Telecom mobile customers might want to hold fire on their WorldMode handset purchase, as it appears the Samsung model currently on the market won’t be capable of roaming on the new network the telco is launching later this year. However, new handsets being introduced into the market soon will have this dual-network capability.
User Alan Waller emailed TUANZ concerned that the WorldMode handsets currently on the market will become redundant once the new network is built.
“Why don't Telecom just come clean with their customers and tell them they are in the process of converting their network to GSM on the 850MHZ band?
A waste of time buying a Samsung world-phone as they only operate on CDMA 800 MHZ and GSM 900 which will be useless once Telecom launches it's GSM 850MHZ network."
He then points out that according to the Telecom website the Samsung W531 phone is not compatible with networks that operate on a frequency of 850MHz or 1900MHz.
Telecom spokesperson Katherine Murphy has answered Waller’s concerns by pointing out that the company is not converting its existing CDMA network – it is in fact building an entirely new mobile network. And that Telecom intends to keep the existing CDMA network operational for four years.
“The WorldMode service was never introduced as a roaming option between networks within New Zealand, the technology was developed to deliver the greatest international roaming capability – to enable Telecom customers to use both CDMA and GSM based mobile networks overseas and therefore have more options to use their mobile when travelling.
In New Zealand the WorldMode phones have been designed for our existing CDMA service and are popular with customers for general use here as well as when travelling.
The Samsung W531 operates in around 140 countries and is the first of a range of WorldMode handsets we will be launching. The 8830 WorldMode Blackberry is currently being used by Gen-i customers and will be available to the wider market in a few weeks, and the OKTA Mondo, is due to launch in mid-February. Both of these WorldMode devices operate on CDMA 800/1900 and GSM 900/1800.”