Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 57

Like most Canucks, I've been jealously reading about U.S. YadaYada and Omnisky users connecting to the web and email from their Visors, and wondering when, if ever, we'd be joining them. Well it looks like there are two possibilities in the pipeline now. I thought I'd round them up for people who might be interested, and see if anyone knows anything more.

Someone a few weeks ago on this forum drew my attention to Telus's Unlimited Web service, which they are in the process of rolling out in BC and Alberta (with roaming in SK, MB and USA). See http://www.telusmobility.com/bc/wireless/unlimited.htm for more info on this. Basically, $50 bucks a month for unlimited CDPD access. There's only 2 modems offered now, the Minstrel V for the Palm V and the Merlin for laptops. Pricing is $419.25 for the Minstrel for a 1 year activation, and $369.25 with a 2 year activation. I assume when they offer the Visor springboard the usual technical requirements will apply (Prism and Platinum), and pricing will be similar.

Very recently I have become aware of a company offering something similar to the Omnisky service: Zero Gravity Wireless out of Winnipeg plans to offer their branded service across as much of Canada as they can (I think CDPD coverage is not nationwide, with odd gaps in central Canada). They say Aliant, MTS, Sasktel and Telus offer coverage.
http://www.zerogravitywireless.com

Currently only partnered with MTS (Manitoba Telecom Services), they plan on hooking up with carriers across the country. They support the Visor, with the Minstrel S Springboard modem, and supposedly will leverage CDMA technology for those areas of the country without CDPD coverage.

Pricing is comparable to Telus: $49.95 per month for all plans, unlimited access, $0.12 per KB for roaming, and cheaper pricing on the modem: $279 with a two year contract, $329 for 18 months, and $579 with no contract. Interestingly, if you can find your own modem (Ebay perhaps?), they offer service without hardware for $79 (for their software) and a $25 activation fee.

Other options I'm aware of that may appear this year are Omnisky itself, which had this to say "Currently, the OmniSky service is only available within the United
States. Internationally, we have formed a joint venture with News Corp. to expand our coverage into Europe, Asia, and Canada in the near future. At this time, it is not possible to provide any specific dates or locations as nothing has been announced."

And when I talked to Fido a little while back, they hinted that they might support the Visorphone in the future (and they would have to if were to come to Canada, as they're the only GSM provider at the moment (though I think one of the major providers is switching their network over)).

So there you have it, anyone who's interested in the Canadian scene. If I've missed anything, or if anyone has more info, please post!

Registered: May 2000
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Posts: 163

Thanks For the Info

I too have been waiting for news about wireless access, Thanks for your research. My budget's quite a way from affording any of the options coming available, but it's good to be aware of things in case that changes.
I can't remember -- what's GSM, and what does that mean?

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 118

quote:

---

...like most Canucks...

---

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 57

GSM

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications. It is a cell phone standard that is widely used worldwide, though not as much in North America. With a GSM phone (like the Visorphone), you have digital voice service, also SMS, which allows you to send short text messages, and a growing number of carriers are introducing wireless web services like email and text web browsing. In Canada, Microcell is the only GSM operator through its Fido service. In the US Verizon and Cingular are the biggest operators, though there are numerous smaller ones.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Clearnet

Clearnet now has data services for people with laptops and cell phones for $15/mo. A site www.cables4pdas.com is selling a cable that can attach Clearnet's MOtorola Time Port phone directly to the Visor. It is my understanding that they are also working on a cable for the Samsung 8500 phones.

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 125

Isn't Verizon CDMA?? And Cingular, I know they use TDMA (although apparently not exclusively) so I take it they use GSM as well? Interesting...

Marty

BTW, another large GSM provider is Voicestream.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 57

Actually, I think I meant Voicestream when I said Verizon. When I go to Seattle, my Fido service switches over to Voicestream. My mistake...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 57

Clearnet, eh? This might be enough to make me switch back from Fido... Though if Fido brings on the Visorphone, that would keep me... Decisions, decisions...

And I see that it's actually $5 per month for the Clearnet data, plus all those usage minutes, of course...

http://www.clearnet.com/english/pcs.../pcsonline.html

Registered: May 2000
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Posts: 163

Zero Gravity Announces Their Service

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rubberdemon
Very recently I have become aware of a company offering something similar to the Omnisky service: Zero Gravity Wireless out of Winnipeg plans to offer their branded service across as much of Canada as they can (I think CDPD coverage is not nationwide, with odd gaps in central Canada). They say Aliant, MTS, Sasktel and Telus offer coverage.
http://www.zerogravitywireless.com

---

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 125

I just love how this zerogravitywireless.com site says the service is only for VPL and VPR owners but has an animated image of the Minstrel S on a VDX bouncing up and down right next to it!

