As expected, Bell lit up its shiny new HSPA network today, officially marking a magical transition from CDMA to 3G GSM over a year in the making as it prepares for an LTE upgrade in the coming years, and with it, a few cool phones launched -- most notably the
iPhone 3GS and the Samsung
Omnia II (
you listening, Verizon?). That's not what really caught our eye, though: like Rogers, Bell's now offering video calling, a feature standardized with UMTS and arbitrarily disabled both by T-Mobile and AT&T in the States (though the latter offers the far less useful one-way Video Share service at $4.99 a month for just 25 minutes of usage). Granted, video calling hasn't exactly caught on like wildfire in Europe where it's widely deployed -- but when you consider that they're charging CAD $5 (about $4.70) a month for unlimited use, it seems like a worthwhile add-on even if you only use it for a few minutes now and then. It also makes AT&T Video Share -- and its pricing structure -- look even more ridiculous than it already did, doesn't it?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sean @ Nov 4th 2009 10:08PM
Did anyone take a look at Bell's HSPA+ coverage maps? Pretty impressive, especially when compared with Rogers. Pretty much all of Southern Ontario. http://bit.ly/bhwhb
TouchMe @ Nov 5th 2009 1:29PM
Not quite the 93% they promised yesterday, but definitely impressive, and definitely better than rogers. I never would have thought they'd get it built up so well.
Nigel @ Nov 4th 2009 10:14PM
We have on-network video calling in Jamaica for about 7 US cents a minute - the same cost as a voice call. When will AT&T and T-mobile learn? SMH
WiiFTW @ Nov 4th 2009 10:26PM
When real competition comes to the US cell service industry: likely never.
Taknarosh @ Nov 4th 2009 10:39PM
How many of the most sought after smartphones have a frontal camera though...
ah2049 @ Nov 4th 2009 10:58PM
HTC has a few. I know carriers have them yanked in the US.
Lumberjack Commando @ Nov 4th 2009 10:54PM
Bell also has the Bold 9700. Looks like Rogers will have to fight for ANY exclusive phones now. GSM phones were always exclusive to Rogers by default, not anymore :)
Canis_Minor @ Nov 5th 2009 12:14AM
The reason AT&T doesn't offer video-calling in the US is that Apple hasn't invented it yet. As soon as Apple invents a second, front-facing camera and a video-chat-app, then AT&T will launch it ;)
shinbunboi @ Nov 5th 2009 1:13AM
"Granted, video calling hasn't exactly caught on like wildfire in Europe where it's widely deployed"
video callin is somethin u use once for fun and its over...trust. i had it on 6 or so different phones over the yrs in Japan, i think i used it like 2wice tops? cool feature to have at hand, hardly ever used. just sayin.
as a canadian, syked about Bell/Telus gettin in the 3G GSM game!