Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Canada’s Telus offers nationwide Direct Connect, plans to link with Nextel

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 16:07:09 -0400

Canada’s Telus offers nationwide Direct Connect, plans to link with Nextel

by Dan Meyer
Oct. 16, 2003 2:10 PM EST

Canadian wireless carrier Telus Mobility reported a number of enhancements to its
Mike-branded, iDEN-based network, including nationwide capabilities and new
handsets based on Motorola Inc.’s new iDEN platform.

Telus Mobility said the network expansion of its Mike service will allow customers
to place Direct Connect walkie-talkie calls across the country similar to what
U.S.-based carrier Nextel Communications Inc. launched earlier this year with its
Nationwide Direct Connect service. Telus Mobility added that the service will be
available in all of its Mike markets stretching from Vancouver Island to eastern
Quebec, covering approximately 24.2 million potential customers, or 77 percent of
Canada’s population.

Cope added that Telus Mobility is working with Nextel on expanding Direct Connect
services between borders, and the companies expect to introduce the offering early
next year.

“Direct Connect has always set Mike apart from the wireless crowd,” said George
Cope, president and chief executive officer of Telus Mobility. “Now, with the
ability to remain in instant pushbutton contact with fellow Mike users across most
of Canada, we expect our business clients to rely more and more on Mike’s ability
to save them time and money.”

To go along with its enhanced service offering, Telus Mobility also launched a
handful of new Motorola iDEN handsets based on its “Falcon” platform, including
the color-screen i730, the ruggedized i305, the economical i205 and the mobile
fleet targeted i58sr. The carrier said it plans to introduce additional handsets
next year that offer multimedia messaging, integrate MP3 players and have built-in
cameras.

Nextel said during its third-quarter conference call that it plans to launch new
Motorola handsets, which are expected to be the same as the Telus Mobility
offering, next week.

http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=15505

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