Cdma Ev-do Super Fast Speed Up To 2,4 Mbps !

[JakeBKK]

I know Hutch offers their CDMA EVDO at up to 800 kbps in the Pattaya area.................maybe it would work in your mate's area................

So if anyone knows more on this please enlighten me

First some basics:

CDMA One, also written cdma, refers to the original ITU IS-95 (CDMA) wireless interface protocol that was first standardized in 1993. It is considered a second-generation (2G) mobile wireless technology.

GPRS and EDGE Networks are common in Tailand, they offers a transmission speed of only up to 14.4 Kbps

CDMA2000, also known in Thailand as CDMA 470, aka IMT-CDMA Multi-Carrier.

CDMA2000 can support mobile data communications at speeds ranging from 144 Kbps to 2 Mbps

see also : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDMA2000

EV-DO :

EV-DO was designed as an evolution of the CDMA2000 standard that would support high data rates and could be deployed along side a wireless carrier's voice services.

see also:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution-Data_Optimized

So, let's assume you just did spend ~ 12000 baht for such a fantasic solution!

What speeds can you expect, as maximum ?

Generally, all speeds offered by Thai ISP's are domestic ones

International speeds may vary by network and proxy load.

(As example let's take a landline: cat and their reseller offer ~400 - 700 kbps international on a 2 Mbit line; if you go for a 4Mbit link you get the same international speed)

There are huge differences upon your location. To have a cellphone tower broadcast EV-DO signal, that isn't done by a software update.

So if your area has no appropriate hardware you get for example only EDGE Evolution speed ... ~800 Kbit/s

800 kbit/s: you think that's is not too bad? there are fall backs on EDGE - 230 kbit/s or GPRS - 57,6 kbit/s

So, think twice ...... it doesn't matter if you are willing to pay 12000 baht for an non-performing CDMA-EVDO adapter in thailand

(i nearly forgot - cdma2000 is NOT the worldwide standard - it's more like betamax vs. video2000 / laserdisc vs. vhs or blue ray vs. double layer)

What's bout you cellphone for example? Uh? It has four networks? It works everywhere ? Why the hack, you don't buy a data cable or blue tooth dongle

and go online. This is thailand, relax !

Greetings

Jake

Did i miss something? False information? something changed? let me know! thanks!

Remarks:

1) Hutch doesn't own infrastructure (they use Cat Towers) ( don't post: there is a TOT or TT&T singn at the tower, they are still rented from cat =))) )

2) your computer will tell you the speed between the modem and the computer , so if you connect you get the speed between em (e.g for a 3g cellphone 230kBit)

Links to ISP's / CDMA

http://www.hutch.co.th/mbi/evdo/index_en.htm

http://www.tot.co.th/toten/index.php?optio...&Itemid=517

http://www.catcdma.com/cdma.html

[dave_boo]

I'm subscribing to this thread because I'm interested in getting CDMA. GPRS in the boonies is as fun as an appendectomy.

I would like to point out that even using Bluetooth 1.x will get you a 1 Mb connection to your phone. 2.x + EDR will get you 3 Mb. IRDA should net you 2.4 kb to 16 Mb (the latter is obviously extremely optimistic). USB should be 1.5 Mb (1.x) to 480 Mb. Obviously, changing your baud speed is the biggest factor....which most people don't understand doesn't directly translate into bits/second depending upon how many bits each baud can carry (a baud is nothing but a symbol).

This chart may help those trying to visualise the various speeds:

