NextG
Submitted: Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 06:46
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Richard W (NSW)
Just upgraded from CDMA to NextG with an LG TU500. Was waiting for the Nokia but its still a way off and want to set things up for a trip to WA.
The bluetooth configuration to use this phone as a bluetooth modem is a pain and requires a special command string to be inserted into the computer modem setup.
LG use an international string in the phone to locate the server. Unfortunately Telstra don't use this and have there own. Took many phonecalls to get this info from Telsta.
I have much stronger reception from home as we are in a CDMA black spot and the connection speed is a lot quicker. Be interesting to see how it performs out and about.
Reply By: Member - Uncle (NSW) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 07:24
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 07:24
Morning Richard, we've just done the same with the TU500 yesterday, signal is better now in the house so we'll see how it performs over the next few weeks.Cheers unc.
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Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 12:57
Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 12:57
Disco - I am in an unusual situation on a minesite where the only coveradge provided is Telstra digital - No CDMA, No Next G. But i still want a next G phone for the coveradge however if I cant get digital with it i wont bother and hang onto my cdma a bit longer. (have no intrest in getting a straight digital phone)
I was looking at the samsung phone as it seems the best available from the limited selection
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Reply By: Gronk - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 08:48
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 08:48
Are any of the other carriers going to do a next G type of service or has Telstra got a monopoly on it ?
Bit confusing when you try and work out whos doing what ? Next G, 3G ?? Have heard of people buying a 3G phone thinking it was a cdma phone because they weren't told the facts before buying !!
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Follow Up By: Member - andrew B (Kununurra) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 09:08
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 09:08
Gday Gronk
In a recent discussion I had with everyone's favourite sattelite phone provider, they informed me that Telstra had a monopoly on the Next G network or whatever its called. They said they were working on it (as they are for their sattelite reception lol..). According to them, Telstra are alowed to have the monopoly, but they are not allowed to turm off CDMA if it causes any customers to loose service. I think there is a bit of a legal battle going on at the moment, The sat carrier arguing that it won't have coverage, so fighting either for the CDMA to remain, or give them access to next G.
It will be interesting to see what happens here. I still get adequate coverage with the sat phone, better than some have with this carrier, but if CDMA goes I will have a $2200.00 phone that may end up "mobile no-where"
Cheers Andrew
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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 09:38
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 09:38
As far as I'm aware, 3G is the equivalent Network used by the other carriers. (Optus, Vodaphone, etc.)
NextG is the Telstra incarnation of 3G and is proprietary to them only.
This is why Nokia have yet to produce a NextG compatible habdset. They probably weren't "invited" into the initial "partnership" with Telstra.
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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 09:38
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 09:38
As far as I'm aware, 3G is the equivalent Network used by the other carriers. (Optus, Vodaphone, etc.)
NextG is the Telstra incarnation of 3G and is proprietary to them only.
This is why Nokia have yet to produce a NextG compatible handset. They probably weren't "invited" into the initial "partnership" with Telstra.
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Follow Up By: Member - Russell H (WA) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 16:19
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 16:19
You're quite right Sand Man. Next G and 3G are not compatible systems. Tel$tra has een to it that they have no competition on this network. Recently I heard that Optus and another syndicate (can't remember who) have announced that they will roll-out of their own Next g Networks.
As you would expect, they will concentrate on high revenue areas and it will be a long time before it gets to the bush. Next G stands for Next Grab of your money and this is clear from the price of their plans, particularly the data plans.
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Follow Up By: John R (SA) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 16:25
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 16:25
Sand Man I'm willing to defer to your superior knowledge, but my understanding is a little different, in so far as 3G is compatible with GSM frequencies/network, while NextG operates on frequencies similar to cdma.
In other words, they're as similar as digital & cdma (beyond just their operating frequencies), which is bugger all!
God bless Telstra for implementing a network which isn't used much across the globe, so handsets are limited, international roaming is essentially useless . . . .
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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 18:17
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 18:17
Superior knowledge, no way mate.
All I know is Telstra is the only carrier to have NextG which is the likely (only?) replacement for CDMA.
I'm in no hurry to "upgrade" to NextG just yet, not at least until I see what Nokia has to offer.
You have a very good point re the International roaming too.
A lot of people, myself included, would have liked to incorporate CDMA and GSM use into the one solution, but if NextG doesn't work overseas then GSM will still be required. BUGGA!
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Follow Up By: John R (SA) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 18:56
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 18:56
I agree with all you say.
(What I was trying to say above was that, at least with digital if you didn't like your carrier, you could switch and retain the same handset. NextG/3G won't allow that; they're as different as digital/cdma.)
There might have been a few countries where nG works, but I tuned out. I think they all ended in 'stan.
You're wise to wait, and for god's sake make sure (if you're travelling in the country) that whatever you get has a decent car kit!
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 20:46
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 20:46
John R (SA), you aren't fully informed. You are saying that the Nex G phones aren't able to globally roam. Several of them will still do that. I have been looking for the evidence for you, but know that the LG phone will still do 3G and digital as a fall back. No need to get other phones at all. I am sure if you actually ask the dealers they would tell you. Not only that the LG car kit is a good one! We have one and it tests out
well.
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Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 11:54
Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 11:54
Im hearing contradictary info. Can any one confirm that a Next G phone will work off of the normal run of the mill digital network??? I need a phone that will work where my CDMA is not available only digital.
