rogers 3G frequency ?

[cmetom]

To be clear: Rogers uses the following frequency bands:

850MHz band and 1900MHz band - 2G Voice and Data - GSM/GPRS/EDGE
850MHz band - 3G Voice and Data - UMTS/HSDPA

[jason95]

Jason, I appreciate that you're trying to educate the forum about what 3G is, and I don't mean to sound argumentative, but you are mistaken.

You are correct in that 3G simply refers to the third-generation wireless techology, consisting of UMTS and HSPA, and the similarities between HSUPA and EDGE. However, you are mistaken about the frequencies.

Rogers originally had 1900MHz spectrum in Canada, and rolled out 850MHz a number of years ago to better penetrate buildings and increase range (as lower frequencies can go further as a result of the wider wavelength). EDGE was later implemented as an enhancement to the data speed. Since EDGE is a 2.5G technology, augmenting GSM/GPRS (a 2G technology), the frequencies remained the same. However HSPA is completely new, and an overlay to the existing 2G network. As you pointed out, it is a completely different technology (W-CDMA), and so cannot merely be meshed with the existing GSM network, and thus must be broadcast differently. In Europe and Asia, it is done on the 2100MHz frequency. There is some reason why this was not done in North America, so more 1900MHz spectrum was bought by AT&T and 1700MHz by T-Mobile in the US and 850MHz was chosen by Rogers. This is why phones must have a different, 3G enabled chipset in order to take advantage of the 3G network (and why it is also necessary for phones bought overseas to have a North American 3G chipset, able to work with OUR frequencies instead of the Euro and Asian ones, to work on the 3G networks here, and why quad-band phones with 1900MHz and 850MHz GSM frequencies [but only, say, the 2100MHz 3G freq.] will not work with the 3G networks over here).

I know this is a long and confusing post, but essentially:

850MHz and 1900MHz (North America-wide) = 2G network where voice and data are interchangeable
850MHz (Canada) = 3G voice and data network
1900MHz (AT&T) = 3G voice and data network
1700MHz (TMO) = 3G voice and data network
2100MHz = 3G voice and data network in Europe and Asia

Sorry for the tardy reply, I just revisited this thread tonight.

I was referring to North American (specially Rogers, since this is the Rogers forum) when relating the 3G information.

I'm quite aware of the different RF spectrum allocations which are available for 2G/3G service throughout the world.

Thanks for pointing out all of this info; I'm sure it also helped educate many of the other users on the forum/board who weren't aware of the different spectrum allocations available for services, and why it's uber-important to pay attention to what bands a handset supports before making a purchase.

[fiDophone]

Wow! This is kind of confusing. I am in India and looking at the N86 which should be released here net month. Unless Apple throws us an amazing curveball tomorrow I think I might want to pick up the Nokia while I am here.

Here are the specs...

http://www.nokia.co.in/n868mp/specifications

Will it work on Rogers 3G? I would seem to think so based on what I am reading here but don't ALL companies release a NAM version?

[PhoenixStorm713]

Wow! This is kind of confusing. I am in India and looking at the N86 which should be released here net month. Unless Apple throws us an amazing curveball tomorrow I think I might want to pick up the Nokia while I am here.

Here are the specs...

http://www.nokia.co.in/n868mp/specifications

Will it work on Rogers 3G? I would seem to think so based on what I am reading here but don't ALL companies release a NAM version?

I glanced at the specs on that page, and unless I missed something;
850/900/1800/1900 Quad Band GSM, but it's 3G networks are 900/2100.

You need 850 for 3G Voice and Data on Rogers 3G (technically Rogers is 3.5G)
so you would NOT have 3G with this phone. Best wait for the NAM version..

[BlueBagodah]

....
850MHz and 1900MHz (North America-wide) = 2G network where voice and data are interchangeable
850MHz (Canada) = 3G voice and data network
1900MHz (AT&T) = 3G voice and data network
1700MHz (TMO) = 3G voice and data network
2100MHz = 3G voice and data network in Europe and Asia
....

