Telecom is preparing for the final closure of its CDMA mobile
network, the network that saved its battered reputation
during the major XT network failures earlier this year.
Telecom executives handed out CDMA mobiles to customers as
frustration grew about the ongoing failures of the XT network
south of Taupo, particularly south of Christchurch.
The relaunch of XT saw chief executive Paul Reynolds front
television advertisements.
Yesterday, Telecom network operations head Gemma Roper said
the company would close its CDMA-based WorldMode roaming
service on October 28 and its CDMA 3G data network - known as
EVDO - on November 30.
Telecom said that while the CDMA network had 1.7 million
customers, the majority of those using the company's roaming
and mobile data service were on XT.
That reflected XT providing a better data and roaming
service.
Ms Roper said that as more customers continued to choose XT,
and the service surpassed what was available on the earlier
network, Telecom was informing customers that it planned to
close the CDMA network in mid-2012.
"We have a number of offers to assist these customers with
the move to XT and we are directly contacting all customers
that will be impacted by the service closures to inform them
of their options."
The WorldMode roaming service enabled customers with
WorldMode capable CDMA devices to roam to a select number of
destinations.
XT customers could use their mobile in 70 more worldwide
destinations when compared with CDMA.
WorldMode customers would be able to use their phone as
normal in New Zealand until the network closed, although they
would no longer work in most overseas destinations, Ms Roper
said.
The EVDO data service enabled customers to access the
internet and email from their mobile phone or data card at a
fast rate.
The data service on XT was more advanced and offered a faster
mobile broadband service in more places compared to CDMA.
EVDO customers would still be able to use data on CDMA but
they would not have mobile broadband speeds, she said.
At a glance - Telecom
• Total mobile customers: 2.3 million
• CDMA customers: 1.7 million
• XT customers: 595,000
• CDMA network to close mid-2012
• CDMA: Code division multiple access.
• EVDO: Evolution data optimised.
- dene.mackenzie@odt.co.nz
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