Telecom reveals all on mobile plans

By Richard Braddell

WELLINGTON - Telecom is to outline its plans regarding mobile technology today. An announcement in Wellington is expected to involve Telecom detailing its plans for a new digital cellular network, probably based on the CDMA standard which it has been investigating for some time.

At present, Telecom's cellular business is largely based on the analogue AMPS standard, with a small deployment of digital AMPS.

But while AMPS, used by three-quarters of New Zealand's mobile phone users, offers excellent voice quality, it is less suited to data services which are expected to blossom as the internet enters the mobile arena.

One advantage of going to the second generation of CDMA is that it can be deployed using existing spectrum, thus avoiding the auction of 2 GHz spectrum earmarked internationally for third generation cellular. That auction has been delayed by the Ministry of Commerce, pending consideration of a Maori claim.

But in addition to data considerations, Telecom has reason to switch because AMPS uses spectrum resources less efficiently than second generation digital systems. It is also at a disadvantage when competing against Vodafone's digital GSM service, because it cannot roam to Australia.

CDMA's attractiveness to Telecom may be growing also because its new telecoms partner in Australia, AAPT, has CDMA spectrum rights covering the country with the exceptions of Sydney and Melbourne.

Gaps in AAPT's coverage may be filled through agreements with Telstra, which has rolled out a national CDMA network as a result of the Australian Government-mandated closure of its AMPS network, and another Australian cellular player, Hutchinson, also to deploy CDMA.