There was big news here in Soviet Canuckistan today. Next month, Bell and Telus will both start selling the Apple iPhone. What? “How is that possible”, you ask. “Aren’t Bell and Telus tied to ancient CDMA technology?”
Both are rolling out network upgrades to HSPA technology in time for the 2010 Olympics, putting them on an equal footing with Rogers. Bell says that they will be lighting up their HSPA network by the end of November – less than two months away – while Telus hasn’t made a commitment on dates yet.
It’s not just about the iPhone, however. Both networks should work with any foreign phones that support the appropriate HSPA networks. Bell and Telus customers will have access to an extraordinary range of phones that were previously only usable on the Rogers network. Bell has even said that they will unlock handsets for customers (for a price).
This is a great day indeed, because finally, meaningful competition is coming to Canadian networks.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry maker Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
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