Sept. 2, 1997, Canada News Wire reports that COMSAT Personal
Communications has announced global coverage for their Planet 1(SM)
personal communications service for voice, FAX and data communications.
Only the "extreme polar regions" are not serviced.
[1997/09/06]
Aug. 25, 1997, Canada News Wire reports that Nortel has introduced
PCS 1920 and PCS 1930 digital wireless telephone handsets that support
voice mail, messaging services, Caller ID and, on the PCS 1930, voice
activated dialing and handsfree speakerphone.
[1997/08/26]
Aug. 19, 1997, PR Newswire reports that WirelessNOW has CDMA will
be challenged by a new PCS standard.
http://www.commnow.com/3rd_Generation.html
http://www.wirelessnow.com/
[1997/08/22]
ClearNet's billing practices are becoming an issue for me. I still have
not received a bill for December 1997, payment for which would now be
"past due." In fact, I paid an amount through my bank in excess of what
the bill should have been, and have been assured that I will not be
charged interest. By around now, I should be receiving my January 1998
bill. I had also been waiting for my December bill to have two bills
in front of me to look the billing practices before reviewing my first
bill (Nov. 1997). Since the December bill still hasn't arrived, I decided
to finally take a look a the December bill alone. Having calculated the
bill, I now believe that I was overcharged about $1.50 Cdn. I will
probably call ClearNet about this next week. While these are not "huge
problems", I find it disturbing that a company which has been around for a
while (Clearnet has already been providing the "Mike" wireless PCS service)
could be in such disarray in terms of their internal business systems. On
the other hand, their fundamental services seem fine overall.
[1998/01/10]
Success has probably been a happy burden for Clearnet. Since the roll-out of services in Toronto in October, the second most common sign you would see associated with their product was the one saying "sold out." It is true that they have faltered a bit in these early months, but overall, it would be too soon to criticize them heavily. But these are some random observations of problems I've found.
If you're accustomed to a personal answering machine, you might expect that "voice mail" messages are available immediately upon being left and if the handset is on, one will be notified immediately. This is not so. Someday I'm going to benchmark the services seriously, but for now, I'll say that there have been occasions where voice mail messages left were not reported to the handset as quickly as I'd like. I have tested this by leaving myself a voice mail message and turning on my handset immediately afterwards. The delay before my handset was notified of the new message varied, and occasionally took a few minutes.
Long text messages are broken up into shorter messages and can arrive out of order. Thus messages can be garbled. The "short text messages" are too short and extremely expensive compared to regular internet EMail. It is unlikely that I will continue to use this service when my free trial period ends.
Although a mail strike intervened before I got my first bill, even counting the mail strike, it took them a very long time to send it. I didn't receive my bill until just before the already extended penalty date. Luckily, I had already paid my bill at the bank. Yes, because I was concerned by the lateness of the bill, I called Clearnet and asked for the necessary information and paid my first invoice before it arrived. I expect I'm going to prepay my invoices in the future to avoid the possibility of interest penalties. This should not be necessary. Invoices should arrive with a few weeks for payment before any interest penalties can fall.
Overall, I'm satisfied with my service and the quality of the handset.
Clearnet has fit my needs adequately at the best price I could find, or
conversely in the price range, it allowed a usage strategy which I found
optimal. Either is true. I made the right choice, and have no real
reason to change. I say that specifically because I may change services
in the future specifically for the experience of using other systems,
but if I do so, it will not be because of any current shortcoming of
Clearnet.
[1997/12/27]
Dec. 26, 1997, Cantel Amigo has advertised in the Toronto Star a "$50
credit" "Boxing Week" sale. for their 100 min./$19.95 service. There
is also a $20 credit for Amigo Pagers. I called Cantel AT&T and have
been informed that the credit will come "on your first bill." If you
sign up for service right now, in a store, you will have to pay the
regular prices (which would the $25.00 startup fee, and the cost of a
phone, if you are not buying it on a 3 year plan deal). The credit
will come on the first bill for services.
http://www.amigodigital.com/
[1997/12/27]
I've been wondering about Cantel's complex billing formulas for a while and I finally took the time to call and ask a question specifically aimed at it. Here's the situation:
The Cantel Amigo "100" plan includes $19.95 per month, 100 min. free incoming local calls first min, 100 min. included air time, extra time $0.40 prime, $0.10 evenings and weekends) and some extras.