• GSM CSD 14.4 kbit/s 1.8 kB/s
  
• HSCSD 43.2/14.4 kbit/s 5.4/1.8 kB/s
  
• GPRS 57.6/28.8 kbit/s 7.2/3.6 kB/s
  
• WiDEN 100 kbit/s 12.5 kB/s
  
• CDMA2000 1xRTT 153 kbit/s 18 kB/s
  
• EDGE (type 1 MS) 236.8 kbit/s 29.6 kB/s
  
• UMTS 384 kbit/s 48 kB/s
  
• EDGE (type 2 MS) 473.6 kbit/s 59.2 kB/s
  
• EDGE Evolution (type 1 MS) 1184/474 kbit/s 148/59 kB/s
  
• EDGE Evolution (type 2 MS) downstream 1894/947 kbit/s 237/118 kB/s
  
• 1xEV-DO Rev. 0 2457/153 kbit/s 307.2/19 kB/s
  
• 1xEV-DO Rev. A 3100/1800 kbit/s 397/230 kB/s
  
• HSDPA 14,400/5760 kbit/s 1800/720 kB/s
  
• 1xEV-DO Rev. B 73,500/14,700 kbit/s 9200/1800 kB/s
  
• HSOPA 100,000 kbit/s 12,500 kB/s
  

Note,that with 1xEV-DO Rev. B, there is a 73.5/14.7 Mb (up/down) connection possible, smashing HSDPA's rates. I don't know how much of a bother it is for cell phone providers to give that, but it's there. I believe that the HSOPA is what Japan is moving to.

**edit**

Cleaned up the post.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello

I have been using Hutch since shortly after their network launched, my reason (in first place!) was the cheap air time. Over time i came to find out that Hutch

- never drops a call

- has crystal clear voice (no, they don't pay me for saying that!)

- hangs on to a signal where a GSM phone would lose it (basement car park, elevator)

- has a data speed that's actually usable!

Even tough then, my phone (a Sanyo) connected to the PC via data cable at "28.8 kbps" i knew it had to be more because the internet was really a LOT faster than my dialup (had no ADSL then).

I have since never tried the EV-DO because i don't use a separate modem, i use my actual mobile phone as a modem and, as of yet, Hutch still doesn't offer any specific "EV-DO phone". CAT's own network is no option because i live in Bangkok and there's no "CAT CDMA", it's all Hutch (i know that the network is one only but their screwed-up "co"operation and marketing makes it look like two independent ones, which don't even permit data roaming between them).

As to the "international speeds" i can't complain for the most cases - my 1.5M/512k ADSL gives me usually about 1.4M/400k international speed (that's a TRUE line) and for Hutch, i get around 140-145k download speed internationally. That's with a phone, i guess with a specified modem it would be better, like with GPRS/EDGE - while my boss' non-EDGE aircard is "flying" at 50-ish kbps, i get only about 5-8kbps at the same time, on the same GSM network, using a mobile phone as modem (SE K750i).

At the same time, Hutch still never drops me a call, has the best voice quality of all Thai mobile networks and, in almost all places, the best reseption strength as well. Maybe that is because there are so few users on that network - regardless, it works for me and i'll keep it.

With kind regards.....

Thanh

[JakeBKK]

I have since never tried the EV-DO because i don't use a separate modem, i use my actual mobile phone as a modem and, as of yet, Hutch still doesn't offer any specific "EV-DO phone". CAT's own network is no option because i live in Bangkok and there's no "CAT CDMA", it's all Hutch (i know that the network is one only but their screwed-up "co"operation and marketing makes it look like two independent ones, which don't even permit data roaming between them).

Thanh

Hi Thanh!

Hutchison Wampoah Telecom holds a stake of CAT Telecom PCL.

The NTC Telco license issued to Hutch is one for a provider without own infrastructure.

The CAT CEO stated hutch had blown it's chance to market CDMA anyhow.

The news clippings (only in thai ) on http://www.ntc.or.th/ and other sources are quiet funny.

I guess, hong kong and bangkok are operating still quite differently..... wasn't there an old isssue

Greetings

Jake

[monty]

All the above is not very useful considering both CAT and Hutch will abandon the CDMA standard and move to the GSM standard!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...778&hl=cdma

[dave_boo]

All the above is not very useful considering both CAT and Hutch will abandon the CDMA standard and move to the GSM standard!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...778&hl=cdma

Considering the glacial speed that most technologies progress here in Thailand; I suppose that the Hutch/CAT users of CDMA shan't have a problem for a bit of time.

Furthermore, from my readings, it seems that HSDPA is not really a GSM standard as such, at least not the way that EV-DO is a CDMA standard. My understanding, which could be flawed, is that the HSDPA cards/phones is itself incompatabile with GSM. So those cards/phones that offer dual functionality have to also have a GSM chip in them. It also seems to be very expensive to upgrade from GSM to UMTS*. Further complicating the matters is the fact that not every country uses the same frequency, and a few use non-sim units, thus seeming to obviate the roaming capabilities of a Thai phone(I actually prefer a sim'd phone, but that's just me).

