Yes same as the WCDMA (voda NZ) network in NZ its either over GSM or WCDMA not half and half. When in 3G coverage WCDMA everything travels across it voice and data.
Does this mean that in three years time the phones will only need GSM for roaming onto other networks? They will use WCDMA 850 in country areas and maybe WCDMA 2100 in city areas (using the Hutchinson 3 network that Telstra half-owns)?
David Blackman: Does this mean that in three years time the phones will only need GSM for roaming onto other networks? They will use WCDMA 850 in country areas and maybe WCDMA 2100 in city areas (using the Hutchinson 3 network that Telstra half-owns)?
That would be great - but alas, no. 850MHz is a CDMA spectrum band, GSM operators do not have this spectrum. Telstra only have it because of the CDMA heritage and so it is available for them.
It certainly makes sense for W-CDMA to be developed at a lower frequency but this will almost certainly be 900MHz, i.e. same as used for GSM.
If Telstra 'go it alone' at 850MHz they will have a lot of trouble with compatible handsets and roaming, which will be shown up if Optus and Vodafone Aus adopt 900MHz W-CDMA.
David Blackman: Does this mean that in three years time the phones will only need GSM for roaming onto other networks? They will use WCDMA 850 in country areas and maybe WCDMA 2100 in city areas (using the Hutchinson 3 network that Telstra half-owns)?
That would be great - but alas, no. 850MHz is a CDMA spectrum band, GSM operators do not have this spectrum. Telstra only have it because of the CDMA heritage and so it is available for them.
It certainly makes sense for W-CDMA to be developed at a lower frequency but this will almost certainly be 900MHz, i.e. same as used for GSM.
If Telstra 'go it alone' at 850MHz they will have a lot of trouble with compatible handsets and roaming, which will be shown up if Optus and Vodafone Aus adopt 900MHz W-CDMA.
Have you actually been following this thread at all?
Telstra ARE rolling out a --> 850MHz <-- WCDMA network to replace their entire 800 CDMA network in rural areas. It will not be rolled out in areas where 2100MHz WCDMA coverage exists. Multiband WCDMA handsets will exist by the time this change takes place as 850 WCDMA is being rolled out in the USA as well, this will allow somebody to roam on either Telstras 2100 WCMDA network, 850 WCDMA network in rural areas and 900 GSM in areas where no WCDMA coverage exists. The whole plan is to move their entire network to a common platform rather than having a standalone CDMA network with incompatible handsets.
WCDMA has been ratified by the ITU in the 800, 1700,1800,1900 and 2100 bands. It has not been ratified on for the 900 band but this could potentially happen at some stage in the future but from what I've read it would be virtually imposible to run a WCDMA network in parallel with 900 GSM due to the limited spectrum most 900 GSM operators have. In NZ where Vodafone own the usage rights for the whole 900 GSM spectrum this could probably be done very easily.
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sbiddle:
Have you actually been following this thread at all?
Ummmm...yep.
Telstra ARE rolling out a --> 850MHz <-- WCDMA network to replace their entire 800 CDMA network in rural areas
Good for them. But they will almost certainly be alone in the region, and if you say the US as well then that's great - still pretty limited. I doubt any other GSM operators are going to have appropriate spectrum.
I'm simply saying that 850MHz W-CDMA is unusual - and Telstra are not big enough to sway handset manufacturers. If US is onboard as well that will be better, but still only a fraction of total global W-CDMA users.
sbiddle:
Have you actually been following this thread at all?
Ummmm...yep.
Telstra ARE rolling out a --> 850MHz <-- WCDMA network to replace their entire 800 CDMA network in rural areas
Good for them. But they will almost certainly be alone in the region, and if you say the US as well then that's great - still pretty limited. I doubt any other GSM operators are going to have appropriate spectrum.
I'm simply saying that 850MHz W-CDMA is unusual - and Telstra are not big enough to sway handset manufacturers. If US is onboard as well that will be better, but still only a fraction of total global W-CDMA users.
I am sure Telstra wouldn't have gone down this path if they didn't believe devices would be available. They believe that there will be a large number of multiband handsets appearing within the next 18-24 months. Most handsets all support 1900MHz GSM despite that being used primarily in the USA & Canada and most Motorola handsets are now quad band GSM. I'm sure not every phone produced in 18 months will support 850 WCDMA but there obviously will be a number of handsets that do quite simply because the networks will be operational.
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