[NefCanuck]

This news sure makes me less likely to switch carriers when my contract is up in 2010.

Globe and Mail Article

NefCanuck

[reldridge]

All I see is the users at work (we're on Telus) wanting to trade in their Blackberrys for one... :rolleyes:

[NefCanuck]

reldridge,Oct 6 2009, 08:59 PM Wrote:All I see is the users at work (we're on Telus) wanting to trade in their Blackberrys for one... :rolleyes:
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RimJim must be shaking in his boots...

It was bad enough when Rogers had them, but Bell & Telus too?

Unless Research in Motion can come up with the true iPhone-killer, I can see BB sales taking massive hits up here in Canada.

NefCanuck

[Flofocus]

Meh, I much prefer my blackberry than my touch. Blackberry is just so much easier to type with.

[NefCanuck]

Yeah the dedicated keyboard is a definate plus in favour of a Crackberry.

But then I look at the iPhone and the app store and I'm like "Hrm..."

NefCanuck

[Flofocus]

can you even get corporate email on the iphone?

I know with Bell, BB is really the only handheld we can use to get our mail...

[Dimitri]

Bell Iphone and CDMA technology?

Fantastic.

[Flofocus]

Dimitri,Oct 7 2009, 12:24 PM Wrote:Bell Iphone and CDMA technology?

Fantastic.
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Didnt read the article heh.

Quote:The project extends the two companies' existing third-generation (3G) networks to include the same technology standard employed by Rogers, the nation's largest cellphone company.

[torradan]

Bell is supposed to be adding GSM to their network.. so I dunno. I guess keep CDMA and GSM both running?

We were told that in Jan/Feb that we'd have to get new phones also when I was in there trying to get a replacement for my current phone.

[Flofocus]

torradan,Oct 7 2009, 12:28 PM Wrote:Bell is supposed to be adding GSM to their network.. so I dunno.  I guess keep CDMA and GSM both running?

We were told that in Jan/Feb that we'd have to get new phones also when I was in there trying to get a replacement for my current phone.
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Sound slike a dirty salesperson to me.

CDMA is staying for a while. I dont see them gettign rid of it since it does cover more than the rogers GSM network.

[NefCanuck]

Thing is, reading the article that what Bell & Telus are implementing is the "next gen" GSM (HSPDA iirc) and that eventually CDMA is going to go away.

The logic and rationale comes down to two things:

1) The majority of phone manufacturers are producing GSM phones first and CDMA phones are "by request" increasing costs to both the phone manufacturer and the carrier.

2) GSM is more of a "world standard" than CDMA is, and Bell & Telus are right now in essence "giving up" roaming revenue to Rogers as Rogers is the only GSM provider in Canada (Fido being a subset of Rogers)

NefCanuck

[darkpuppet]

Apple has proven that they are the kings of the user experience....even if the hardware isn't exactly the bestest.

The other cell manufacturers should have started hiring more designers than engineers the moment it leaked that Apple was making a phone.

That being said, bringing over the iPhone to bell and telus is good news for them as it's a license for printing money. It targets the demographic with disposable income that have parents that can bail them out when they fail to read the small print...

[ZX3guy2000]

Flofocus,Oct 7 2009, 12:23 PM Wrote:can you even get corporate email on the iphone?

I know with Bell, BB is really the only handheld we can use to get our mail...
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You can get corp email on Iphone with access to Global Address Lists, calendar sync and all !!


For Bells network they are going to behind Rogers technology by 3 years, but on the website they say they are going to be producing HSPA+ which will be faster than Rogers ( HSPA+ 21mb/sec ). It will be interesting to see how Bell/telus jumps from the 3.2mb GSM network to +21mb in just a few months * as per the website*.

Only time will tell.....

[ANTHONYD]

does this mean SOLO will work on the iPhone?

Solo is owned by Bell.

[darkpuppet]

ZX3guy2000,Oct 7 2009, 08:16 PM Wrote:

Flofocus,Oct 7 2009, 12:23 PM Wrote:can you even get corporate email on the iphone?

I know with Bell, BB is really the only handheld we can use to get our mail...
[right][snapback]295624[/snapback][/right]

You can get corp email on Iphone with access to Global Address Lists, calendar sync and all !!