I also have to question the sense of them worrying about users taking their phones with them on holidays/work trips out of the country. Firstly, how many Thais actually travel overseas? And of those, how many are going to use their phones in such a way that will generate significant income to justify CAT spending yet more money to upgrade their system yet again?

Just taking a look at most of the tourists to Thailand, and those I've known to visit the States, it's much easier to simply get a pre-paid sim card than futz around with roaming.

[Plus]

I don't quite understand the previous post.

CAT/Hutchs want to move to GSM not for the speeds or international roaming - they want a bigger slice of Thailand's own market. Tens of millions of various GSM subscribers can use their phones on any network in Thailand, just swap the Sim. If they buy Hutch phones, they are stuck, and the choice of phones is not nearly as good as GSMs, and I believe they are still not compatible for sending pix or MMS messages.

[dave_boo]

I don't quite understand the previous post.

CAT/Hutchs want to move to GSM not for the speeds or international roaming - they want a bigger slice of Thailand's own market. Tens of millions of various GSM subscribers can use their phones on any network in Thailand, just swap the Sim. If they buy Hutch phones, they are stuck, and the choice of phones is not nearly as good as GSMs, and I believe they are still not compatible for sending pix or MMS messages.

If that's the only reason that CAT/Hutch want to go GSM, than the answer is obvious. Enter negotiations with the manufacturers to get more recent CDMA phones here in Thailand. There's plenty of quad-band phones that will work extremely well on all the networks in Thailand--wether the end user knows it or not. For instance, Nokia offers quite a few different models....and the end user wouldn't care as long as they could keep buying the latest model.

[nikster]

I don't quite understand the previous post.

CAT/Hutchs want to move to GSM not for the speeds or international roaming - they want a bigger slice of Thailand's own market. Tens of millions of various GSM subscribers can use their phones on any network in Thailand, just swap the Sim. If they buy Hutch phones, they are stuck, and the choice of phones is not nearly as good as GSMs, and I believe they are still not compatible for sending pix or MMS messages.

If that's the only reason that CAT/Hutch want to go GSM, than the answer is obvious. Enter negotiations with the manufacturers to get more recent CDMA phones here in Thailand. There's plenty of quad-band phones that will work extremely well on all the networks in Thailand--wether the end user knows it or not. For instance, Nokia offers quite a few different models....and the end user wouldn't care as long as they could keep buying the latest model.

Roaming is very important. Presumably, if the new system is GSM, then GSM customers from other countries can roam on the network.

A Canadian operator estimated this to be worth $Bns a year in Canada recently - probably reaming business customers for all it's worth, but still. When they did their switch for several $Bn, they estimated that roaming alone would pay for it over just a few years.

It helps to be go with GSM in several ways:

* Better handsets - All you need to do is look at the USA - Sprint and Verizon's phones generally look like 5 year old models that nobody else wanted, whereas GSM operators AT&T and T-Mobile keep growing their market share. There are exceptions but by and large that's the way it is.

* Customers can move over or back easily - which is especially important in a market like Thailand where people buy the latest 20K baht handsets on loan. A nice handset can be a big investment here, and there are no subsidies. Imagine you buy a 20K CDMA handset and you suddenly don't like CAT anymore - expensive paperweight!

* Other CDMA operators (Australia, Canada) are moving towards GSM which means CDMA runs a real risk of becoming a niche.

* Roaming - it's worth $Bns per year. Even if in Thailand, it's worth only a few hundred mil a year, that's still very substantial.

I think that's just a few very heavy weight reasons. CAT wants to be the biggest mobile operator in Thailand, they are not content to being an also-ran. Therefore they have no choice but to go with GSM.

[nikster]

I actually wanted to post something on topic.

CAT EV-DO is blazingly fast for me up in the north, with speeds around 80KBps. They have no bandwidth shaping in place either which means that even when my 2Mbit is at its best at 3 am, YouTube is still faster on CDMA. TOT slows YouTube to a crawl for some reason.

Since CAT EV-DO is 100% reliable up there, and TOT is extremely unreliable, I'd say CAT is actually better. If the DSL is in good shape, it has a faster max speed and much better lag times. But thats rarely the case for me. CAT just works - even through power outages etc.

I am just trying it in Samui. The cool thing is that it just works. The bad thing is that it's way slower here than back home, around 10KB/s for the most part. Slower than GPRS EDGE. I don't know why - bad reception or too many CAT users?!

