09-17-2005, 08:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Rogers & Bell to Built Joint National Network
"Rogers Communications Inc. and Bell Canada are joining forces to build a massive $200 million national wireless network. The companies will create Inukshuk Internet Inc., a wireless broadband network expected to reach two-thirds of Canadians in less than three years...Customers will have access to voice, video streaming and data on the Internet via portable devices. Bell and Rogers will each have the right to use 50 per cent of the network's total transmission capacity. They will also compete for sales, marketing, customer care and billing."
One of the reasons why Europe has such fantastic mobile network coverage is the number of people contained in a relatively small land mass. The US has less people and more land to cover, and Canada is even worst - we have approximately 1/9th the population of the US and even more land to cover. So for anyone that thinks mobile phone coverage is bad where they live, come visit Canada, the Truth North Strong and Free...of coverage. For that reason, I greet this announcement with a lot of enthusiasm - Rogers beefed up their coverage when they purchased Fido this year, and this move looks like it will make both Rogers and Bell a national powerhouse in terms of coverage. Good news for us Canadians! Now if only they'd make their plans more generous with minutes. :roll:
UPDATE: According to Jan Innes from Rogers, whom I contacted to ask what type of network this was going to be, "It's pre-WiMAX". So it looks like this is going to be a data networking after all, and not a carrier phone network. Rogers and Bell already have many locations for cellular towers, so by adding a WiMAX radio into each of those towers, each carrier can now compete with ISPs for Internet access. It will be interesting to watch what they do with this!
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09-17-2005, 08:50 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 376
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WOOOO HOOOOO :alfdance: ... but hang ON, isnt bell CDMA and Rogers GSM? then how the heck will this work 
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09-17-2005, 12:47 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 287
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Re: Rogers & Bell to Built Joint National Network
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Now if only they'd make their plans more generous with minutes. :roll:
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No kidding!! Bell's unlimited plan is still $100! My work is considering getting...hiptops :| because the unlimited is only $20 through Fido.
Hopefully this new partnership is about offering more for less and not about collusion on price gouging.
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09-17-2005, 12:49 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 287
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Originally Posted by saru83
WOOOO HOOOOO :alfdance: ... but hang ON, isnt bell CDMA and Rogers GSM? then how the heck will this work |
I thought this as well. Unfortunately, the article is too light on details. I have a contact at Bell and will try to find out more details for us.
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09-17-2005, 03:34 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 32
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(in Canada) ... we have approximately 1/30th the population of the US and even more land to cover.
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True, but given the old adage that 90% of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the U.S. border, where the more habitable climate is, Canada has such highly concentrated pockets of population that I'm surprised that a venture like the announced Rogers/Bell network hasn't happened sooner.
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... but hang ON, isnt bell CDMA and Rogers GSM? then how the heck will this work
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My read on the article is this is a Wifi broadband network, not a cellular network, so just like carriers in the U.S., Rogers and Bell will sell Wifi either as a separate premium service or at a reduced rate as part of a package that includes their cellular service.
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09-17-2005, 04:34 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,341
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Yeah, I think Jerome is correct. This is going to be a wide area WiFi network, or Maxwifi...whatever that term is....internet....video....and most importantly, VOIP I would imagine. I think Bell has been pushing pretty hard on VOIP, haven't they, DAZZ?
Anyway, bring it on! I would think it would be very competitive. Imagine the two biggest cellular providers using the same data network. Coverage and quality of signal are right out of the equation. It would then come down to price and plans.
"Inukshuk Internet Inc" How Canadian is that?!
Oh, Jason, I think you madr a typo. Canada's population is 1/10 not 1/30.
Dave
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09-17-2005, 05:48 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 200
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This is more of a fixed station network - if you take a look at the US company that they are proposing to "roam" with and buy equipment from, you'll see a device that looks to be about the size of a cable modem gateway/router that is the antenna and receiving device, which is then plugged in to the computer via USB, or into the network via Ethernet.
This doesn't affect either Rogers' or Bell's base networks - 1xRTT and GPRS will still be exhorbitantly expensive :|
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09-17-2005, 06:41 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Paragon
Oh, Jason, I think you madr a typo. Canada's population is 1/10 not 1/30.
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Yeah, I've never been very good at math. ;-) It's 1/9th actually.
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09-17-2005, 06:43 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Originally Posted by saru83
WOOOO HOOOOO :alfdance: ... but hang ON, isnt bell CDMA and Rogers GSM? then how the heck will this work |
A very good question. I've emailed their PR department to ask for clarification on exactly what technology they're using.
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09-17-2005, 07:24 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 200
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
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Originally Posted by saru83
WOOOO HOOOOO :alfdance: ... but hang ON, isnt bell CDMA and Rogers GSM? then how the heck will this work |
A very good question. I've emailed their PR department to ask for clarification on exactly what technology they're using. |
It's OFDM in the 2.3Ghz, 2.5Ghz, and 3.5Ghz frequency ranges. They will be using technology from NextNet - Technology overview
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