iPhone coming to everyone else in Canada
As you may know, we only have two wireless networks in Canada. One network is run by Telus in the west and Bell in the east, resold as Virgin, Koodo, and Solo; the other is Rogers’, which is resold as Fido. Hence the fanfare as Bell and Telus confirm rumors that they’re launching the iPhone and GSM networks use them on in the coming weeks. Although the death of CDMA in Canada was a inevitability, it’s interesting to see it come before the 4G/LTE networks that were supposed to provide an upgrade path for old CDMA handsets. Good news for all Canadians, except maybe people holding their breath for 4G.
Oct 7 2009
7:30 am
Not nearly as exciting to me as the general news that all our providers will be using GSM.
This is going to blow open the unlocked GSM phone trade and untether savvy British Columbians from having to get a new phone each time they shop around for a better plan.
w00t!
Oct 7 2009
8:34 am
Absolutely. Even if they didn’t launch the iPhone explicitly, there would have been plenty of unlocked iPhones arriving on their network, along with many other interesting handsets. Another impact of this change is that phone locking and contracts become a much bigger deal in Canada, since you COULD bring your phone somewhere else.
Oct 7 2009
10:35 pm
I flinch at the idea of people who’ve been holding out for Telus or Bell to switch to GSM so they can switch to the iPhone and lock in to Telus. Have they really not been paying attention?
I’m all for options, but when the options are Roger or Telus, what’s to get excited about?
It boggles the mind, I tell you.
Oct 7 2009
10:36 pm
PS: Say no to big billification!!
Oct 22 2009
4:13 pm
Actually Telus is deploying LTE now, but using the GSM/UMTS path.
They have been working on it for over 2 years, and as it is today, the official date is still “during November”.
BTW not hoping any change in the landscape.
Oct 22 2009
4:20 pm
That makes a lot of sense – so existing GSM devices can connect to their LTE network, and they have something to build off of.