Cell Phones
How many wars have you heard of where many of the soldiers have access to cell phones? I didn't know that was even possible. Since I have been in Baghdad, who does and who doesn't have a cell phone has been an ongoing issue among my unit. Of course the commander and the XO (Executive Officer) need phones, but what about the drivers, the cooks, the doctors and the chaplain, to name a few?
All of the military cell phones issued are owned by the Department of Defense (DOD) but managed by MCI. Some soldiers have also bought themselves personal Iraqi cell phones to stay in contact with their families. Unfortunately MCI cell phones and Iraqi cell phones are not compatible and cannot be used to call each other. My unit has an article hanging on the wall discussing how much money the government is losing with cell phone usage and that if we don't clean up our act the phones will be taken away. One night during dinner at the palace I was talking with a DOD official in charge of issuing phones to units and he gave me the real story...
Calls from Iraq to the US cost only 2.7 cents a minute and are not what the government is concerned about. Calls from Iraq to Iraq, cost around $1.20 per minute. WHAT?!? That's right. To make a call from Iraq, it is first directed back to New York or another place in the states and then routed back to Iraq. Apparantly no agreements have been established with Iraqi phone companies to use their towers for roaming. This official did tell me that negotiations were in the works and that 2 more cell phone companies are hoping to move into the Iraqi market. The real problem arises when multiple calls to Europe or any other place in the world besides the states are made on a DOD cell phone. The highest bill he had seen was $25,000 a month with nonstop calls being made from Iraq to Nepal. Most likely the phone had gotten into the hands of a Gerka Soldier who passed it to all of his buddies to make phone calls home. The DOD official said a stolen phone with international long distance access was worth 2,500 on the black market.
Needless to say I don't have a cell phone with long distance capabilities. Oh well, I guess I could buy an Iraqi cell phone if I get really desperate.
All of the military cell phones issued are owned by the Department of Defense (DOD) but managed by MCI. Some soldiers have also bought themselves personal Iraqi cell phones to stay in contact with their families. Unfortunately MCI cell phones and Iraqi cell phones are not compatible and cannot be used to call each other. My unit has an article hanging on the wall discussing how much money the government is losing with cell phone usage and that if we don't clean up our act the phones will be taken away. One night during dinner at the palace I was talking with a DOD official in charge of issuing phones to units and he gave me the real story...
Calls from Iraq to the US cost only 2.7 cents a minute and are not what the government is concerned about. Calls from Iraq to Iraq, cost around $1.20 per minute. WHAT?!? That's right. To make a call from Iraq, it is first directed back to New York or another place in the states and then routed back to Iraq. Apparantly no agreements have been established with Iraqi phone companies to use their towers for roaming. This official did tell me that negotiations were in the works and that 2 more cell phone companies are hoping to move into the Iraqi market. The real problem arises when multiple calls to Europe or any other place in the world besides the states are made on a DOD cell phone. The highest bill he had seen was $25,000 a month with nonstop calls being made from Iraq to Nepal. Most likely the phone had gotten into the hands of a Gerka Soldier who passed it to all of his buddies to make phone calls home. The DOD official said a stolen phone with international long distance access was worth 2,500 on the black market.
Needless to say I don't have a cell phone with long distance capabilities. Oh well, I guess I could buy an Iraqi cell phone if I get really desperate.
posted by Heidi O at 3:06 PM
2 Comments:
Everyone loves cell phones....especially your son Cole. He can spot them on the table clear across the room and makes a beeline for it. If he cant get a phone, he pretends like whatever he is holding is a phone and talks to it. Mom
Sounds like Cole is going to be a techno-gadget lover like his mom and dad! While at Aunt Chris W's house, he was allowed to play with the remote control....which I understand is not permissable at home. Hee-hee...
~Chris W.
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