My question is WHY OH WHY are we doing 800mhz testing when they are pretty much all digital?.

Just my thought process

Opium

First of all, PLEASE tell me that you aren't actually employed in this business, because that would just be embarrassing. Radio frequency bands have nothing to do with analog vs. digital. It is true that analog used to use primarily 850 Mhz, but that is just because that was the spectrum that the FCC chose to sell licenses for. Many of those rural carriers that used to operate analog networks switched to TDMA (digital) eventually, and now many of them are switching again over to GSM. THAT is why we are testing 850 Mhz roaming agreements. Those rural cell phone companies like Dobson and RCC are now GSM, although still using 850 Mhz. If we use it also, it will give us many more roaming options than just by getting into bed with Cingular....
(continues)

J Digital

If the 850 is all good in testing, do u have an idea when will rollout?

I have a feeling that it will roll out a little at a time, with an area here and an area there, rather than all of the sudden us having a huge nationwide increase in coverage all at once. The reason is that there are several different companies that we are working to partner with. Two of the mose useful ones will be Dobson and RCC. Also, the agreements will likely be region by region. I doubt if we will all of the sudden have some sort of nationwide agreement with anybody, although I'm only speculating.

To increase the coverage, to compete with Cingular, so the T-Mobile customers can really GET MORE!