Mobitex Network Shutting Down

The Mobitex Network AKA Ram Mobile Data, once the only secure wireless packet data network in the U. S. may soon shut down. Over the past several years ownership has passed through several hands. First, Ram Mobile Data sold Mobitex to Bell South. Then Bell South sold it to Cingular, who sold it a couple of years ago to Velocita Wireless Services. Nextel bought Velocita and Spint recently bought Nextel. While all this was happening, two competitors, The Motient Network and the CDPD Network shut down and thousands of artisans were left with obsolete equipment. No one expected that the Mobitex Network would encounter a competitor to threaten its 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, MACNC is now offering an Assurance Program with a Free Nurit GPRS 8000 Wireless Terminal.

 

Reorganization of the Wireless Networks

Motient and CDPD shut down, Sprint merges with Nextel and buys the Ram Mobile Data Network (aka Mobitex) and Cingular acquires the GPRS Network from ATT. CDPD was a wireless data network developed by AT&T. When ATT discontinued CDPD service in June 2005 and Verizon lost its shared use of CDPD, Verizon acquired the CDMA Digital Data Network. When Cingular merged with 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 Mobitex to a group of private investors who have since sold it to Sprint/Nextel. Motient, an 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.

Co-Op Announces Self Assurance Program

With the imminent collapse of the Mobitex Network, MACNC, Inc. announced that it would replace Mobitex Bankcard Terminals and bive the members of the Mobile Artisans and Crafters National Co-Op free Nurit 8000 GPRS Terminals to use if members agreed to participate in a Self Assurance Program. "There are addition fees to use the wirless network, but who would refuse a free Nurit GPRS 8000?", members commented. Most processors dropped the wireless terminals from their assurance program during the Nurit 2090 era. It was a financial disaster. But the program is working for the Co-Op because artisans don't have to invest in another terminal. The Co-Op allows you to sign up for the program before you replace you 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 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 they do, MACNC will re-write your account and give you the lower rate schedule. How Sweet! For more information about the Co-Op's Free Nurit 8000 GPRS Terminal Replacement Program call the Co-Op's office at 1-877-867-9473