Canadian wireless executive fuels rumors of T-Mobile US iPhone
An official with new Canadian wireless carrier Videotron claimed this week that Apple will manufacture an iPhone capable of 3G speeds on his company's network, as well as T-Mobile in the U.S.
Videotron is a new mobile service from Canada's Quebecor, which launched on Thursday. The company unveiled its mobile phone line at an event on Thursday, at which one of the company's executive vice presidents reportedly made comments about the iPhone.
According to Engadget Mobile, the executive claimed that Apple has plans to manufacture an iPhone that would operate on the AWS 3G spectrum -- the same frequency used by the established T-Mobile network in the U.S.
The Videotron official allegedly said that customers should "expect an announcement in the coming months" regarding the launch of the iPhone on its network.
The timing is noteworthy as the comments came just after Chris Anderson, editor of Wired, wrote on his Twitter account a rumor that T-Mobile U.S. would launch Apple's iPhone 3GS later this year. An unidentified T-Mobile manager reportedly indicated that the carrier would receive last year's iPhone model, but not this year's iPhone 4.
Both T-Mobile U.S. and Canada's newly launched Videotron use the same UMTS/HSPA technology as AT&T, though they relies on different frequencies in the AWS 3G spectrum. T-Mobile's 3G service supports the 1700MHz and 2100MHz bands, while AT&T supports 850MHz and 1900MHz. The current iPhone hardware does not support the 1700MHz frequency, meaning a modification of the hardware would be necessary.
Of course, in the past wireless executives have made misunderstood statements or incorrect claims about Apple's future plans. For example, last month an executive with Mexican carrier Telcel suggested that Apple will produce a hardware revision of the iPhone 4 that will fix its external antenna and cause less signal attenuation when then bottom left corner is touched.
Videotron is a new mobile service from Canada's Quebecor, which launched on Thursday. The company unveiled its mobile phone line at an event on Thursday, at which one of the company's executive vice presidents reportedly made comments about the iPhone.
According to Engadget Mobile, the executive claimed that Apple has plans to manufacture an iPhone that would operate on the AWS 3G spectrum -- the same frequency used by the established T-Mobile network in the U.S.
The Videotron official allegedly said that customers should "expect an announcement in the coming months" regarding the launch of the iPhone on its network.
The timing is noteworthy as the comments came just after Chris Anderson, editor of Wired, wrote on his Twitter account a rumor that T-Mobile U.S. would launch Apple's iPhone 3GS later this year. An unidentified T-Mobile manager reportedly indicated that the carrier would receive last year's iPhone model, but not this year's iPhone 4.
Both T-Mobile U.S. and Canada's newly launched Videotron use the same UMTS/HSPA technology as AT&T, though they relies on different frequencies in the AWS 3G spectrum. T-Mobile's 3G service supports the 1700MHz and 2100MHz bands, while AT&T supports 850MHz and 1900MHz. The current iPhone hardware does not support the 1700MHz frequency, meaning a modification of the hardware would be necessary.
Of course, in the past wireless executives have made misunderstood statements or incorrect claims about Apple's future plans. For example, last month an executive with Mexican carrier Telcel suggested that Apple will produce a hardware revision of the iPhone 4 that will fix its external antenna and cause less signal attenuation when then bottom left corner is touched.
Comments
I went, omg didnt she just leak something she shouldnt had?
I am in Montreal and there was this Vidéotron spokewomen on the radio yesterday talking about there new 3g+ network. The interviewer ask about the iphone and she replied its not supported yet but expect an announcement about it in a few months.
I went, omg didnt she just leak something she shouldnt had?
Sure sounds like it. I hope her job is secure.
The local paper here called it a "carrier for Quebeckers".
Not anymore! Isn't Steve known to take retribution on companies that squeal?
I'm all for the iPhone 4 coming to T-Mobile USA. Just sayin'.
No one knows for sure. You'll just have to wait and see, just like the rest of us.
The new cell phone service covers only Montreal and Quebec City. It is promoted as the fastest cell phone service with speeds up to 21 Mbps (clearly a reflection of the AWS technology). Over the Fall of 2010, it will be expanded South and North of Montreal, but will not come to Saguenay, Gatineau and Ottawa before the Spring of 2011.
The CEO of Videotron never mentioned that the iPhone would be offered by Videotron later on or that the iPhone 5 would be compatible with the technology, frequencies and higher speeds offered by Videotron.
Please read me correctly: It may happen at some point later on, possibly with the iPhone 5, but there are no guaranties and there were no announcements.
For the time being, Videotron is promoting the Nexus One, an HTC smartphone running Google's Android 2.2. Videotron claims to be the first company in Canada to offer a cell phone powered by version 2.2 of the Android OS.
For background info, the choppy Google translation of 2 newspaper articles originally written in French:
http://translate.google.com/translat...te-android.php
http://translate.google.com/translat...ice-mobile.php
An "Official New Canadian Wireless Carrier"? Is it actually Canadian when it's only available in Quebec City and Montreal?
The local paper here called it a "carrier for Quebeckers".
oh so that's why they're called "FrancoPHONES".
Sprint would be the most profitable since it has the 4G network and the speeds would be extreme.
Sprint's 4G is as fast as AT&T's 3G. TMobile and AT&T will have even faster speeds within a year.