Telecom Network Build - antennas are they GSM 850 or WCDMA? Tower spotters help?

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bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 23638 4-Jul-2008 23:41

In my usual cell phone tower geek ways i have been tower spotting and in the CHCH and south i have seen the techs installing the new antennas at Belfast / Templeton and Rolleston sites. Also in Victoria St (montreal).

The panels look very similar to Vodafones 2100mhz antennas but i am not 100% sure especially since they are on city edge and and satellite towns sites, the Tinwald in Ashburton site has also been done, yeah data capital of NZ!

I could get some pics but i am sure a fellow tower spottor has some idea.

The rumours i had said that the 800mhz CDMA network antennas will support GSM 850 as well? could this mean Telecom are unoffically expanding WCDMA further than expected or are those panels GSM 850?

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sbiddle

28369 posts

Uber Geek

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Biddle Corp

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# 143142 5-Jul-2008 06:34

Most of the sites I have seen appear to be using the existing (or new in some cases) 850MHz panels for both GSM+CDMA and new 2100MHz panels for WCDMA.

Wob

310 posts

Ultimate Geek

NBN Co

# 143144 5-Jul-2008 07:16

Don't necessarily use the size of an antenna to tell what band it is, I can't say for Telecom, but VF use all sorts of different antennas and combinations, and the dual band 2100/900 can be the same size (or even smaller) than a x-pole 2100 or 900.

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bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 143145 5-Jul-2008 07:31

Thats a good point.

It would not suprise me if Telecom was rolling out more WCDMA, but only providing a guarantee to the 3 main centres. Nelson was on the news as getting 8 new towers of which one was protested about. They where suggested to be 3g towers but thats only TV talk.

Then again these may all be GSM panels, wont know until they are turned on.

Excuse my GSM ignorance but i have several GSM 850 and WCDMA 2100 capable phones and surely all i need to do is search for a network once these are turned on and hey presto i will have signal?

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