I want a next g but that will be no better then my cdma if it cant roam to normal digital
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Follow Up By: StephenF10 - Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 12:13
Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 12:13
Check the phone's specs. My Samsung A701 will connect to NextG, GSM and a USA frequency (1900 I think). If you leave the Network Selection on Auto it will prefer NextG but will find and use the GSM network if necessary. I have tried a GSM SIM and it works fine in the Samsung. The Motorola V6 will also connect to the 2100 3G network.
Stephen.
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Follow Up By: disco1942 - Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 12:34
Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 12:34
Next-G is simply 3G operating on the CDMA and old Telstra-analogue frequencies. There may be a few different features available but basically they are the same - just operating on different frequencies.
Davoe - If you can't get CDMA/Next-G you can get very little else. Telstra has used the GSM base station sites to locate the CDMA network in the more populous areas. They have additional base stations elsewhere, hence the better CDMA coverage. Where they have installed Next-G they have coupled the equipment through the same antennas and filter equipment as the CDMA network uses.
PeterD
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Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 12:58
Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 12:58
Disco - I am in an unusual situation on a minesite where the only coveradge provided is Telstra digital - No CDMA, No Next G. But i still want a next G phone for the coveradge however if I cant get digital with it i wont bother and hang onto my cdma a bit longer. (have no intrest in getting a straight digital phone)
I was looking at the samsung phone as it seems the best available from the limited selection
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses - Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 13:55
Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 13:55
Davoe, the LG phone we have defaults to Next G, then to 3G or digital, yes run of the mill digital as you ask. It is set up for Global roaming and is supposed to be a tri-band phone that will work in the US. There are several like that, ring the Telstra
shop and ask.
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Reply By: Member - lyndon K (SA) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 08:49
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 08:49
We are going to be making the move from CDMA to the Next G network, so please keep us posted of your experiences.
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Reply By: Member - Doug T (W.A) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 10:38
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 10:38
andrew
Exactly my point of view I tried to explain to someone a few days ago , and yet they are still trying to sell them Sat/CDMA phones, seems you got caught ,and No dought as time goes on there will be a Sat/Next G ,
Doug
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Reply By: dnh2 - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 11:52
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 11:52
Went to get a Nokia Next G phone from the local
Karratha (WA) Telstra dealer yesterday to be told they won't have them in stock till the end of April, but apparently they are coming..............don't hold your breath!!
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Reply By: Grungle - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 14:07
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 14:07
The Nokia is with Telstra at the moment being type approved. I think it is the N85 or something. It usually takes around 4-6 weeks providing things go smoothly otherwise it means making adjustments to firmware so that it is stable enough.
I have also heard from a couple of reliable sources that when they commisioned the Next G equipment which sits along the CDMA equipment, they turned the power output of CDMA down a little so that Next G would show as having better coverage. This was from people in the industry BTW.
Has anyone in a fringe area noticed a drop in signal level or performance in their CDMA?
Regards
David
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Follow Up By: Richard W (NSW) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 14:55
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 14:55
I was told it was the N95 which is a PDA type phone and the top end of the price range. The TU500 doesn't have voice dialing either.
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Reply By: John R (SA) - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 16:33
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 16:33
I changed over to a TU500 a couple of months ago. Wish I'd stayed with my nokia on cdma.
A very annoying inability to ring at a set volume from the start (so it vibrates/lights up for twenty seconds before it starts making a noise),
I find the reception is worse & it seems to have a habit of dropping out on a regular basis.
The car kit is awful - sound quality is disappointing, both mic & speaker. I often have to take it out of the car kit (which requires a plug in jack for the speaker - no sit and click like most others) to hear what the other person is saying.
Bluetooth is handy. Fortunately my pda knew more about the connection settings than me or the telstra bloke.
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Reply By: Member - Bruce and Anne - Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 20:26
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007 at 20:26
I have been using a Samsung since November and it has been a lot better than my old CDMA. But for some reason in the last month it is only working on 3G, when I first go it it was working on Next G all the time, Iam in Nanango 2.5 hours NW of Brissy, may be Telstra are still doing some
test on this net work.
Heading out to
Thargomindah around
Easter so will be interesting to see how
well it works in the out back.
Cheers Bruce.
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Reply By: Member - Brad S (SA) - Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 11:14
Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 11:14
I Swapped over to Next G about 5 months ago because I was given a new handset and didn't have to pay the residual owing on my CDMA set. Works very
well. there are a few blind spots along the Coorong I've noticed but this is with and handset only, no external antenna/car kit.
I was on the one-way section of the SA-Vic
Border Track yesterday was able to make a call from Hensley's Trig. (I think I might have been the first person down that way after the
ranger since it was opened because there was only one set of wind blown tracks visible - the track is in good nick)
I inquired about passive/inductive couplers for the external antennas and was told by the local Telstra
shop these would be available in May. My phone (Samsung 701A) doesn't have a hard wiring option for an antenna and I guess most of the phones available don't. A CDMA car antenna will suffice as Next G and CDMA operate around the same frequencies.
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Reply By: 3F62 - Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 17:50
Sunday, Apr 01, 2007 at 17:50
Went to the LG Next G a few months ago from Nokia cdma & regreted it most day's since.......... coverage is about 75% of my old CDMA here on the
New England hwy........ Happy with the features of the phone but not its coverage...... my wife has the Samsung 501 Next G & its coverage is as good as my old Nokia...... The LG has been sent away by the telstra
shop for 2 to 4 weeks for a "software" upgrade !!!!!!!!!!
Cheers
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