bignoseduglyguy

The Dead Zone

Wired is carrying a piece on Manhattan's dead cell zones, areas of the city where cellphone coverage is bad or non-existant. New York City's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications has been carrying out research based on consumer calls into a hotline.

I would love to see a similar initiative here in London because there are areas where coverage is distinctly patchy. One such place is Hammersmith flyover, where the A4 (my main commuting route) runs through a small man-made canyon of high rise buildings. If I am on a call* when I plunge between the Novotel, PolyGram Records HQ and the Ark Larsen building, it invariably drops and a redial is required. This is not a major issue with local calls but when it is a two or three party conference call, it is a PITA.

*At midnight tonight, it will become an offence to use a handheld cellphone whilst driving a motor vehicle in the UK. Earbud wires are also a no-no with the law now requiring a handsfree cradle to be installed if one wishes to continue to call from your car whilst driving. Personally, I applaud this move as I witness some truly scary and thoughtless driving each and every day I commute across town. I have a cradle in my company car but not in the family car so, when I'm out with the family, the odd call I get will go to voicemail. Interestingly, I am unable to ascertain the law's position on Bluetooth headsets but I suspect that they will not be permissable either.