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A few weeks ago I wrote a bit on how the DoJ were forcing the divestiture of some rural wireless assets in Alltel’s acquisition of Western Wireless. Specifically I wrote about the nature of mobile phone services in rural America. For the most part, coverage is the most important and challenging issue.

This perspective seems to be shared in an Associated Press article today discussing how many rural mobile phone customers are concerned about their ability to receive service when the FCC mandated deadline for eliminating analog-based services comes in 2008. One major driver of the move to turn off the analog networks is to standardize on digital signaling in order to facilitate emergency services.

In rural areas where cellular towers are far apart, analog phones often work when digital models can’t get a signal. With the Federal Communications Commission pushing the move to all-digital phone service across the country, Smith and others in rural areas are urging the agency to wait until more towers are built to improve service.

Build more towers, eh? Maybe the DoJ and FCC should read my suggestion about fostering cooperation among wireless carriers to build infrastructure and roaming agreements. Cross-platform phones which can connect (at a minimum) to both GSM and CDMA networks would be a big help, too.