In news: snipped-for-privacy@telecom-digest.org was written:
I was notified by OnStar that I had "digital ready" analog equipment in my 2003 Chevy Truck. It used Verizon Wireless' AMPS service to connect to the OnStar call center in addition to being able to make and receive cellular calls from a pre-paid bucket purchased from OnStar.
My Chevy dealer upgraded the cellular portion of the OnStar hardware (called a TCU for Telecommunications Control Unit) to CDMA digital-only hardware in exchange for my committing to keep the service for another year. This is basically similar to any cellular carrier willing to give me a free phone in exchange for a one-year service commitment.
If they hadn't done this upgrade, my OnStar service wouldn't have worked past February 2008. The other plus is that this is now a CDMA digital device on the Verizon Wireless network with its own phone number, and I can add it to my existing VZW service for $9.95/month and draw from the same bucket of minutes, with unlimited nights and weekends, while using the hands-free device built into the truck.
-Stan