The question is, what order are the different rates applied? For example, in a given billing period you use 100 min. of evening outgoing calls followed by 20 min. of "prime time" calls. If the billing is optimized for the user, then in theory, the 20 min. of evening calls + 80 min. of the "prime time" calls could be free, leaving 20 min. of evening calls billable, for a total of $2.00. But Cantel charges the minutes in the order they are used. So the 100 min. of evening calls would be the "free" time and the last 20 min. "prime time" would be billed at $8.00.
There is nothing "unfair" about this, but it does mean that the calling strategies are more useful for what we think of as "business user" patterns than "consumer user" patterns. For example, it means that early in your month you will not want to use evening phone calls because you will want to reserve your "free call time" for daytime calls. Since a "business user" is expected to use the phone during the day, then this much makes sense. Such a phone might be switched off during the evenings or even left in the office. However, if you hit the 100 min. wall, then you will want to stop using your phone during the day, but you won't mind evening calls as much because the $0.10/min. rate is good for most short calls.
But even for businesses, this billing pattern doesn't necessarily make sense.
Part of the attraction of wireless phones is that customer contact can be
extended beyond the normal "work day" hours without undue inconvenience.
Some lawyers, for example, list their home phone numbers even in their firm's
"business card" listings. In fact, if a person is in the office most
hours of the work day, then the wireless phone is less likely to be of any
value at all, since office phones are better used instead.
[1997/12/27]
I probably entered the address for the Bon Tei restaurant into a Sharp
Pocket Organizer on Oct. 25, 1991. Or maybe I updated information that
I'd previously entered. I keep a record of the date of the "last
change". The main reason for this is to assess the accuracy of the
information, but in this case, it reminded me how long I've been using
Sharp Pocket Organizers -- a long time now.
[1997/12/14]
On Nov. 13, 1997, as my cousin drove us in from Pearson International Airport,
he suggested we stop in at a restaurant. Somehow, he remembered the Bon Tei.
I didn't. But I have moved data from one Sharp Pocket Organizer forward to
every Sharp Pocket Organizer I've had over the years, updating it along the
way. So after touching a few buttons my current Sharp ZQ-5450, there was the
six year old entry.
[1997/12/14]
I called the number using my Clearnet digital PCS phone. Someone answered.
It was a restaurant, but it wasn't the "Bon Tei" restaurant. It was now
called the "Gojima" restaurant. The location was the same, the phone number
was the same, and the style was still Japanese (with Korean), but the name
had changed a few years ago. We made a reservation (probably not necessary
on a Thursday evening), got directions, and in the end, we had a good meal.
I updated my Sharp Pocket Organizer by changing the name of the restaurant
and adding directions.
[1997/12/14]
This was interesting for a few reasons. First, it's a rare occasion when the information in my Sharp Pocket Organizer turned out significantly better than if I'd called the telephone company for a current phone number listing. They would not have had any listing under the "Bon Tei" restaurant, even though, essentially, it did still exist. Also, I could have searched for "restaurant" or "Japanese", and I would have found it, and a small handful of other establishments I've visited. The Clearnet phone had no problem with "handing off" during the 3:46 phone call rolling along at about 100 km/hr., under bridges and past whatever. The length of the phone call was caused by my need to have the people at the restaurant repeat the directions and other information because of some substantial accent problems.