For Bells network they are going to behind Rogers technology by 3 years, but on the website they say they are going to be producing HSPA+ which will be faster than Rogers ( HSPA+ 21mb/sec ). It will be interesting to see how Bell/telus jumps from the 3.2mb GSM network to +21mb in just a few months * as per the website*.

Only time will tell.....
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The deployment of HSPA+ is fine and dandy, but the question of "who's faster" is a moot point anywhere but major metropolitan centers... (ie, you're only going to get Edge in Thunder Bay).

[NefCanuck]

ANTHONYD,Oct 8 2009, 10:35 PM Wrote:does this mean SOLO will work on the iPhone?

Solo is owned by Bell.
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While I know the Fido brand (Rogers "value" arm) does do the iPhone, I haven't heard if Solo (Bell) or Koodo (Telus) will be offering them. Though my guess is not for a while (Have to shear the iPhone sheep over at least one holiday season y'know :P)

NefCanuck

[paolo]

A few corrections here, Bellus is launching a completely new 3G UMTS network from the ground up, that has HSPA+, Rogers has a 3G UMTS network with HSPA+ already too, in many areas of the country. There will be no competitive edge now in technology. Bellus has finally caught up.

A mis-conception about Bellus is GSM. Bellus will NOT have a 2G GSM network. so NOPE they will not sell gsm phones and they will NOT pick up any network if you pop your Bellus SIM into a 2G gsm phone like the Origional apple iPhone for example.

The new network is a joint venture between Bell and Telus, its one network, SHARED between two companies bell and telus, hence why its often called the Bellus 3G network. It has equal coverage for both carriers. Much like Fido and Rogers have one network and share coverage.

You want the iPhone? then you can use the iphone now with all 4 of the big players. Yes obviously Bell's Discount brands such as Solo and Virgin will have access to the new 3G network, and you Can use an iphone on it, now we dont know if they will sell one for solo/virgin, but you can definitely use an unlocked one which was purchased elsewhere.

I dont see what the big deal with the iPhone is. Yes it has access to microsoft Exchange, but it does not do push mail like a Black Berry BES server does. People won't be dropping their Bellus CDMA phones for iphones just yet, most ppl i know would chuck their cdma berries for new 3G berries in a heart beat to jump on board to the new UMTS standard.

[paolo]

Oh and CDMA is not going away just yet. If anybody knows how infrastructure works, they dont replace one thing and force everyone onto a new technology just like that. It's gradual, and sometimes it could take atleast 10 years before the CDMA infrastructure becomes obsolete, vendors will stop supporting the equipment, there will be no more patches, no more upgrades, etc. Handsets are already nearing the exaustion point of ESN combinations too, weather you like it or not, thats reality, they did not just decide to switch over for the fun of it, there was a lot of reasons behind this decision. This is when they usually decide to decommission it in flavour of the LTE upgrade path. Same with Rogers, when they went with UMTS 3G with HSPDA technology, they did not abandon GSM just yet. infact, one advantage is of the backwards combatibility and similarities between gsm and umts.

[NefCanuck]

Thing is Paolo, that Bell is known for doing things that are so consumer unfriendly it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they did try to force users to switch handsets to the new standard.

Don't forget that once the Bellus network goes live, unless Telus/Fido wants to maintain the entire "old" CDMA network themselves, there are no CDMA carriers left once Bell pulls their plug.

As to the iPhone, I will admit to being interested simply because the thing works and doesn't require all sorts of extra steps to make it do what you want it to do.

The Crackberry's advantage is the physical keyboard, but given how badly the Ford SYNC system and the Crackberries get along, I think my choice is made for me, as long as their data plans are at least decent.

NefCanuck

[paolo]

Off Topic, but I found the the Ford Sync system worked really well with my unlocked
Blackberry 3G Bold. Its actually better than the iPhone 3G.

Well if Bellus wants to "force" people to buy the new 3G handsets instead of the CDMA ones, then so be it, you cant fight or argue that. There might be a secret black market for used CDMA phones too. I already know there is a market for bellus customers to get their hands on the new UICC Cards (often referred to as a SIM Card) so they can use their own unlocked phones they obtained and purchased elsewhere.

My friend already has 3 or 4 unlocked 3G phones, and is dying to get his hand on the new UICC (Sim Card).