Ev-do (and Cdma) In Phuket

[woodyleonhard]

Many of you are wondering about EV-DO access in Thailand. I don't know about the rest of the country, but in Phuket, the news is very good indeed.

An overview of CAT DO service: Phuket Gazette computer column, October 7.

Quick details on getting started: Phuket Gazette October 21 Q&A.

(Those links will only work until about October 29.)

Next week, in the October 28 issue of the Phuket Gazette, I'll have a full view of what's available, how much it costs, and where it'll work. The short version: DO service with a CAT-supplied PCMCIA card costs B 16,000 for the Air Card, with free service through the end of the year. Starting in January it'll be 1,300 baht per month for unlimited service. I got real 400 Kbps to 600 Kbps download speeds (tested with DSLreports on the Seattle server) almost everywhere in Phuket.

I didn't believe it either, until I tried it.

[monty]

Brilliant!

So the report on here about two weeks ago from a member who tested around 1mbps download on a laptop with an aircard are true!

Lets hope they manage to roll out the network pretty fast.

But when I see where they are planning the first roll-outs, it looks as it's the places currently not served by Hutch's cdma network.

I'm in a place where Hutch has presence, so unless Hutch will upgrade to EV-DO it might be a while till we can get these speeds over here

[joka]

Hello,

Monty, where exactly is CAT/HUTCH planning the first roll-outs?

I guess I would be able to use the service with my NOkia 6630, as it's a 3-G WCDMA phone.

[monty]

CAT has just teamed with Hutch to start 3G telephone service in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Khon Kaen and Phistanulok, since 3G telephones and EV-DO air cards use the same network.

[pete66]

I have a 3G data card for my Dell notebook. Where can I sign up to this Hutch service in BKK? How much is it per month?

Also, would I have to buy a new "air card", or would the 3G data card I have just bought suffice?

Here is their website:

http://www.hutch.co.th/broadband/index_en.htm

I am wondering why they only advertise "Almost three times faster than normal modem connections (up to 153 Kbps : 60-70 Kbps on average)."

That sounds extraordinarily slow for CDMA wireless acesss - no better than GRPS - what gives?

Edited October 22, 2006 by pete66

[joka]

Hello....I searched on the Phuket Gazette site, but couldn't find the new article on this service. Today I discovered the two CAT towers in town, so it looks like I will be able to use this service. Any news or reviews? I think I read before about a 3000 baht phone Hutch was offering that was compatible with this service?

[LivinLOS]

Was at CAT last week trying to get a version of thier fast ADSL service. It was like pulling teeth.

first they said I should get a TT&T line and Hinet.. I explained no I wanted thier fast 2Mbit line direct.. Then they asked if I had a TOT or a TT&T line.. I said no I wanted thier fast 2Mbit line.. Then they get an engineer / technical guy out.. Repeat..

Then he says I cant get the line becuase its not available at my location / address.. But I hadnt told him where I lived !! I asked him how does he know its not available at my location, what is my location and he was predictably huffy..

Staying super polite and smily I pushed and pushed and in the end they said they would send an engineer the next day to check my location for the service and took my name number address and a map.. Was promised a calll the next 48 hours eiother later tomorrow or the following.. Of course it never happend. I am guessing it went in the bin once I left.

After this rigmarole I tried to ask about the CDMA.. Initially nothing.. Pushing them (didnt know EVDO but did know it was CDMA) again engineer called as front desk knew nothing.. One paper in Thai only.. Asked about wiring a desktop, and they didnt know, look on paper, look confused, etc etc.. They have an aircard for laptops but when I said I had to wire in a network they just looked like a puppy that had been shown a card trick. They then said it would be impossible to wire a desktop or multiple omputers, stared to explain that of course you could have a laptop with aircard being a server or even simply ICS to many others but thought whats the point.

I thought the TOT were bad.. CAT set new lows for compuet illiteracy for me.

Hopefully the service will be great but they need to do something about thier frontline staff if they intend to have a data department.

Edited October 29, 2006 by LivinLOS