On my Clearnet handset, I usually keep the backlight off in order to
conserve battery power. During the car trip, I needed the backlight. I
couldn't be bothered trying to figure out how to turn it on. I waited to
pass near streetlights to dial the phone number. In fact, turning the
backlight on isn't that hard, but it does require finding the backlight
control through a couple of levels of menus. Since backlights are still
a major, and generally unnecessary power drain, I think most people who
use cell phones regularly would probably prefer leaving it "off" and
having a backlight button.
[1997/11/14] revised [1997/12/14]
In checking out the new Cantel Amigo $19.95 service, a new issue was
raised. I was asking if they had a "cheaper handset" than the Nokia.
Apparently, the price for the Nokia 2160 dual mode handsets and the
new Ericsson handset are only $460 Can. if you buy them without
immediate activation on the Cantel network. If you buy them with
activation, the price is $199 Can. I don't know if this was the case
from the beginning. I don't recall anything like this being mentioned.
Nor can I see any reason for this price structure. However, it brings
this deal, and all the Cantel PCS deals, closer to the Clearnet and Fido
offerings.
[1997/11/13]
Starting early October, 1997, we saw the launching of new digital technology PCS "phone" services. There are a couple of issues to be aware of. The one that I personally am concerned about is the possible use of Modems. It's difficult to find out if it's even currently possible to use modems on these services. So far I have little reliable information about this. The safest thing to say is that right now, only Cantel offers modem support on their PCS system, and then only when using the analog mode.
But there is a long term rule of thumb to keep in mind. It's been long known that going to digital meant that there was a lost of "waste data" for phone calls. Modems use bandwidth as efficiently as possible squeezing as much data through, as fast as possible. But voice digital PCS services have been using the "waste" by allowing more phone calls to use the same bandwidth. Obviously, there is a conflict between the two goals. So as radio technologies progress, and assuming "optimal" pricing (if there is such a thing), if you use a "phone" service for data transmissions, you will probably, end up paying more for services that get the data through faster. Whether that's true now, I don't know.
And speaking of "now". The following file is a list of some current services in the Toronto area. The information is current as of "today" and was compiled for my own personal use (a small business with light phone usage). I do NOT guarantee that it's correct, so check double check anything your interested in yourself. By the time you read this, it might have changed even if it was right when I wrote it.
Also note that although it is a "text" file, it was formatted for a
Spreadsheet, so the columns won't line up properly.
PCS Pricing
[1997/10/11] Revised [1997/10/14] and [1997/10/17]
and [1997/11/13]
In a move following the lead of Clearnet and Fido, Cantel's Amigo Digital has added a new service for $19.95 per month, with no long term commitment, for 100 minutes of talk "anytime" and per second billing, but with Cantel Amigo style bonuses of free first minute for up to 100 local incoming calls, call display, and "widest digital coverage." As adverised in the Nov. 12, Toronto Star, the phone is, as with Clearnet and Fido "extra". This could still be a problem keeping it out of reach because as of last month, Cantel had no "low cost handsets" to go with such a low cost plan, and there is no information about "signup fees" and cost of extra minutes. The ad also equally promotes their more typical "All in One package" of $35.95 per month including phone, 500 min. local evenings and weekends and first minute of up to 400 incoming calls free. Also there is a note "Our Price Guarantee: We promise no price increases and the flexibility to change plans if you need to."
That last note is interesting. I don't remember anybody raising that
issue before I did when I was calling around last month. In fact, I
just started asking it out - of - the - blue. It seemed to be implied
for Clearnet with their two plans and no contract. It just occurred to
me that companies with a variety of long term contracts might be willing
to let people switch between contracts at a reduced penalty to keep them
happy rather than drive them away from that company at renewal time. In
fact, the positions of some companies "changed" while I asked about them
(ie the question got different responses when I called back and asked a
second or third time). It may be that "management" just started to
notice the question being asked at their call center and decided to
establish a policy. If so, they're moving in the right direction.
[1997/11/12]
Fido service now crosses Canada. Using new dual mode phones, Fido
service extends beyond areas of Fido digital coverage by using
analog coverage of the Bell Mobility network. There is a $0.20
surcharge for the analog roaming.