The only problem with CAT is upload speed. If you do a lot of BitTorrening, this can be a problem. Upload speeds are around 10KB/s - this is an actual limitation of EV-DO. Later EV-DO revisions have corrected this, but CAT is using the older EV-DO standard.

[longball53098]

So,,,,,,,,,,does anyone know if Hutch/Cat EVDO will be active in the Rayong Banchang area anytime soon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,? I currently use the Hutch system as a backup to my TOT adsl but when I move to Rayong in a few weeks,,,,,,no adsl at my new place so my Hutch system will be it for some time to come,,,,,,,,,

[technocracy]

Well slightly off the original topic, one thing I can tell you is that HSDPA is very impressive performance wise. I've recently return from a bit of work in South Africa for Vodacom down there and were using a HSDPA connection on their network for internet access. I would regularly get 80Kbps on downloads - which certainly can't be sniffed at!

On the news of CDMA in Thailand is there a coverage map anywhere? As I am curious if it might spill over the mekong to Vientiane - I have normal cellphone access from here and if it was available it'd make my Internet access far simpler (and probably cheaper!).

[HDRIDER]

I know Hutch offers their CDMA EVDO at up to 800 kbps in the Pattaya area.................maybe it would work in your mate's area................

So if anyone knows more on this please enlighten me

First some basics:

CDMA One, also written cdma, refers to the original ITU IS-95 (CDMA) wireless interface protocol that was first standardized in 1993. It is considered a second-generation (2G) mobile wireless technology.

GPRS and EDGE Networks are common in Tailand, they offers a transmission speed of only up to 14.4 Kbps

CDMA2000, also known in Thailand as CDMA 470, aka IMT-CDMA Multi-Carrier.

CDMA2000 can support mobile data communications at speeds ranging from 144 Kbps to 2 Mbps

see also : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDMA2000

EV-DO :

EV-DO was designed as an evolution of the CDMA2000 standard that would support high data rates and could be deployed along side a wireless carrier's voice services.

see also:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution-Data_Optimized

So, let's assume you just did spend ~ 12000 baht for such a fantasic solution!

What speeds can you expect, as maximum ?

Generally, all speeds offered by Thai ISP's are domestic ones

International speeds may vary by network and proxy load.

(As example let's take a landline: cat and their reseller offer ~400 - 700 kbps international on a 2 Mbit line; if you go for a 4Mbit link you get the same international speed)

There are huge differences upon your location. To have a cellphone tower broadcast EV-DO signal, that isn't done by a software update.

So if your area has no appropriate hardware you get for example only EDGE Evolution speed ... ~800 Kbit/s

800 kbit/s: you think that's is not too bad? there are fall backs on EDGE - 230 kbit/s or GPRS - 57,6 kbit/s

So, think twice ...... it doesn't matter if you are willing to pay 12000 baht for an non-performing CDMA-EVDO adapter in thailand

(i nearly forgot - cdma2000 is NOT the worldwide standard - it's more like betamax vs. video2000 / laserdisc vs. vhs or blue ray vs. double layer)

What's bout you cellphone for example? Uh? It has four networks? It works everywhere ? Why the hack, you don't buy a data cable or blue tooth dongle

and go online. This is thailand, relax !

Greetings

Jake

Did i miss something? False information? something changed? let me know! thanks!

Remarks:

1) Hutch doesn't own infrastructure (they use Cat Towers) ( don't post: there is a TOT or TT&T singn at the tower, they are still rented from cat =))) )

2) your computer will tell you the speed between the modem and the computer , so if you connect you get the speed between em (e.g for a 3g cellphone 230kBit)

Links to ISP's / CDMA

http://www.hutch.co.th/mbi/evdo/index_en.htm

http://www.tot.co.th/toten/index.php?optio...&Itemid=517

http://www.catcdma.com/cdma.html

Hi

I know this tread is a bit old but look at this from my EV-DO USB modem

This is Thai visa:::Download Speed: 1387 kbps (173.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload Speed: 239 kbps (29.9 KB/sec transfer rate)

This is San Francisco

Download Speed: 1189 kbps (148.6 KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload Speed: 191 kbps (23.9 KB/sec transfer rate)

New York City

Download Speed: 1292 kbps (161.5 KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload Speed: 206 kbps (25.8 KB/sec transfer rate)

[longball53098]

If I am not mistaken Hutch has discontinued selling the EV-DO high speed. They still market the MBI system up to 153 kbps and I have this and it works well for what it is.

