On 25 Sep, 09:46, "
wrote:
On 24/09/2010 00:40, Steve Terry wrote:

GSM could, GSM is now possible on airliners using cells on the aircraft
linked up to satellite or down to ground stations, and GSM is regularly
used on sea going Ferries using similar systems.

I understand that Ryanair is getting ready to use GSM on its aircraft soon.

AIUI, ferries to France and Spain out of Portsmouth have them I doubt
that they are necessary on Dover-Calais, considering that one's mobile
can already start picking up French signals on the English side.

Ryanair had mobile phone use on some of its aircraft for some time,
first announced about 4 years ago, though it took a bit longer to
actually introduce than originally suggested; it was working from
early last year on 20 aircraft

However, the arrangement with OnAir was ended by mutual agreement
earlier this year, without either giving reasons in public; presumably
Ryanair are looking for a new partner more likely to accept their
terms.

Ferry and cruise ship use has also existed for several years. Although
the rates on ships and aircraft are typically in the same sort of
range as satellite phones, there was a time when some roaming SIMs had
free incoming calls on some of these, but I rather doubt that's still
the case.

Dover-Calais, even inside the restaurant, there's always some coverage
by UK or French networks on the passenger decks. Outside on top, it's
usually though not always possible to select one's UK network from
just outside Calais

In article , Steve Terry
scribeth thus

"Phil W Lee" wrote in message
.. .
tony sayer considered Sun, 26 Sep 2010 22:16:53
+0100 the perfect time to write:

In article , Steve Terry
scribeth thus

"tony sayer" wrote in message
...
In article , Steve Terry
scribeth thus
"Rupert Moss-Eccardt" wrote in message
.. .
Steve Terry wrote:
"tony wrote in message
...
In , Steve Terry
scribeth thus
"Roy wrote in message

...
On 22 Sep, 11:55, wrote:
"Roy wrote in message



On 22/09/10 11:24, Recliner wrote:
snip
In the early days of Tetra if it wasn't for officers being able to
fall back on their GSM phones, Tetra's many black spot areas,
would have made it fail.

Come on, there are many and still are several areas where GSM is ****
poor..

See first point above
There probably wouldn't be nearly as many poor GSM areas if a tiny
fraction of the considerable sums spent on TETRA had been spent on
filling in GSM holes.


Clearly there are two distinct points of view, one that stifled cellular PTT
offers cheap and practical closed group comms for the benefit of all users,
and two those with a vested interest in perpetrating the vast bureaucracy
and £Billion budgets of Tetra that didn't exist ten years ago, and are
looking forward to a replay with even bigger budgets and careers
to be made with the future planned Tetra 2.

Meanwhile on the streets, emergency services will continue to fall back
on their mobile phones for calls, and Blackberrys for correlating data.


I asked a policeman I know re this the other day and the Airwave works
fine and yes, he sometimes uses his mobile but for different reasons..


and with PTT apps appearing on the latest generation of Android phones
no doubt emergency services will find new uses for them too.

Steve Terry

--
Tony Sayer

In article
s.com, Mizter T scribeth thus

On Sep 29, 11:59*pm, Tom Anderson wrote:

On Wed, 29 Sep 2010, Steve Terry wrote:

"Rupert Moss-Eccardt" wrote:

I believe Orange's PTT ran over GPRS data which is left running
near enough continuously.

Skype on Three i leave running continuously whilst minimised, sometimes
for weeks on end.

Presumably, providing universal 3G coverage to the emergency services
would be an entirely different kettle of fish. Very expensive fish.

Depends how it's implemented. One could suggest ditching TETRA and
running emergency service comms over Skype on Three, and perhaps such
a 'self-evident saving' might even taken seriously by an aspirant,
desperate to be noticed wonk in a right-leaning think-tank eager to
earn their spending-cut spurs...

Well if they keep getting rid of the Bobbies on the beat then that might
come about;(..
--
Tony Sayer

On Sep 30, 2:46*pm, andy wrote:
[snip]
Dover-Calais, even inside the restaurant, there's always some coverage
by UK or French networks on the passenger decks. Outside on top, it's
usually though not always possible to select one's UK network from
just outside Calais

You can pick up the French networks when walking along the cliffs near
Dover.

On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:46:44 -0700 (PDT)
andy wrote:
Ferry and cruise ship use has also existed for several years. Although

Indeed they have. But they don't always work. On Britanny Ferries which I've
used quite often you always get a base station strong signal but they seem to
frequently lose their ship to shore link so you can't actually make or receive
any calls.

B2003

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...
On Sep 29, 11:59 pm, Tom Anderson wrote:
On Wed, 29 Sep 2010, Steve Terry wrote:

"Rupert Moss-Eccardt" wrote:

I believe Orange's PTT ran over GPRS data which is left running
near enough continuously.

Skype on Three i leave running continuously whilst minimised, sometimes
for weeks on end.

Presumably, providing universal 3G coverage to the emergency services
would be an entirely different kettle of fish. Very expensive fish.

Depends how it's implemented. One could suggest ditching TETRA and
running emergency service comms over Skype on Three, and perhaps such
a 'self-evident saving' might even taken seriously by an aspirant,
desperate to be noticed wonk in a right-leaning think-tank eager to
earn their spending-cut spurs...


Even Skype themselves say they should not be used for emergency calls.

The billions already spent on Tetra in the UK means it's years too late
for change to a GSM PTT system.

I can see 3g PTT Android apps being taken up big time in the near future
by commercial users with a closed group use for PTT.
Especially when Android phones get cheaper

Steve Terry
--
"I would like to plead for my right to investigate natural phenomena
without having guns pointed at me.
I also ask for the right to be wrong without being hanged for it."
- Wilhelm Reich, November 1947

wrote in message
...

Is it possible to hear London Underground radio transmissions on a regular
scanner now?

No, they now use a version of digitally encrypted Tetra

Google Tetra TFL

Steve Terry
--
"I would like to plead for my right to investigate natural phenomena
without having guns pointed at me.
I also ask for the right to be wrong without being hanged for it."
- Wilhelm Reich, November 1947

On 30/09/2010 17:42, Steve Terry wrote:
wrote in message
...

Is it possible to hear London Underground radio transmissions on a regular
scanner now?

No, they now use a version of digitally encrypted Tetra

Google Tetra TFL

Steve Terry
What about National Rail?

wrote in message
...
On 30/09/2010 17:42, Steve Terry wrote:
wrote in message
...

Is it possible to hear London Underground radio transmissions on a
regular
scanner now?

No, they now use a version of digitally encrypted Tetra

Google Tetra TFL
Steve Terry

What about National Rail?

They tend to use GSM-R
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM-R

Steve Terry
--
"I would like to plead for my right to investigate natural phenomena
without having guns pointed at me.
I also ask for the right to be wrong without being hanged for it."
- Wilhelm Reich, November 1947

On 30/09/2010 14:46, andy wrote:

Dover-Calais, even inside the restaurant, there's always some coverage
by UK or French networks on the passenger decks. Outside on top, it's
usually though not always possible to select one's UK network from
just outside Calais

You can already pick up French networks at high points in Dover.

Interestingly enough, I was in north Wales once and my mobile phone
started to pick up signals from Meteor, in the Republic of Ireland.