TELUS to soft-launch HSDPA network in Fall 2009?
Over the past few weeks, we’ve spoken to quite a few people in the know who have casually mentioned that TELUS is soon going to be flipping the switch on its HSDPA network in a few major Canadian markets. The focus of the soft-launch will apparently be on the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. This information is further corroborated by a tip we received recently from a TELUS engineer who claims that September 2nd is the date that TELUS is eyeing for the soft-launch. The move will not only allow the company to iron out the kinks before a nationwide release, but it will also ensure that it has ample time to get everything thoroughly tested for February 12th, 2010 when all of the world comes to Vancouver and Whistler for the 2010 Winter Olympics (oh hi, HSDPA roaming fees). What makes this even more interesting is the fact that the same people also mentioned a Fall launch for Bell, the official cellular carrier of the 2010 Winter Olympics and a company that happens to have a Canada-wide tower sharing agreement with TELUS. Who’s excited to see Rogers’ HSDPA monopoly come crashing down?
Sure, the Rogers monopoly might fall, but will that really change anything with the outrageous Canadian cell fees? Doubtful.
Great news on the possible fall of the Rogers monopoly. Great news for Telus customers!
It has been discussed many times, the GSM launch by Bell/Telus will be UMTS/HSDPA only, no 2G voice/GPRS/EDGE. Rogers will still get a big chunk of roaming revenue.
HSPA is NOT GSM. It’s a derivitive of W-CDMA with greater speeds and efficiencies.
maybe the people visiting Vancouver will have mostly 3G handsets since they could afford to get there
true that
This is essentially one network so if it’s ready in one place for Telus it would be for Bell as well. One big point, Bell has better roaming relationships internationally.
I LOVE ROGERS!
BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE and NETWORK!
I tried all 3 and WONT SWITCH!
rogers has the best customer service.. since when?
Yes tom, but UMTS = voice calls as well. Besides, by the time 2010 comes, i doubt there will be many 2G GSM phones still in use, especially those coming from other countries to attend the Vancouver Olympic games..
Adi
Best customer service? Thanks, I needed a good laugh…
I for one miss the pre 2004 era when Fido still meant cheap prices and coolest phones in Canada.. oh how times have changed… for the worst
F@#$% Robbers !
Adi
Roger at least has some experience runnng a GSM/HSPA Network, wonder how long it is going to take for the Evil Telus Empire to catch up.
If your GSM phone can search for networks (switch to Manual instead of automatic) you can already find TELUS in some Canadian cities, today.
@adi
I know wcdma has voice by itself. I tried to have my bold stay on 3g. The battery don’t last.
man telus just give me the blackberry tour already i could careless if you switched to GSM if your plan/phone is sexified than cheers on whatever carrier you are on!
More GSM choices, makes you want to give the finger to somebody. Seriously, more competition is good for the consumer.
This will be something to cheer telus customers up and maybe with the network upgrade rogers decides to drop prices. I know that its not going to happen, but hey if they want to keep customers it be good plan. Telus might hike up their fees to deal with the money spent to upgrade.
Ok so why are they switching to this when they could just go straight to LTE? Seems a waste of money…
Are they just wanting to launch something earlier? I’m confused as to what the benefits of this are?
Someone please educate me.
I noticed some new antenna’s going up at a Telus co in Kelowna this week.
They are deploying UMTS on bands that are incompatible with most international visitors phones.
I’d be excited for the end of the Canadian GSM/UMTS monopoly if it meant lower prices and real competition, but realistically, it will just be more of the same.
People… Robbers, telus and Bell are all the same. They will milk every ounce possible out of us canadians and all of there customer service depts. suck, so don’t kid yourself.
This gsm roaming thing makes no sense. Even if u assume most euro/asian phones by 2010 will mostly be 3G, their 2100 mhz phones still won’t be compatible with the Bell/Telus 1900/850 hspa network unless its some higher end tri band 3G unit.
LTE is still untested and expensive. A switch to HSPA by Bell and Telus allows for a cheaper migration to LTE after Verizon irons out the kinks