There have been a few threads saying that the CDMA system will be scrapped in another year or so as it is not selling well and the GSM will dominate. Hutch pulled all the EV-Do web stuff a month or two ago and all you see now is the lower speed advertised.

[HDRIDER]

If I am not mistaken Hutch has discontinued selling the EV-DO high speed. They still market the MBI system up to 153 kbps and I have this and it works well for what it is.

There have been a few threads saying that the CDMA system will be scrapped in another year or so as it is not selling well and the GSM will dominate. Hutch pulled all the EV-Do web stuff a month or two ago and all you see now is the lower speed advertised.

Hi

I am not sure who told you they are on there way out, new modems, putting up new mast everywhere, dont think so.

Under the project, 49 sets of notebook PCs, data cards and mobile phones from Huawei on CAT Telecom's CDMA EV-DO 3G network will be donated to the foundation with unlimited airtime and data services for one year.

The launch, at the remote town of Mae Lana, near the Burmese border to the north, sees the tiny, remote village connected with a CDMA EV-DO Revision A base station at Doi Kew Lom via a repeater on the nearby hill. The station at Doi Kew Lom itself is connected to the fibre ring at Buppa Yarm (to the west, south of Mae Hong Son) via two microwave hops over mountainous terrain.

Theoretically, an EV-DO Rev. A device has a peak data speed of 3.1Mbps down and 1.8Mbps up. Though at the moment, the base station is fed with only two E1 links, one dedicated to voice and another to data. Each E1 link is 2MBPS. Unlike CDMA 2000 1x RTT which shares the same link, EV-DO uses separate carriers for voice and data, hence one E1 is for voice only and the other is data only.

Due to its remote location and air loss, devices were typically getting 500Kbps down and 150Kbps up at the Mae Lana site during testing.

Residents of Mae Lana, in the far north of Thailand now have access to 3G on CAT's CDMA EV-DO network. The EV-DO relay is hidden somewhere on the mountain in the back.

Deputy secretary-general of the PMMV Foundation Dr Yooth Bodharamik spoke of the foundation's first foray into telemedicine thanks to the donation of equipment by the Australian embassy a long time ago which lasted until 1993. In 2001, TOT partnered with the PMMV Foundation for a fixed-line based telehealth solution and today, it was Qualcomm which had approached the foundation for another project.

Dr Yooth explained how patients who come to the remote centre at Mae Lana will be put in touch with doctors from the Sri Sangwan hospital where they can help diagnose and actually see the problem through technology.

However, he stressed that this project was accepted with no strings attached and even mentioned that it took them over a year to finalise the conditions of accepting the gift.

"The only condition we accept is that we will respect your intellectual property rights, and I am saying this both as PMMV and the Ministry of Public Health," he said, underscoring the PMMV's policy of neutrality and non-involvement in politics.

National Telecommunication Commissioner Professor Prasit Prapinmongkonkarn spoke of how the concept of Universal Service Obligation has now expanded to Internet access as well as voice and said he would consider helping CAT provide more projects like this by waiving certain fees. "You can count on my support as long as the government does not disband us first," he said.

Dr Robert Padovani, executive vice-president and CTO of Qualcomm, explained how Qualcomm's wireless reach project was aimed at providing access to advanced data services to strengthen education, healthcare and public safety and that today the people in this village now have access to a level of healthcare that they did not have before.

This project helps demonstrate the value of 3G wireless broadband to the most underserved. It is clear that Thailand is ready for 3G transition, he said.

Phisal Jorphochaudom, president of CAT Telecom spoke of the state owned company's commitment to corporate social responsibility and promised to extend the service for a second year, though he said he only had the authority to provide one year of free service as any project lasting more than one year had to be approved by the board.

Phisal actually asked NTC Commmissioner Prasit for more time in implementing its USO projects as many were running behind schedule due to inaccessible terrain and many unforeseen problems.

CAT Telecom's CDMA network has 1,600 cells planned, 405 of them in the North.

This is from BBK Post

[dave_boo]

Can anyone find the link to CAT's EV-DO page? Can't seem to find it for some reason.

[JakeBKK]

Can anyone find the link to CAT's EV-DO page? Can't seem to find it for some reason.

Not available from CAT anymore. Hutch is still selling the cdma packet.

