TDMA Cellular Network To
Be Phased Out In 2009
Good and bad news for
cellular subscribers who
have a TDMA line, as the
Instituto Costarricense
de Electricidad (ICE),
said it will remove all
TDMA lines from the
market in 2009 and
customers have to switch
over to the GSM service.
The reason for the
change is that the TDMA
technology is outdated
and industry does not
offer many options in
maintenance and service
of TDMA networks or
telephone units.
ICE expects customers to
start switching over to
the GSM network
beginning the middle of
next year when ICE will
have installed and
operations 1.5 million
new GSM lines known as
3G or third generation.
The bad news is that
unless ICE improves
coverage in some area
like southern zone, for
example, where GSM
service is poor and
where TDMA has greater
coverage, customers will
suffer with the
changeover.
The good news on the
other hand, is that GSM
offers more choices of
equipment - telephones
with cameras, mp3
players and smartphones
with full browser
capability - and with
the introduction of the
3G network users can
send and receive
multimedia services,
like video and
television on their
cellular phone. |
