Mobitex Network Shutting Down

The Mobitex Network, AKA Ram Mobile Data, once the only secure wireless packet data network in the U. S. is taking its towers off line in many areas around the country and has announced its intentions of ceasing operations completely by the first quarter 2008. Over the past several years ownership of the Mobitex Network has passed through several hands. First, Ram Mobile Data sold Mobitex to Bell South who managed the system for a few years. Bell South sold it to Cingular who managed it for several years after that. A couple of years ago Cingular acquired the management service contract for the New ATT GPRS wireless packet data network in the U. S. When Cingular merged with the New AT&T last year and acquired the GPRS network, there was no need for Cingular to keep the Mobitex Data Network that it had acquired from Bell South a decade earlier. Cingular sold the Mobitex Network to Velocita Wireless Services. Nextel bought Velocita and Spint recently bought Nextel. While all this was happening, two competitors, the CDPD Network and the Motient Network shut down and thousands of artisans were left with obsolete equipment.

CDPD was a wireless packet data network developed by AT&T. When ATT developed the GPRS Network, it discontinued CDPD service in June 2005. Verizon who shared its use of the CDPD Network with ATT then acquired the CDMA Digital Data Network. CDMA shares is bandwidths with crowded cell phone traffic and is not certified by VISA/MasterCard settlement houses, except for Paymentec who has a relationship with Verizon. GPRS is a new separate satellite based cellular digital radio bandwidth and is certified with every settlement house including Paymentec.

Motient, another early pioneer of wireless networks, was a joint venture of the Canadian company RIM and IBM. RIM still provides wireless technology for Nurit, Blackberry, Motorola and other wireless products but IBM has long since abandoned its interest in wireless packet data services. However, the Motient wireless data network has since ceased operations as of July 2006 because it could not compete with the GPRS Network's coverage.

No one expected that the Mobitex Network, once the leader in wireless packet data transfer, would encounter a competitor to threaten its very existence until AT&T brought its GPRS Network to the United States two years ago. Since then, wireless terminals are no longer being built on the Mobitex Network because the GPRS Network is so far superior that it now threatens the survival of any competitor. Nobody knows for sure how long the Mobitex Network can survive. Velocita announced that it was shutting down the Mobitex Network by the end of 2006. But they received so many complaints from their existing customer base that they decided to wait until the first quarter of 2008. In anticipation of the Mobitex Network shutting down, the Mobile Artisans and Crafters National Co-Op wasted no time in establishing a Free Wireless Terminal Replacement Program with Nurit 8000’s on the GPRS Network for Mobile Artisans. After the CDPD and Motient Networks shut down, the staff at MACNC was overwhelmed with artisans from other processors from around the country who would not replace their obsolete wireless terminals. To prevent this enormous surge of artisans looking for another processor and replacement equipment, several months ago MACNC started offering an Assurance Program with a Free Nurit GPRS 8000 Wireless Terminal.

Assurance Program

With the imminent collapse of the Mobitex Network, MACNC, Inc. announced that it would replace Mobitex Bankcard Terminals and give the members of the Mobile Artisans and Crafters National Co-Op free Nurit 8000 GPRS Terminals to use if members agreed to participate in our Assurance Program. "There are addition fees to use any wireless network, but who would refuse a free Nurit GPRS 8000 as long as the network fees are reasonable and competitive", members commented. Most processors dropped the wireless terminals from their assurance programs during the Nurit 2090 era because of technical issues with that generation of Nurit Wireless Terminals. But the program is working for the Co-Op because the Nurit 8000 is the best terminal ever and artisans don't have to invest in another terminal. The Co-Op allows you to sign up for the program before you replace your machine and will roll over the program and give you a Nurit GPRS 8000 to use. The Co-Op is now offering this members' program to any qualified artisan whether a current member of the Co-Op or not ... and ... MACNC will roll over your existing rates with your current processor unless you rates start higher then 1.69%. If your rates start higher than 1.69%, MACNC will rewrite your account and give you the lower rate schedule. How Sweet! If you want more information about the Co-op's Free Nurit 8000 GPRS Terminal Replacement Program call us.