If I understand this correctly, this makes it a bit more complicated in planning for using gray market phones... If purchasing from the states, one has to make sure that the device supports the frequencies that are being used by Rogers here in Canada...
Does anyone know which frequencies GlobalLive is going to use when they launch?

[E-POTS]

If I understand this correctly, this makes it a bit more complicated in planning for using gray market phones... If purchasing from the states, one has to make sure that the device supports the frequencies that are being used by Rogers here in Canada...
Does anyone know which frequencies GlobalLive is going to use when they launch?

looks like it'll be 1700 (http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_ca.shtml)

[euphoria47]

2100 is popular in europe and asia because it has higher bandwidth with lower range. Europe / Asia have a higher population density so they can get away with it. It maybe could work in America, but certainly not in Canada, we have enough trouble with gsm 850 spanning our desolate land.

[I has a phone]

Wirelessly posted (Nokia E71: Opera/9.60 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13918/422; U; en) Presto/2.2.0)

I have seen the argument what frequency Rogers is using for 3G specifically.
A lot say 850 only, a lot say 850 and 1900.

It would be awesome if there was a phone that had 1900MHz frequency, but not 850.
That way we will know for sure if Rogers does actually use 1900 for 3G

[PhoenixStorm713]

Wirelessly posted (Nokia E71: Opera/9.60 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13918/422; U; en) Presto/2.2.0)

I have seen the argument what frequency Rogers is using for 3G specifically.
A lot say 850 only, a lot say 850 and 1900.

It would be awesome if there was a phone that had 1900MHz frequency, but not 850.
That way we will know for sure if Rogers does actually use 1900 for 3G

I think I recall reading that the LG Prada lacks 850???? I've heard of a few of them floating around Canada (and the owner(s) trying desperate to sell them!)

[Bokito]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.162 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/107 UP.Link/6.5.1.0.0)

There's no need for that.
Fact is that 3G is running on 850MHz atm.
Very, I mean very few locations are running 1900Mhz only due to some other reasons.
Bottom line,if you need to buy 3G phone,better ensure it works on 3G 850MHz band
beside GSM1900/850 support.

[ppan0]

So the Asus P835 with UMTS 900/1900/2100 will not be a 3G phone on Rogers network?

[chlorine]

so for someone who travels between Canada and Hong Kong, buying the NAM version is better than the standard Euro/Asia-Pacific version... say of the N97?

[mathas33]

Wirelessly posted (Nokia E71: Opera/9.60 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13918/422; U; en) Presto/2.2.0)

I have seen the argument what frequency Rogers is using for 3G specifically.
A lot say 850 only, a lot say 850 and 1900.

It would be awesome if there was a phone that had 1900MHz frequency, but not 850.
That way we will know for sure if Rogers does actually use 1900 for 3G

The nokia n85-1 was sort of NAM, as it offered 1900 for the US, but no 850. I used it for a while in Canada (Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, and surrounding areas) with no 3G signal at all.

To set the record straight, rogers launched 3g with the 1900mhz frequency, but as it offers limited range, rogers switched to 850 when they made the full "nation wide" roll out.

The wikipedia thread that was posted earlier has been cited in this argument dozens of times over the past year, but it simply isnt correct. if you buy a phone without 850mhz, its pretty useless in Canada. that goes for 2g as well.

[mathas33]

so for someone who travels between Canada and Hong Kong, buying the NAM version is better than the standard Euro/Asia-Pacific version... say of the N97?

yes and no actually. the fact that most of the world uses 2100mhz is true, but there are many countries that use 2100 for dl, but a different one for ul. you would need to make sure that Hong Kong doesnt use 900 for ul if you were going to use the n97 as your example.

P.S. I have no idea if Hong Kong uses two frequencies or not, but some Euro countries do.

[I has a phone]

so what's the point of HSDPA 1900MHz band then?
Why can't the phones just be quadband for GSM, and single/dual band for NA (850 or 850 with 2100 for Europe)

in short, what use does HSDPA 1900 have?