A group of companies, including Sprint and General Motors, urged ...

in Jan. for reconsideration of part of an order that allowed a phase-out of its cellular analog requirement within 5 years. The company sought a shorter period of not longer than 30 months. The FCC had updated several areas of cellular wireless regulation that dated to the duopoly era of cellphone service. The companies that urged the Commission in a filing last week to turn down efforts to shorten that period included American Honda Motor, Mercedes-Benz, OnStar, Rural Cellular Assn., Toyota Motor N. America and Volkswagen. Calling themselves the Digital Transition Coalition (DTC), the companies use analog systems -- or Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) -- to provide services, including telematics systems in cars. “DTC members agree that any transition period of less than 5 years would create significant problems by disrupting the nationwide ubiquitous network, which would jeopardize reliable wireless service to the general public in rural areas and elsewhere, and in particular would jeopardize public safety on the nation’s roadways,” the filing said. The group urged the FCC to reaffirm the 5-year phase-out period for the AMPS rule. It also argued that on reconsideration, the Commission should “augment” the basis for its decision, “making it clear that the transition period is required not just to protect the interests of hard-of-hearing and 911-only users, but also to protect the interests of telematics subscribers, roamers and other cellular subscribers still dependent on analog service.” The companies said 17 million wireless subscribers continued to use only AMPS service, which remains the main interface for roaming and telematics because of its ubiquitous coverage.