[grahamf]

Both CDMA phones I listed are both CDMA and GSM best of both worlds

++
my Storm 1 is an EVDO phone, but in europe it is capable of HSPA.

[Bobcat665]

I've got to repeat a point I've made already. One the the worst things about CDMA phones is that they are carrier locked and there is now way around it! I'm glad there's HSPA everywhere I live because I have lot more choice in equipment now. It's also a lot easier to swap equipment. Having to manually unlock a SIM phone kinda sux, but it's worth it IMHO. Coverage in BC is pretty good too.
Like grahamf said, "the whole frickin' province is covered".

[RadioRaiders]

The network upgrade paths are different for each operator/country/etc. In Canada, I think it was a good decision to swap out CDMA for HSPA. They want to ditch CDMA and go to something newer/faster. HSPA is available now(<-key word) and is a mature technology with a wide variety of handsets, can support roamers from Europe and the rest of the world (see Olympics). Plus HSPA+ can rival LTE speeds, and when they do finally decide to swap HSPA for LTE, the upgrade will be easy. So if they do the CDMA->HSPA swap quickly, they can benefit immediately.

As for LTE, it's still "bleeding edge" and the implementation of voice is still "out to lunch" (see IMS vs VoLGA) so it will be only used for data at first, with voice calls remaining on the older technology (CDMA, GSM, UMTS). I wouldn't want to launch a LTE-only network right now, because of this and lack of handsets/devices. However, for Verizon, that's perfect. They can keep their CDMA network alive and have a dual-mode system (CDMA/LTE) while they slowly bring in the LTE network a little at a time (they are different frequencies, so no change to CDMA required). By the time LTE is developed and complete in a few years, they can slowly switch off their CDMA net.

Telstra in Australia swapped out their CDMA network in favor of HSPA in 1996. That was extremely chaotic, as Australia is a very big country, but it worked out for the best. Today they have some extremely fast data rates (21Mbps) there that they would never have had if they stayed with CDMA (limited to 3Mbps). Plus the LTE upgrade path will be easier as well.

[Bobcat665]

The network upgrade paths are different for each operator/country/etc. In Canada, I think it was a good decision to swap out CDMA for HSPA. They want to ditch CDMA and go to something newer/faster. HSPA is available now(<-key word) and is a mature technology with a wide variety of handsets, can support roamers from Europe and the rest of the world (see Olympics). Plus HSPA+ can rival LTE speeds, and when they do finally decide to swap HSPA for LTE, the upgrade will be easy. So if they do the CDMA->HSPA swap quickly, they can benefit immediately.

As for LTE, it's still "bleeding edge" and the implementation of voice is still "out to lunch" (see IMS vs VoLGA) so it will be only used for data at first, with voice calls remaining on the older technology (CDMA, GSM, UMTS). I wouldn't want to launch a LTE-only network right now, because of this and lack of handsets/devices. However, for Verizon, that's perfect. They can keep their CDMA network alive and have a dual-mode system (CDMA/LTE) while they slowly bring in the LTE network a little at a time (they are different frequencies, so no change to CDMA required). By the time LTE is developed and complete in a few years, they can slowly switch off their CDMA net.

Telstra in Australia swapped out their CDMA network in favor of HSPA in 1996. That was extremely chaotic, as Australia is a very big country, but it worked out for the best. Today they have some extremely fast data rates (21Mbps) there that they would never have had if they stayed with CDMA (limited to 3Mbps). Plus the LTE upgrade path will be easier as well.

+1 Bravo! Could'nt have put it better myself.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Joel S.]

You all have your points. Though, the fact remains that unless you're a hillbilly and only travel within US/Canada, then having a CDMA network is the worst thing ever. I travel internationally, and if it wasn't for the HSPA+ network from Bell/Telus, I wouldn't be able to use my phone at all.

I used to be with a CDMA network, and it was the worst experience ever. I could never use my phone outside US/Canada and I always had to buy some really cheap old phone just so I could have a phone to use in the country I was in.

Anyways, unless you're someone who travels only around 16.5% of the world's lands (and let's face it, everyone travels internationally nowadays), then having a CDMA network is a serious turn off.

deRusett, I think the problem is that CDMA phones usually do not support GSM networks. GSM is used by over 212 countries. Having a CDMA phone is a huge disadvantage if you're going to be travelling around the world.

The network you're on isn't the whole story, the handset's capabilities are important, if not more so than the network. Most (actually, all) high end CDMA BlackBerries now are "world phones", meaning they have GSM radios as well as CDMA radios. So, although I'm on Verizon, should I travel anywhere, I can still use my phone.

And to even insinuate I'm a hillbilly because I don't leave the US is just plain ignorance and idiocy.

[RadioRaiders]

Most (actually, all) high end CDMA BlackBerries now are "world phones", meaning they have GSM radios as well as CDMA radios. So, although I'm on Verizon, should I travel anywhere, I can still use my phone

Generally speaking, there aren't that many dual-mode (CDMA/GSM) phones out there. BlackBerry is one of the rare exceptions, and I would guess the reason for that is that their main target is (or was) business users, and they are known to travel abroad.

Really, I can't think of any other dual-mode phones. Droid, EVO, etc. all are not capable of GSM/UMTS. Cost of adding a second radio is probably a factor for low-end phones, and for high-end phones, I imagine Verizon and Sprint simply don't want their phones ending up being used on AT&T or T-Mobile's network. Notice that the dual mode BlackBerries (9630, 9650) support 3G only on 2100MHz which is used in Europe/Asia but not the US or Canada