Bell and Telus to Add HSDPA Functionality to CDMA Wireless Networks

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Bell and Telus to Add HSDPA Functionality to CDMA Wireless Networks

6:00 am on October 14, 2008 | Category: Wireless Technology, Telecom Services, Wireless, Cellular

Canadian telecommunications giants, Bell and Telus, have announced plans to work together to make their mobile phone networks more attractive to foreign visitors.

The carriers will overlay their networks with HSDPA, a 3G mobile data technology currently available only through Rogers Wireless in the Canadian market. This will allow them to serve business travelers from Europe and Asia, where GSM-based networks and devices are dominant. (Telus and Bell both use CDMA technology, which is popular in North America, but falling out of favour worldwide.)

The partnership stems from a tower-sharing deal signed by the two companies in 2001, according to Bell Mobility president, Wade Oosterman.

“We’re significantly improving our existing network and adding the overlay,” Oosterman said. “So you can use the biggest network in Canada no matter which platform you prefer.”

The 3G overlay, which will be up and running in time for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, is a gradual step in the direction of “Long Term Evolution,” a much-anticipated 4G cellular technology expected to offer lightning-fast download speeds and eliminate the GSM/CDMA division. LTE networks should be commercially available in Canada by about 2012.