[geeks] Opinions on T-Mobile and Verizon

[Patrick Giagnocavo]

On Dec 10, 2007, at 5:26 PM, Nadine Miller wrote:
>>
>> "In April, 2006, GM notified approximately 500,000 of their OnStar
>> customers who have analog service that their service would be  
>> terminated
>> effective December 31, 2007, because starting February 18, 2008  
>> the FCC
>> will no longer require US cell phone systems to operate in analog  
>> mode. If
>> the vehicle is from the 2003, 2004, or 2005 model year, an adapter  
>> costing
>> approximately $200 (includes a One year subscription)can be  
>> installed at
>> the customer's expense. If it is older, it will simply no longer be
>> usable."
>
> That's pretty lame, actually.  I have never considered OnStar, so  
> didn't
> know much about it.  Glad I never bothered.
>
> =Nadine=

Consider this (from the article):

"In a given month OnStar receives 900 automatic airbag notifications,  
helps with 500 stolen vehicles, connects 15,000 emergency calls,  
provides 44,000 remote door unlocks, takes 25,000 roadside assistance  
calls, receives 5,500 good Samaritan calls, offers 32,000 remote  
diagnostics and facilitates 12.6 million hands-free calls."

So you are paying $200 per year, for what exactly?

Out of 4 million subscribers, the serious safety events (that I can  
see some benefit to) are:

10,800 airbag deployments (1 in 370 chance of it being you)
6,000 stolen vehicles (1 in 667 chance of it being you)
180,000 emergency calls (1 in 22.2 chance of it being you)

Better to throw away $200 on horse racing - odds are you would get  
$160 of it back.

You would think, given the profit margins on this, that GM would be  
offering a free retrofit for anyone and everyone.

--Patrick