Re: FW: verizon & acs = treo service?

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005, Jim Gribbin wrote:

> According to Palm's website, they do have a CDMA version. It's set up
> for Sprint.
> http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo650/treo650_cdmadsheet.pdf
>
> My impression is that CDMA data products are less transportable between
> carriers than GSM data products are though.
>
> If you go to Sierra Wireless' website and look up the card ACS sells,
> they have 2 versions. 1 for ACS up here and 1 for a carrier down in NM
> (I think it was), they aren't interchangeable.
>
> I also know at least on person that got the 650 from GCI, they resell
> CellOne. You can also get "unlocked" ones off eBay and straight from
> Palm. They are more expensive, but I understand they work up here just
> fine. I also hear CellOne is going to carry the 650 after the first of
> the year.
>
> Jim

Hat half off here.

The Treo (and most other devices) are available in both CDMA and GSM versions.

The Sierra card (and any other device CDMA or GSM) must be correctly
provisioned to work on any carrier, there is more than a bit of network
data/profile programming that must be done. It is not simple. The
diff between a Verizon and an ACS 580 card is all in the programming, site
IDs, carriers, auth info, etc. The different software packs include this
provider specific info.

There are also fun issues with device availability to the carrier (some
devices are carrier specific via contract with the producer), etc.

As of the announcment, any Verizion or ACS device with current programming
(older devices may need to go in for a quick update) will roam into the
other network with 1xRTT speeds (156kbit ish).

The primary PDA offering is the AudioVoX 6600, a rxRTT/EVDO WinCE
PDA/Phone. I do not have info on any future device offerings.

The /transportable/ thing comes down to SiM cards. With GSM, all
device/carrier programming is on the card, making a swap easy. With CDMA,
most devices do not use SiM cards, this is not a CDMA thing, just the face
that the device makers chose not to use this tech. :( I have heard of
CDMA devices that used SiM cards, but it never really caught on.

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Received on Mon Dec 26 15:46:53 2005