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 29

Re: Clearnet

quote:

---

Originally posted by yardie
Clearnet now has data services for people with laptops and cell phones for $15/mo. A site www.cables4pdas.com is selling a cable that can attach Clearnet's MOtorola Time Port phone directly to the Visor. It is my understanding that they are also working on a cable for the Samsung 8500 phones.

---

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Canada
Posts: 20

Zero Gravity Service Clarification

I just wanted to clarify the status of the Visor product at Zero Gravity - based on several posts regarding this topic - Yes, the Visor does work! Due to some concerns about radio frequency interference early in our development we did not want to post the Visor on our website. After extensive testing, the Visor works just fine with our service.

Thanks to all for bringing this oversight to my attention - we are making changes today.

Glenn Kemp
Zero Gravity
www.zerogravitywireless.com

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 57

Well, I switched from Fido to Clearnet this week. I have the Sanyo 4500 phone, and am pretty happy with things so far. They have much more going on with their online services, and so far I have sent and received a number of emails from the phone itself, which is kind of cool. I'm looking into connectivity with my Visor now.

Clearnet offers a connectivity kit with the $5 service as noted above, but don't support Palm devices. Their new parents, Telus, do support Palm, however, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Telus doesn't have Palm specific cables, however, and suggest you use a serial cradle, null modem, and their laptop serial cable, which would work with the Visor if you got one of the Mark Vision cables, but would be a really ugly kludge if you are surfing on the bus... I've emailed http://www.cables4pdas.com to check on availability of a direct cable for the Sanyo 4500. Of course, getting this to work with Clearnet will be another adventure, though I have heard that it is possible to use the Telus Quick Net Connect service with your Clearnet account and only get charged for dialup time, allowing you to skip the $5 a month Clearnet data fee.

I'll update this thread when I have more info on this.

Last edited by Rubberdemon on 02-22-2001 at 03:18 AM

Registered: May 2000
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Posts: 163

Re: Zero Gravity Service Clarification -- Which Visors?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Glenn K
I just wanted to clarify the status of the Visor product at Zero Gravity - based on several posts regarding this topic - Yes, the Visor does work!

---

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 1

The Zero Gravity product will work with the Visor, Visor Deluxe, Visor Platinum and the Prism.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 36

Hi all fellow Canadians,

Just wondering if any of you have been using the zerogarvity service in Vancouver, or anywhere in Canada for that matter. I guess I am still sitting on the fence and trying to evaluate the different options for my Visor Deluxe (well I guess there is only 1 option at the moment). I was just hoping someone who has signed up already would shed some light on how their experiences with it as been before I take the plunge

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 91

I was in FutureShop in Vancouver today. As always, take these things with a grain of salt, but the salesperson told me that he was anticipating the Visorphone would be available in conjunction with Fido service inside of a month. (I think he expected the phone to come in at around $300 Canadian if you sign up with Fido.)

Fido doesn't have the best reputation from what I understand but it appears to be another alternative around the corner.

VisorCentral dudes, when you next reorganize the bulletin boards, how about a separate section for explicitly Canadian concerns? That's probably around ten per cent of your viewership!

Registered: May 2000
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Posts: 163

I Second The Request For A Canadian Forum Section

quote:

---

Originally posted by VancouverCanuck
VisorCentral dudes, when you next reorganize the bulletin boards, how about a separate section for explicitly Canadian concerns? That's probably around ten per cent of your viewership!

---

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 29

Re: I Second The Request For A Canadian Forum Section

quote:

---

Originally posted by jazzlover


I would also like to see a Canadian Users/Issues section on the discussion board.

---

hmmmm ... would we not then need subsections for BC, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec - Anglais, Quebec - Francais, Quebec - Separatiste, Maritime Provinces, Politicians, and of course one for Lawyers ?

I agree that there are some uniquely Canadian issues but hardly enuf to warrant a unique section My $.02 (USFunds of course to make it worth something)

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: bright side of the moon.
Posts: 996

while it would be nice, being a canadian and part of this website, i don't think it warrants a whole separate section. then we'd have to set up a european section (broken down by country) and we wouldn't want to forget australia/asia.

it's a step in the wrong direction...we're a visor community where people around the world can learn from each other...separation wouldn't promote that well.

__________________
Ever feel like the train left while you were busy reading the paper?

Stealth-Mod.