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I wonder what the susbscriber & churn/drop numbers are? Posted by Bill Homer [Email]  (#3427) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Bill Homer) on Fri, 6 Apr 2007 12:47:43
In Reply to: Re: Trunk mount box?, Steve G   [Profile/Gallery]
, Thu, 5 Apr 2007 19:37:36
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All of my cars are pre-OnStar era, so I never really paid much attention to the OnStar service. However, I have been in the cellular and electronics development businesses for almost three decades(!), so I have a pretty good idea how the service works, why Verizon (OnStar's main cellular carrier) is dropping analog service in favor of an all-digital system ($$$), and what would be required to build a replacement digital transceiver.
I have to assume that GM ran the numbers and figured that the pool of people with cars that are already 3+ years old and who were still OnStar subscribers would not accept a multi-hundred dollar upgrade to continue the service for an indeterminate amount of time. Perhaps they also figured that those who were new car buyers (with thier original analog units) will be in a new car by the time they could recoup their expenses on an upgrade, and that buyers of those used cars with the analog boxes would not pay for the service? Add in the large expense of running a new design through testng labs and certification (Verizon for one requires that EVERY device that can originate a call on their network must be tested/certified) and the business case starts to fall apart.
Yes, a lot of the early hype about OnStar has been suplanted by newer, cheaper technology, or as someone else here said, the service is "a solution looking for a problem". If someone could make a very compelling case for an upgrade box, I'd jump at the opportunity to produce one, but I don't see the demand.
posted by 74.93.67...
, Wed, 4 Apr 2007 21:00:58
, Thu, 5 Apr 2007 15:57:36, Thu, 5 Apr 2007 07:14:05
, Thu, 5 Apr 2007 17:14:47, Thu, 5 Apr 2007 19:37:36, Fri, 6 Apr 2007 12:47:43 <-- Viewing This Message
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