BlackBerry Cool writers have the privilege of being in constant contact with a variety of wireless industry players. Naturally, we often get in heated or hilarious discussions over recent news. We’ve decided to start posting some of the more interesting conversations, in the hopes that it will spur greater debate. Our test run is a hearty debate over the value of a CDMA carrier switching to GSM, how long until 4G becomes anything more than a ‘wet dream’ and myths about call quality. Enjoy, and please post a comment with your thoughts.
Note: My interlocutor was uncomfortable with being identified, so let’s just call him Fake Ted Rogers.
Fake Ted Rogers: Isn’t saying Bell/Telus is going to GSM kinda like saying Verizon should?
Douglas Soltys: Well, different countries mean different biz scenarios.
Fake Ted Rogers: I’d like to see what the subs are for Tel/Bel compared to Rogers. As in the states Verizon has more than AT&T.
Douglas Soltys: Some would say that Verizon is run much better than Tel/Bel.
Fake Ted Rogers: It’s possible, but I think that Telus does fairly well up here. I think out of the 3 they have more marketing than any.
Douglas Soltys: Better marketing fo sho – high consumer focus.
Fake Ted Rogers: Ya most def. I just don’t see either of those carriers switch to GSM. That’s a large cost… Maybe leasing lines from Rogers but that’s not likely.
Douglas Soltys: Well, if they’re first to 4G, that’s a cost that would put them at a competitive advantage.
Fake Ted Rogers: LoL 4G is someones wet dream still 
Carriers are barely rolling out 3G.
Douglas Soltys: Well, we’re talking strategy in terms of years here. What if they say by 2012, they”ll roll out 4G in metro areas? They get cool devices, Rogers doesn’t have a Canadian monopoly. And they could be bought by a int’l GSM carrier.
Fake Ted Rogers: Ya but going with that thought patern, 3G is just starting to make penetration this year but many thought it was going to be here 2/3 years ago.
Douglas Soltys: I think that was more biz model than tech. Rogers hadn’t figured out how to make money off 3G. Or wasn’t willing to not charge through the nose for everything.
Fake Ted Rogers: Agreed. But who says 4G is any different? It’s a lot of money to upgrade your systems if you can’t make money, very few manufactures have devices and you don’t have the penetration.
Douglas Soltys: Because there will be GSM competition. No more monopoly.
Fake Ted Rogers: Ya but we don’t look at AT&T as having a monopoly, and its not because of TMO but its because of VZW.
Douglas Soltys: True, but also the fact that the US ‘regional’ carriers have as many subs as Rogers.
Fake Ted Rogers: I think this goes back to the “religious” war of cdma is better than GSM or or vice versa.
Douglas Soltys: Its not so religious when every CDMA sub has to wait 10 months for the latest BB.
Fake Ted Rogers: Ya that’s from a BB POV. What about other devices? What about call quality? What about network speeds? Even we are having a long discussion 
Douglas Soltys: Yeah. Might be worth posting.
