hoping someone here at APS could 'splain it to me - good, bad, or otherwise.

Brad

cfabe:
Check in at howardforums.com, if anybody will be able to answer this to the level you're looking for, it'll be someone there.

mtnbkr:
In all likelyhood, this administrative issue has been hardcoded into the ordering system so the folks that process adds/changes/deletes CAN'T do this.  However, if you bug Customer Service, they might find a way to help you.  The folks in the store are nearly helpless other than what their computers tell them to do.  Call Corporate and complain to them. They may be able to help.

Chris

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