Telecom completes first test calls on WCDMA network

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cokemaster

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#108748 5-Feb-2008 17:46

old3eyes:
sbiddle:
I don't think I'd be worried buying a WorldMode phone now and it not working in 4 years time anyway - how many g33ks keep a phone for 4 years? :-)

Maybe not in the G33K market but allot of regular folk who have bought worldfones over the past two years and some assuming that they would work on the new network may be pissed as to have buy yet again. I suspect that there will also be allot of pissed of people who had to buy CDMA fones when Telecom closed the AMPs network who use their fone as a casual device will now have to spend again to buy yet another fone.. Wonder if Telecom will subsidize those casual users who have bought more expensive fones before the WCDMA/GSM announcemant was made??

I think you are missing the point

But why would they want to use the GSM network as it stands? It will have lower coverage and more issues being a newer network. Features that rely on data, such as WAP, photomessaging might not work and at the very least they'll require firmware upgrades. CDMA is not going away from a long time (5 years at least), and judging by the press release, the CDMA service may well keep going for quite some time.

The worldmode phones were advertised for their ability to use GSM services overseas, they were not intended or advertised as dual network devices. Its been quite clear from the beginning - so why should they subsidise customers at this point if the CDMA network is not going away anytime soon? If or when the CDMA network is closed down, a response similar to what happened with the 025 network is quite likely.

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old3eyes

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#108770 5-Feb-2008 19:53

Your missing my point. Why should people have to pay out more good money to yet again upgrade their fones?? A lot of these people have paid in some cases lots of money to upgrade from AMPs to CDMA and now they will have to pay even more to upgrade again. It's fine for the geek brigade to say "upgrade and be dambed" but unless you haven't looked around much these days peoples money doesn't go far these days.

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#108771 5-Feb-2008 19:55

old3eyes: Your missing my point. Why should people have to pay out more good money to yet again upgrade their fones?? A lot of these people have paid in some cases lots of money to upgrade from AMPs to CDMA and now they will have to pay even more to upgrade again. It's fine for the geek brigade to say "upgrade and be dambed" but unless you haven't looked around much these days peoples money doesn't go far these days.

Noone forced them to buy an expensive handset. Even the most basic CDMA handset would have been an upgrade from an AMPS phone.

cokemaster

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#108773 5-Feb-2008 20:05

old3eyes: Your missing my point. Why should people have to pay out more good money to yet again upgrade their fones?? A lot of these people have paid in some cases lots of money to upgrade from AMPs to CDMA and now they will have to pay even more to upgrade again. It's fine for the geek brigade to say "upgrade and be dambed" but unless you haven't looked around much these days peoples money doesn't go far these days.

No I haven't.

Because as I pointed out, the GSM component for 'world mode' devices such as the Samsung W531 is intended for roaming. It certainly doesn't have the full capacity to work on a GSM network as those who have unlocked it to work on Vodafone have found out.

Additionally, the GSM radios may only support different bands rather than the 850mhz used for GSM.

So even though the devices 'could' run GSM, they are better off connecting to CDMA - which isn't going away anytime soon. There are specials all the time, including free handsets on contracts. No doubt when the network is closed, they'll most likely have a similar promotion they had leading up to the closure of the 025 network, but they'll still get a very good life out of their CDMA handsets.

For instance - I brought a Okta Touch mobile last year when it was launched, am I worried I won't be able to use it in a few years - no way. I'm going to keep using it till I decide to upgrade. While I think its safe to say that CDMA will be here for quite a long time, technologies change. You can't expect ID to give you money to upgrade your 486dx computer because you can't run Quake 3 on it...

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#108858 6-Feb-2008 11:14

cokemaster:.

For instance - I brought a Okta Touch mobile last year when it was launched, am I worried I won't be able to use it in a few years - no way. I'm going to keep using it till I decide to upgrade. While I think its safe to say that CDMA will be here for quite a long time, technologies change. You can't expect ID to give you money to upgrade your 486dx computer because you can't run Quake 3 on it...

Mmmm. Nice fone. But you sound like a marketing person. They'll buy the same think over and over.. Just change the name and color..

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#108860 6-Feb-2008 11:36

old3eyes:
Mmmm. Nice fone. But you sound like a marketing person. They'll buy the same think over and over.. Just change the name and color..

Considering 5 years is a long time in terms of mobile technology, I am not concerned by this at all. Most people tend to get a new phone every 18-24months, so this should not be a problem at all.

nzbnw

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#108864 6-Feb-2008 11:46

old3eyes:
cokemaster:.

For instance - I brought a Okta Touch mobile last year when it was launched, am I worried I won't be able to use it in a few years - no way. I'm going to keep using it till I decide to upgrade. While I think its safe to say that CDMA will be here for quite a long time, technologies change. You can't expect ID to give you money to upgrade your 486dx computer because you can't run Quake 3 on it...

Mmmm. Nice fone. But you sound like a marketing person. They'll buy the same think over and over.. Just change the name and color..

While my crime could by buying PDA's because they handle emails, text messaging and internet easily, last time I checked - I have nothing to do with marketting, nor selling handsets.

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#108870 6-Feb-2008 12:08

Remembering we are not being provided by Telstra in Australia whom switch off their networks at a whiff. Telecom gave 5 years warning of 025 closedown and then extended it another two years.

We cannot forget how fast Telstra turned off Analogue on 2000!
EVDO will be around for quite some time to come.

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#108955 6-Feb-2008 19:24

Is this wireless wcdma?

riahon

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#108960 6-Feb-2008 19:45

Although the announcement was for 5 years - the more important question is when will they stop selling cdma handsets. If it continues within the last 2 years then that would be a problem.

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#108973 6-Feb-2008 20:39

riahon: Although the announcement was for 5 years - the more important question is when will they stop selling cdma handsets. If it continues within the last 2 years then that would be a problem.

Who knows, could be a while if Telecom go with EVDO Rev B, but either way it seems Telecom has no shortage of CDMA handsets, unlike Telstra in Australia.

nzbnw

bbman

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#109487 9-Feb-2008 14:05

nzbnw:
riahon: Although the announcement was for 5 years - the more important question is when will they stop selling cdma handsets. If it continues within the last 2 years then that would be a problem.

Who knows, could be a while if Telecom go with EVDO Rev B, but either way it seems Telecom has no shortage of CDMA handsets, unlike Telstra in Australia.

nzbnw

Totally political move, Telstra said there were very few CDMA handsets in the market a few years ago and that was the part of the reason for going WCDMA 850mhz. In the end customers probably will be better off in Ausiie with Next G, however Telstra could have out built EVDO Rev A etc to all sites and they would have had an impressive foot print and mobile broadband network to the rural customers at a much smaller cost.

But thats in the past now.

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