Telecom's dinosaur CDMA service is one step closer to extinction.Telecom's stop-gap CDMA phone, which came with a SIM card so it could be used to roam on overseas networks using alternative GSM technology, will no longer work overseas from today.The telco
Telecom’s dinosaur CDMA service is one step closer to extinction.
Telecom’s stop-gap CDMA phone, which came with a SIM card so it could be used to roam on overseas networks using alternative GSM technology, will no longer work overseas from today.
The telco introduced the dual-mode phone four years ago prior to the launch of its XT mobile network in June last year.
While most of Telecom’s customers who use their mobile phones overseas have switched to XT a small vanguard of holdouts, about 3%, are still to convert.
However, last night Telecom turned off its “WorldMode” service, which means making and receiving calls or texts is no longer possible overseas where there is no CDMA network. This includes Australia.
More carnage to come
In July Telecom confirmed the final kill dates for the CDMA network.
The CDMA 3G data network, known as EVDO, will shut down in a few weeks on November 30, while the final date for CDMA voice service will be mid-2012.
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