[1997/11/11]
I think Clearnet has touched off a revolution. When Clearnet launched, Fido immediately introduced a "matching" $20 for 100 min. service (Note: The services are NOT the same -- only the base prices). Now, the latest move by Fido in retaliation to Clearnet shows that a real full blown price war is in progress.
Fido just dropped the prices of a Nokia handset from $265 down to $100 and
their Nortel handset down from $175 down to $50, and the $50 "Smart Card" is
now included free. This sale will end on December 31, 1997. According to a
Future ad, they have dropped the price of a Nokia phone was from $325
including the SIM card, but it sounds like the same deal. Meanwhile,
Clearnet is still "selling out" in stores I checked. I expect that Bell
Mobiliity and Cantel are going to have major "sales" this December - January,
and next year we might see them revamp their business model to compete
against Fido and Clearnet.
[1997/11/08]
With the sale prices noted above till December 31, 1997, I think it's obvious that some people will consider giving these phones for Christmas presents, so I asked some questions about that. The question is, when should you buy and what are any special considerations? I called Fido, but similar questions should be asked for any similar gifts of phone services or pagers. First, while there is no date by which you have to start the service (for example, you can buy a phone today and you don't have to start the service till next year) there is a 30 day warranty on the phone (and service), so it is best not to buy till shortly before you intend to give the gift.
Second, discuss the matter with whomever is going to be responsible for
payment of the phone service. Keep in mind that these phone services will
require a credit check. I expect there are people who are not using these
services specifically because of objection to credit checks. In the case
of Fido, I was told that I could get the credit check form when I bought
the phone and the person responsible for payment would be able to FAX in
the form. But be sure to inquire about such papers, and discuss it with
the person who will have to submit the form. In the case of a child, even
one who is working, an adult might have to submit the credit check form.
[1997/11/08]
Aug. 4, 1997, Canada NewsWire reports that seve Personal
Communications Services (PCS) carriers have formed "GSM
Alliance, L. L. C" forming an all-digital wirless PCS network
of US and Canadian carriers. Initial members will include
Aerial Communications, Inc., BellSouth Mobility DCS, Microcell
Telecommunications Inc., Omnipoint Communications Services, Inc.,
Pacific Bell Mobile Services, Powertel, Inc. and Western Wireless
Corporation. For information call Bob Brown of GSM Alliance,
(773) 399-4378 or the other members.
[1997/08/06]
July 22, 1997, Canada News Wire reports that Mobility Canada members
have signed a letter of intention to allow roaming by Microcell
Connextions' "Fido" users for PCS at 1.9 GHz.
[1997/07/26]
July 18, 1997, Canada News Wire reports that Clearnet
Communications Inc. has begun offering use of their digital
cellular phones throughout the US without roaming surcharges
on the Nextel Communications Inc. network.
[1997/07/23]
July 15, 1997, Canada News Wire reports that Mobility Canada and
Sprint PCS announced what may be the largest roaming wireless
support agreement for North America. The agreement includes analog
and digital cellular.
[1997/07/18]
May 22, 1997, Canada NewsWire reports that Clearnet has agreed to use Cantel analog roaming services for Clearnet's Personal Communications Service (PCS). [1997/05/31]
May 15, 1997, Canada NewsWire reports that Rogers Cantel Inc.
offers Digital PCS (Personal Communications Services) coast-to-coast.
Last November Cantel was the first company in Canada to begin
Digital PCS. Cantel analog cover 90% of the Canadian population
and Cantel Digital reaches about 75%. Cantel expects to cover
80% of the population by the end of this year.
[1997/05/25]
Mar. 13, 1997, Canada NewsWire reports that InterDigital Communications
Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., and Siemens A.G. introduced
"Broadband-Code Division Multiple Access(TM)" (B-CDMA) Wireless Local Loop
(WLL) hardware for voice, FAX and data, including multimedia video.
[1997/03/15]