Canada deploys digital as the U.S. systems slowly roll into action

Mobile Phone News, July 2, 1992

As the United States remains perched on the precipice of new standard setting procedures, and some daring operators roll out digital systems, Motorola Nortel celebrates the initiation of AGT Cellular's time division multiple access (TDMA) digital system equipped with Motorola Nortel dual-mode, radio equipment.

AGT's Calgary, Alberta, system has digital-ready cell sites equipped with Northern Telecom's dual-mode cellular radio channel unit. With the completion of $4.3 million of TDMA base station radio equipment upgrades in AGT's cellular network, digital cellular service coverage currently is available to 80 percent of AGT Cellular's subscribers.

"This enhances AGT Cellular's position as Alberta's leader in cellular technology," said Harry Truderung, president of AGT Cellular. "There's no doubt digital is going to become a competitive factor in the marketplace over the next year, and we're proud to be taking the lead," Truderung added.

The digital system consists of a digital signal processor-based (DSP) transceiver, capable of loading application-specific software for analog or digital operation. The system supports either a single analog radio channel, or a TDMA digital channel capable of handling three simultaneous conversations today and, in the future, up to six conversations.

"This is the only radio channel unit available for cellular networks that can operate in either analog or digital mode, yet it's competitively priced with analog-only systems," said John Roth, president of Wireless Systems, Northern Telecom.

...U.S. Operators Take Different Paths

As the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) asks the Telecommunications Industry Association to initiate standard-setting procedures for a second-generation cellular digital standard, cellular operators proceed to map out their own digital paths. Centel Cellular Co. has commercialized Motorola's narrowband advanced mobile phone services (NAMPS) technology following a successful field trial in its Las Vegas, Nev., cellular market. NAMPS is a digitally enhanced analog technology capable of tripling the capacity of Centel's existing analog network.

"[Centel] is committed to NAMPS because it provides enough added capacity in the short-term to continue meeting customer growth and makes our move to digital for the long-term as smooth and efficient as possible," said William Laggett, president of Centel Cellular.

Centel has been easing its Las Vegas subscriber base into NAMPS. The operator began offering dual mode phones in October 1991 and now more than 20 percent of its Las Vegas customers have purchased or converted to the dual mode phone. Currently, Centel's entire customer subscriber product offering of mobile and portable phones are dual mode (AMPS/NAMPS).

...Ameritech: Not All of Its Eggs in One Basket

Ameritech recently entered the digital trial phase and will conduct tests with both CDMA and TDMA to determine which technology customers prefer.

"Digital is a customer issue rather than strictly a technology issue. We firmly believe that we must give our customers what they want: the best possible service to meet their needs now and in the future. Therefore we are building a network platform that will allow us to provide any of several digital options," said John Rooney, president of Ameritech Mobile. "Thorough testing prior to choosing a technology to offer to our customers is critical," Rooney added.