Maurice. WOW. It looks like a head on between CDMA and wimpy GPRS in New Zealand. Are you seeing any fireworks? Is this a HDR network or just 1X going in in your country?
Vodafone comes out swinging on CDMA
Monday, 16 July, 2001
"CDMA is just an attempt to catch up to technology we've
been delivering..."
Paul Brislen, Auckland
Vodafone is rallying the troops in the face of Telecom's
aggressive launch of its high-speed CDMA cellular network.
Vodafone has launched its own high-speed network based on a
different technology, GPRS. Telecom claimed at the network's
launch last week that CDMA is a better all-round technology
than Vodafone's existing GSM-based network and provides
better quality of service for voice users, higher speed for data
transfers, cheaper access for all users and can ultimately carry
more calls for the same amount of bandwidth.
Vodafone has yet to respond, but an internal memo obtained by
Computerworld, allegedly written by staff member Simon
Fogerty, calls for a "united response".
"CDMA is just an attempt to catch up to technology we've been
delivering our customers," the email says, and reminds staff that
GSM is the "global standard" used by 70% of cellular users
worldwide. "That's over 500 million people … versus 90 million
CDMA users."
Vodafone refuses to confirm or deny the email's veracity but
does confirm Fogerty is a staff member in New Zealand.
The email lists a variety of performance indicators that
employees can use to remind "customers, friends and family"
that Vodafone is the world's leading mobile company. "Forget
the hype, forget the technology, let's look at what Vodafone
(GSM) delivers customers."
Telecom says CDMA customers will be able to roam to the US
and Australia and that the vast majority of its cellular customers
go to these two countries — it is also working on roaming deals
with a number of South East Asian countries. Vodafone
customers, the email says, can roam in 70 countries. "CDMAone
[Telecom's standard] customers can use their mobiles in four."
Roaming on Vodafone is available to all customers, including
prepay, whereas CDMA is only available to contract customers
on Telecom.
The email claims that there are nearly twice as many GSM
handsets than CDMA equivalents. Vodafone boasts a GSM line
up that includes Nokia, Ericsson, Alcatel, Philips and Siemens.
Telecom is importing phones from Hyundai, Kyocera and
Hitachi in its first wave of CDMA. However, Vodafone has
problems sourcing phones for its GPRS network — to date only
Ericsson has provided a handset although Motorola will offer
one shortly.
The email ends with a note about telco providers such as
Singapore's MobileOne and Verizon looking at ditching the
CDMA family in favour of GSM solutions.
idgnet.co.nz.
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"CDMA is just an attempt to catch up to technology we've been delivering..."
<g>
The harder you stick a pig the louder it squeals.
Competing technologies simply aren't allowed on VOD's home turf... VOD - and Gent - aren't used to competing
against an alternate technology on level ground... I suspect VOD is both enraged and perplexed that it can't simply
legislate Telecom's cdma network away... Perhaps Gent's thinking of buying Telecom and trashing its networks..
<g>
"..However, Vodafone has problems sourcing phones for its GPRS network — to date only Ericsson has
provided a handset although Motorola will offer one shortly.."
If VOD forges ahead with GPRS services, how will customers respond to, as One2One succinctly states,
unreliable technology? Does VOD have a choice?
No note of expected Nokia GPRS handsets for VOD in Australia... When will Nokia's problems with carrier
testing, presumed to be underway in Europe, become public?
3GSM ranting is bound to become louder - and even more irrational - as GPRS implodes. |
