Washington - Jan 28, 2008 - On Feb. 18, 2008, FCC rules will no longer require cellular telephone companies to provide analog service. The FCC issued a notice to notify consumers of the specifics. It appears that very few wireless telephone users will be affected by the sunset.

Sprint and T-Mobile no longer provide analog services, so their customers will not be affected. Customers of AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, Alltel, US Cellular, Dobson and Cellular One may be affected if an analog-capable handset is used. Any companies that provide analog service must notify their customers prior to discontinuing analog service.

The FCC notice provided some simple checks for consumers to determine if they have analog services. Features such as text messaging, Internet browsing, a media player, an integrated camera or a SIM card are obvious signs of a digital phone.

Because radio stations may have many phones in use, it's possible that an old phone is still in use somewhere. It's a good idea to check the phone inventory.

The FCC notice stated that some alarm systems may use an analog radio link through a cell service provider to communicate with the monitoring service. These systems could also be affected by the sunset. Alarm companies are supposed to contact their clients if they will be affected by the sunset.