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Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:44:13 -0600
From: "Walt Kienzle" <wkienzlenopsam.net>
Subject: Re: Onstar Phone


I am not very well versed in OnStar, so this answer might just be wasting bandwidth. But since nobody else has answered yet, here goes: It is my understanding that the OnStar phone is supposed to be an alternative to any currant cellular phone service you might have, in case your cell phone doesn't work. Why might your cell phone not work when OnStar's would? (OnStar marketing guys went into full spin on this one). - Your battery might be dead and you don't have a cigar lighter cord to charge it. - You are in an area where your cell provider doesn't provide service. This last point is where the spin comes in. OnStar is based on "obsolete" analog cell phone technology. It is cheaper because no worthwhile cell phone company uses analog as their primary transmission method anymore - everybody has gone digital. The analog towers are still out there to support the customers with old phones or for the phones that switch to analog when there is no digital service (Those phones are now obsolete I believe). The secondary benefit is that because analog cell technology has been around so long, towers have been put up everywhere, so pretty much the entire country is covered (except really hard to reach parts with mountains, etc. and even many of them have coverage). The bottom line is that OnStar probably thinks of themselves as competition with your current cell provider (which may explain the rudeness), and there is no way to associate your current cell phone service/number with the OnStar server - they are incompatible. BTW, even among the various cell phone providers, there is very little compatibility. Even though there is now phone number portability, you most likely have to throw out your old phone and get a new one if you switch to a different cell phone company. One way you can come close to what you want is to sign up for OnStar's voice service, and have the calls from your cell phone forwarded there when you don't answer. Most cell phones use this already to forward unanswered calls to voice mail. Another alternative would be to use the number portability provision to switch your cell phone service to OnStar -- probably not a good alternative since it is difficult to clip a 9-3 to your belt and carry it around in case you get a call. Walt Kienzle "Bryan Roma" <bromanopsamr.com> wrote in message news:pdDDb.163319$M02.26787nopsamter.rdc-kc.rr.com... > Does anyone know how to program the Onstar phone in a 2003 Saab 9-3? I > want to put my current cellular phone number into it: Saab is no help, the > dealer is no help and Onstar, well let's just say, they are simply rude. > >

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