Telus Testing GSM: iPhone Cometh?

By Ex on June 14th, 2009 93

TELUS customers rejoice! The iPhone cometh!

The pictures below have just recently began to show up clearly indicating the carrier name “TELUS” and the numbers “302880″ and “302860″ in the carrier selection screen of iPhone’s all over Canada. These designations seem to indicate that TELUS is currently testing their GSM network. Could this mean TELUS is finally going to launch their GSM network? I hope so!

As we all know, one of the major advantages of a TELUS GSM network is the purest form of competition for our “friend” Rogers Wireless. Once launched, TELUS could potentially drive down the prices of plans for both itself and Rogers/Fido and have better offers than Rogers/Fido. I very much enjoy the prospect of that, but we shall see if it is true soon enough.

For the last while, rumors that TELUS will be launching their GSM network in Canada in Fall 2010 have been popping up everywhere, but we all know it will likely be later as these things are never on time. But what does this mean for you right now? Well, not alot. Rogers/Fido are the only iPhone carriers in Canada and you have your iPhone locked to Rogers/Fido (in most cases) but can be unlocked. This potentially means that you could take your Rogers or Fido iPhone and buy a TELUS plan with a TELUS SIM card.

Or better yet, the iPhone comes to TELUS!

We all know Apple makes mega cash from the sale of their hardware, especially iPhones which is in the 20,000,000+ range of sales right now. I would predict that if TELUS goes GSM, Jesus Jobs and the crew at Apple would immediately fire off iPhones to TELUS. More hardware sales  = more revenue = Apple wins.

What do you guys think?

Will TELUS offer cheaper plans? Will you switch? Will you break your Rogers/Fido contract?

Will TELUS get the iPhone 4G? 5G? With included shaver?*

Sound off below!

*Obviously it’s not coming with a shaver

Reports on iPhone news, reviews apps and accessories. Also an armed ninja with an iPhone 4.

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  • Jonk

    I think people are somewhat missing the point of what a carrier capable of carrying the iPhone would offer… The biggest advantage in my opinion is for current customers. Right now, if you say want the iPhone 3G S and Rogers refuses to sell it to you, you are SOL. With another carrier, you suddenly have much more power, and could threaten to leave and unlock your phone or buy a new one from the other. Right now, you can’t really hold Rogers’ feet to the fire because where else will you get an iPhone? The Palm Pre is the only thing remotely similar.

  • Bryan Lahartinger

    Fido is not building a GSM network…GSM is old…they are building a W-CDMA network which is what the iPhone uses.

  • Bryan Lahartinger

    Fido is not building a GSM network…GSM is old…they are building a W-CDMA network which is what the iPhone uses.

  • Bryan Lahartinger

    Fido is not building a GSM network…GSM is old…they are building a W-CDMA network which is what the iPhone uses.

  • Bryan Lahartinger

    Fido is not building a GSM network…GSM is old…they are building a W-CDMA network which is what the iPhone uses.

  • http://www.allanschroeder.com/ IcemanYVR

    So here’s a question… Does an HSPA network use SIM cards? Would we in theory be able to take out our Rogers sim card and then pop in one from Telus or Bell?

  • http://www.allanschroeder.com/ IcemanYVR

    So here’s a question… Does an HSPA network use SIM cards? Would we in theory be able to take out our Rogers sim card and then pop in one from Telus or Bell?

  • http://www.allanschroeder.com IcemanYVR

    So here’s a question… Does an HSPA network use SIM cards? Would we in theory be able to take out our Rogers sim card and then pop in one from Telus or Bell?

  • http://engadget.com/ Cliff2

    hspa uses sim cards. you can move the sim card into any unlocked device that is hspa capable.

  • http://engadget.com/ Cliff2

    hspa uses sim cards. you can move the sim card into any unlocked device that is hspa capable.

  • http://engadget.com/ Cliff2

    hspa uses sim cards. you can move the sim card into any unlocked device that is hspa capable.

  • http://engadget.com Cliff2

    hspa uses sim cards. you can move the sim card into any unlocked device that is hspa capable.

  • AllEars

    Telus will get much improved Palm Pre.
    Pre vs. IPhone

    Last man standing wins.

  • AllEars

    Telus will get much improved Palm Pre.
    Pre vs. IPhone

    Last man standing wins.

  • AllEars

    Telus will get much improved Palm Pre.
    Pre vs. IPhone

    Last man standing wins.

  • Dogg

    GSM… HSPA… can someone say 100% for sure if we can take a phone that uses a sim card and use it on this new Bell/Telus network? Some say yes while others say no but no one knows for sure since they are all just Joe Average (hint hint Telus/Bell reps, speak up!)

  • Dogg

    GSM… HSPA… can someone say 100% for sure if we can take a phone that uses a sim card and use it on this new Bell/Telus network? Some say yes while others say no but no one knows for sure since they are all just Joe Average (hint hint Telus/Bell reps, speak up!)

  • Dogg

    GSM… HSPA… can someone say 100% for sure if we can take a phone that uses a sim card and use it on this new Bell/Telus network? Some say yes while others say no but no one knows for sure since they are all just Joe Average (hint hint Telus/Bell reps, speak up!)

  • Dogg

    GSM… HSPA… can someone say 100% for sure if we can take a phone that uses a sim card and use it on this new Bell/Telus network? Some say yes while others say no but no one knows for sure since they are all just Joe Average (hint hint Telus/Bell reps, speak up!)