Currently it is afaik better to obtain a 3G handset (Iphone etc.) and wait a little bit. Despite all delays you can expect a roll-out by spring 2009.

[paiinthai]

Can anyone find the link to CAT's EV-DO page? Can't seem to find it for some reason.

I just came accross a USB plug i called :

Huawei EC360 Data Card CDMA EVDO Wireless PC Card Alltel

You are Bidding on a Like NEW item in Perfect working Condition

This item is locked to Alltel wireless but can be unlocked and used

with ANY CDMA carrier

This card is for sale for 19.99 usd on ebay. I live in North Thailand and would like to get a faster connection then my present GPRS connection with DTAK and a Sierra wireless pc card.

Any one have any info on weather I can use this with CAT or other CDMA service near Soppong (Bangmapah, about 35 km. northwest of Pai)?

[paiinthai]

Can anyone find the link to CAT's EV-DO page? Can't seem to find it for some reason.

Correction: on the post below the product in question is not a USB plug in, its a pc card, dahhh,

I just came accross a USB plug i called :

Huawei EC360 Data Card CDMA EVDO Wireless PC Card Alltel

You are Bidding on a Like NEW item in Perfect working Condition

This item is locked to Alltel wireless but can be unlocked and used

with ANY CDMA carrier

This card is for sale for 19.99 usd on ebay. I live in North Thailand and would like to get a faster connection then my present GPRS connection with DTAK and a Sierra wireless pc card.

Any one have any info on wether I can use this with CAT or other CDMA service near Soppong (Bangmapah, about 35 km. northwest of Pai)?

[nikster]

Can anyone find the link to CAT's EV-DO page? Can't seem to find it for some reason.

I just came accross a USB plug i called :

Any one have any info on weather I can use this with CAT or other CDMA service near Soppong (Bangmapah, about 35 km. northwest of Pai)?

Wouldn't count on it - go to the CAT headquarters in Mae Hong Son and ask there. They'll also be able to tell you whether CDMA works in Soppong. I'd think it would because AFAIK the internet cables go from Pai to Mae Hong Son, and it works in both Pai and Mae Hong Son (I've tried in both places). And it also worked in some unlikely and remote places for me. Everywhere except Bangkok, actually.

Of course if it's true that CAT is not selling its CDMA service anymore it's kind of a moot point. Anyone have more info on that, like an official statement? My CDMA card is running just fine...

[nikster]

Can anyone find the link to CAT's EV-DO page? Can't seem to find it for some reason.

http://www.catcdma.com/

http://www.catevdo.com/

http://www.catcdma.com/product/usb.htm

Wow! I am just seeing a new modem on that page, the CCU-680. It can do EV-DO Rev. A which has a much better upload rate. Seems like CDMA is alive and kicking

[dave_boo]

Can anyone find the link to CAT's EV-DO page? Can't seem to find it for some reason.

http://www.catcdma.com/

http://www.catevdo.com/

http://www.catcdma.com/product/usb.htm

Wow! I am just seeing a new modem on that page, the CCU-680. It can do EV-DO Rev. A which has a much better upload rate. Seems like CDMA is alive and kicking

When I had posted that CAT's website wasn't working properly. I had since found out they had fixed it. Thanks none the less.

[joka]

Hello,

I just want to say I have been using CAT CDMA for nearly two years now, with great success. And TOT ADSL has been unaccessible for the past few days in the village.

I really want to upgrade to the USB CCU-680 now (thanks, dave-boo), as I have been using the PCMCIA Sierra Wireless 570. It's nice to be able to hook an usb extension cable to the modem and move it around or fashion a home made antenna.

Is it possible to plug one of these USB modems into a wireless router?

[dave_boo]

Hello,

I just want to say I have been using CAT CDMA for nearly two years now, with great success. And TOT ADSL has been unaccessible for the past few days in the village.

I really want to upgrade to the USB CCU-680 now (thanks, dave-boo), as I have been using the PCMCIA Sierra Wireless 570. It's nice to be able to hook an usb extension cable to the modem and move it around or fashion a home made antenna.

Is it possible to plug one of these USB modems into a wireless router?

Yes. The Cradlepoint MBR1000 has been rumoured to work, and when I get home in November I'll give you a first hand account of the success (or failure ). Supposedly Load Balancing is in the works.

