CDMA

Trekkie, the only thing in common with the old analogue system is the frequency band, tho they prob still use the old towers. The technology is digital, but without the 32km timing limit of GSM, and quite different in its technology to GSM. Telstra's early tests showed 120km range from certain hilltops, but as with all VHF and UHF, line-of-sight is the general rule, signal strength being the limiting factor, rather than pure distance. I was quite surprised at its performance in heavy timber in the SW of WA, 30km from the base, tho I was probably lucky.
Gerry

Made a phone call 94k out of Quilpie once on CDMA.
Flat as a tack scrub country and down to 2 bars out of 5 for reception.
Beats GSM any day. But you still need a tower to work!
No good at Windorah or further west.

Preparation is a must.
Then Satphone.

Forgot the CDMA network is getting better and although I hired a satphone the CDMA did the job for general yapping and the Satphone was left for emergency if needed.

Willem days CDMA is only good for 25km either side of a town that has the tower that is mighty wrong statement
we have telstra at work give us lesson on CDMA for emergncy use and tell us climb to top of hill or climb tree if no signl
work country all time and signal on hand phone sometime 60 k
put on external aerial sometime 100 k
GSM 36 k from tx why company change to CDMA

Well, Cubcamperman seeing as you are so all knowing. Please do come and live here in the outback and travel through the smaller towns and see for yourself. It also depends on the type of CDMA phone you have., Some are better than others. This last weekend we were 15km from Burra on the other side of the hill....NO SIGNAL

Climb a tree. Hmmmm maybe on the Nullarbor or a Hill for that matter. Depends how agile you are. If you are taking about country just where are you talking about? Country Victoria or country NSW?

Its is about time that Telstra pulled their socks up to give us CDMA infrastructure along all the major roads in the country.

Willem I live and travel in rural Aus every day
what you say is wrong
Telstra have marvellous coverage on CDMA and places you would never expect
look at the coverage maps and learn

Well Froggie...Go take a drive up the Stuart Hwy from Port Augusta to Darwin and hear and see for yourself. Or better still, drive up to the Flinders Ranges. CDMA phones are pretty much like UHF Radios. If you are up high enough you may be lucky to get the odd signal if there is a tower in the vicinity

Or come to Eyre Peninsula whewre farmers and country residents have been begging Telstra for services.

Birdsville, hub of thw Simpson Desert with a huge drive through population. NOT in the forseeable future.

Don't tell me I am wrong Get your facts right instead. I have the latest Telstra CDMA coverage pamphlet here in front of me.

The original question was about travelling in the outback as the person travelling did not have a Satphone or a HF radio the person

Nothing like a good argument although not as interesting as Nissan v Toyota I will give my 2 bobs worth. You are both right to some extent. Living where I do there is a fair bit of driving in and out of signals. I would say cdma is in general terms good for 25 to 40 k depending if you are on a bit of a hill or in a bit of a depression (considerably further if on a genuine hill). The BIG difference is at least here in WA the farming areas are well covered by CDMA making it much more effective. I have had reception In the carpark at Mt Ragged (look that up Willem Cape Arid NP) and At the top of Mt Pasely Eastern end of Poison creek. Where I live on camp there is no digital coverage 55km from a tower even on a hill but there is CDMA. Once you start heading North of Kal Cdma drops out about 50 km south of Menzies (there is a tower Nth of Kal) and after that there is only coveredge about 30 km from laverton and then Leinster.
And GreenTreeFrog while it does have cdma coveredge in places you wouldnt expect it also has none in places you would!