  • teddyx

    you sir are smart. the iphone is not CDMA of any kind

  • teddyx

    you sir are smart. the iphone is not CDMA of any kind

  • teddyx

    you sir are smart. the iphone is not CDMA of any kind

  • Scott

    I remember how pissed off Apple was when Rogers originally announced their plans for the Iphone and things really haven’t changed THAT much. I’ve done a comparison of family plans on Rogers and Bell with myself using the Iphone and my fiance using a regular non 3-G phone. In my case the difference between a 500mb plan was around $30 (Bell being cheaper). As soon as I moved to the unlimited data plan for Bell there’s no comparison. That’s the beauty of capitalism, Rogers will have to stop raping their customers or they’ll be off to another provider.

  • Scott

    I remember how pissed off Apple was when Rogers originally announced their plans for the Iphone and things really haven’t changed THAT much. I’ve done a comparison of family plans on Rogers and Bell with myself using the Iphone and my fiance using a regular non 3-G phone. In my case the difference between a 500mb plan was around $30 (Bell being cheaper). As soon as I moved to the unlimited data plan for Bell there’s no comparison. That’s the beauty of capitalism, Rogers will have to stop raping their customers or they’ll be off to another provider.

  • Scott

    I remember how pissed off Apple was when Rogers originally announced their plans for the Iphone and things really haven’t changed THAT much. I’ve done a comparison of family plans on Rogers and Bell with myself using the Iphone and my fiance using a regular non 3-G phone. In my case the difference between a 500mb plan was around $30 (Bell being cheaper). As soon as I moved to the unlimited data plan for Bell there’s no comparison. That’s the beauty of capitalism, Rogers will have to stop raping their customers or they’ll be off to another provider.

  • CoolAccent

    The rumours are indeed true. Telus and Bell are jointly working on a GSM network for Canada. This comes from a reliable source in Telus who is working on the project.

  • CoolAccent

    The rumours are indeed true. Telus and Bell are jointly working on a GSM network for Canada. This comes from a reliable source in Telus who is working on the project.

  • CoolAccent

    The rumours are indeed true. Telus and Bell are jointly working on a GSM network for Canada. This comes from a reliable source in Telus who is working on the project.

  • CoolAccent

    The rumours are indeed true. Telus and Bell are jointly working on a GSM network for Canada. This comes from a reliable source in Telus who is working on the project.

  • CoolAccent

    Forgot to mention – Telus is hoping to go live by the end of 2009. But I am less sure of this date, my info source in Telus is not even sure on this.

  • CoolAccent

    Forgot to mention – Telus is hoping to go live by the end of 2009. But I am less sure of this date, my info source in Telus is not even sure on this.

  • CoolAccent

    Forgot to mention – Telus is hoping to go live by the end of 2009. But I am less sure of this date, my info source in Telus is not even sure on this.

  • Scott

    TELUS is not lauching a GSM network. They are launching an HSPA network. Rogers current contract for exclusivity for the iPhone is based on them being the only ones to support the phone.

  • Scott

    TELUS is not lauching a GSM network. They are launching an HSPA network. Rogers current contract for exclusivity for the iPhone is based on them being the only ones to support the phone.

  • Scott

    TELUS is not lauching a GSM network. They are launching an HSPA network. Rogers current contract for exclusivity for the iPhone is based on them being the only ones to support the phone.

  • Pingback: Telus iPhone Coming in October? « This Too Shall Pass

  • hellyes

    the bell and telus GSM networks are officially LIVE! look for offerings in the next few months.

    http://gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_ca.shtml

  • georgejia

    my buddy has called telus rep to confirm the coming of IPHONE ( at the same time GSM network), the reply is this winter!!!!

  • Tony

    Telus is the strongest communication transporter company ever: they CARE about their customer, even if you spend less than 50$ /month. Because you are a customer and most consumers will die with a cell phone in their pocket. So they consider that a person will live a lifetime with a cell phone this is why Telus is the biggest profit maker of all communication transporter in Canada for the 4th year in a row. They called me to tell me happy birthday (reminder for unlimited local calls on your birthday) before my own mother!

  • Tamarok

    Bell & Telus will only be supporting 3G and 4G GSM. Other than increased revenue from international roaming, they needed to go in this direction because Verizon is. From what I understand Verizon footed the bill for converting phones to support Qualcomm CDMA, so coupled with that and a six month delay to market the this imposes, they needed to transition.

    What will be interesting is what the Verizon transition will mean for the remaining Qualcomm CDMA based networks in the USA and elsewhere in the world.

    GSM supports W-CDMA as a wave encoding, but not the CDMA that is associated with Qualcomm.

  • Tamarok

    Turns out there is more than Telus and Bell bringing new GSM networks to Canada:

    http://gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_ca.shtml

  • Tamarok

    Bell & Telus will only be supporting 3G and 4G GSM. Other than increased revenue from international roaming, they needed to go in this direction because Verizon is. From what I understand Verizon footed the bill for converting phones to support Qualcomm CDMA, so coupled with that and a six month delay to market the this imposes, they needed to transition.

    What will be interesting is what the Verizon transition will mean for the remaining Qualcomm CDMA based networks in the USA and elsewhere in the world.

    GSM supports W-CDMA as a wave encoding, but not the CDMA that is associated with Qualcomm.

  • Tamarok

    Turns out there is more than Telus and Bell bringing new GSM networks to Canada:

    http://gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_ca.shtml

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