[Gary A]

This being Thailand, you never know what they are going to do. I read where they were going to expand the EV-DO coverage and the next thing I hear is that they are going to pull the plug. That had the absolute WORST marketing of something that should have gone very well.

Does anyone know for sure if they are scrapping the CDMA network?

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

I asked about that when i paid my last Hutch bill and was told that "no such plan exists". But then - the sales people also won't know too much.

I have sen on CAT's website, they offer a nice phone there - CDMA + GSM in one, dual-SIM. I have seen a similar device (for the same price) at MBK, but that one being of crappy quality and it had a built-in television (which appears to be the latest craze here). The one CAT offers looks like a Samsung, but isn't. If there were CAT shops in Bangkok i'd get one

I hope they stay with CDMA, as long as they do, i will do. Their marketing DOES suck - only with "cheap minutes", completely ignoring the fact that CDMA is the "healthiest" of all the cellular technologies due to it's lower frequency AND very low output power........ and it has way superior voice quality, i have been on all Thai networks except Suthep Net and CAT, Hutch is by far the best (and CAT should be identical, being the same system, plus i've "roamed" on it in Chiang Mai and it was just as good as Hutch - crystal clear, that is).

Best regards.....

Thanh

[dave_boo]

This being Thailand, you never know what they are going to do. I read where they were going to expand the EV-DO coverage and the next thing I hear is that they are going to pull the plug. That had the absolute WORST marketing of something that should have gone very well.

Does anyone know for sure if they are scrapping the CDMA network?

Only rumours and innuendos are to be heard I'm afraid. If you hadn't noticed, Thailand isn't the techonological paradise that Korea or Japan is. As such, I can't see them rolling out a tech that's just now gaining traction in the rest of the world. Stating that, even if they expand out of the 'trial' up in Chiang Mai of HSDPA(that they can't get right with an extremely limited subscriber base!), where are they going to go with it? Bangkok? I can't see them having a competent national roll out, so those of us who reside in the "sticks" are most likely limited to current offerings.

[CHdiver]

Hi

I asked about that when i paid my last Hutch bill and was told that "no such plan exists". But then - the sales people also won't know too much.

I have sen on CAT's website, they offer a nice phone there - CDMA + GSM in one, dual-SIM. I have seen a similar device (for the same price) at MBK, but that one being of crappy quality and it had a built-in television (which appears to be the latest craze here). The one CAT offers looks like a Samsung, but isn't. If there were CAT shops in Bangkok i'd get one

I hope they stay with CDMA, as long as they do, i will do. Their marketing DOES suck - only with "cheap minutes", completely ignoring the fact that CDMA is the "healthiest" of all the cellular technologies due to it's lower frequency AND very low output power........ and it has way superior voice quality, i have been on all Thai networks except Suthep Net and CAT, Hutch is by far the best (and CAT should be identical, being the same system, plus i've "roamed" on it in Chiang Mai and it was just as good as Hutch - crystal clear, that is).

Best regards.....

Thanh

Do you have a link to that page? I can't find this service on the cat website. Thanks

[dave_boo]

http://www.catcdma.com/product/hendset.htm#

It's the GC 162.

errh, here's some deals they're currently running.

http://www.catcdma.com/promotion/n_promotion.htm

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

here you go:

http://www.catcdma.com/product/hendset.htm

you have to scroll down and, to get the info, hover with your mouse on the orange "arrow" thingy beside the phone picture, detailed information will appear on the left of the page. It's in Thai, but the seentials are readable:

Dual-Mode CDMA/GSM

dual SIM card: one for CDMA, one for GSM

Simultaneus standby on GSM and CDMA (able to receive and make calls, send and receive SMS on both at the same time)

GSM: Tri-band 900/1800/1900

CDMA: dual-band 800/1900

QCIF-touch screen, 262k colours

1.3 MP camera

polyphonic and mp3 ringtones

Micro-SD card slot

Bluetooth

WAP 2.0 + MMS

Audio+Video recorder

Phone comes with the following: Battery, charger, USB data-cable, CD with drivers and software, stylus

It is a slider phone and looks very much like a Samsung. I know that Samsung had a model with identical specs in production (also made in China like this one) so it is possible that this one either IS the Samsung (re-badged) or that it is a copy of said Samsung.

Is there any chance of buying CAT CDMA products in Bangkok??

Best regards....

Thanh