WIRELESS CELLULAR DATA FAQ - TELUS MOBILITY

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions regarding Cellular Service Providers in general, and Telus Mobility in particular. For more general Cellular Data Questions and Answers, please see the Wireless Cellular Data FAQ here.

	What is Wireless Cellular Data?
	What Is Dual Mode Data?
	My Phone Is Not Dual Mode, Will Ositech's CellFlex Products Still Work For Me?
	I have a Dual Mode Cell Phone, yet I cannot make Digital Data Calls - why not?
	How are the King of Hearts and King Of Clubs Different?
	How Do I Use Ositech's Cellular Data Kit to get on the Internet?
	Are there any extra costs from Ositech to use your product once I've purchased it?
	Is a separate Digital Data plan required with Telus Mobility for digital data access through my cellphone ?
	What do GSM, TDMA, CDMA and AMPS Mean?
	My Connection Speeds Seem Particularly Low, How Do I Get a Stronger Data Connection?
	Why am I not Getting 56K Cellular Data Connections?
	Can I Use my Current Internet Service Provider (ISP) with Ositech's Products?

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions regarding Wireless Cellular Data and Cellular connections.

What Is Wireless Cellular Data?
Wireless cellular data is the technical description for making calls from your computer to another computer using your cell phone. The "Data" refers to the fact that you are not sending voice over the phone lines, but actual computer information.
What Is Dual Mode Data?
Dual Mode Data, like Dual Mode cellular phones, is a data connection technology which allow your cellular PC Card to switch, along with your phone, between analog and digital modes allowing connections under either network.
My Phone Is Not Dual Mode, Will Ositech's CellFlex Products Still Work For Me?
Yes and no. If you have an analog-only phone, you can use Ositech's CellFlex-capable products, but they will only allow you to make analog connections (as you would make with any Cellular Internet solution). Your phone, since it is not Dual Mode itself, will not be able to tap into the added power of Dual Mode Data. The advantage to getting a CellFlex-capable product, even if you only have an analog phone at present, is that it is technology for the future, and you will be able to use its full capabilities if you ever upgrade to a dual mode phone, or if you ever move into a digital-capable area.
I have a Dual Mode Cellular Phone, yet I cannot make Digital Data Calls - why not?
Digital data calls require different services on the network than those present during a Digital voice call. Even if your Dual Mode phone can make Digital voice calls on your cellular network, you may not be able to make Digital data calls. Please check with your cellular service provider.
How are the King of Hearts and King Of Clubs Different?
Both Trumpcards are cellular modem PC cards with CellFlex (Dual Mode Data). The King of Hearts and the King of Clubs cellular connection kits include everything that you need to set up and start accessing the Internet and email wirelessly. Both products provide wide geographic coverage and easy-to use installation software and manuals. The only difference between them is that the King of Hearts has the provision for connecting to a regular phone line using its wireline (landline) modem, whereas the King of Clubs does not. Which one is right for you? You may want to choose the King of Hearts Cellular Connection Kit if you want to access the Internet wirelessly and through a landline at your home or office, and 1) If your laptop does not already have a modem, or 2) If you want to upgrade your current modem, or 3) If you want to have a back-up modem in case the one in your laptop fails. You may opt for the King of Clubs Cellular Connection Kit if you only want to access the Internet wirelessly. If you would also like to have online access through a landline at your home or office, you must have a laptop with an internal modem or you must choose the King of Hearts Trumpcard.
How Do I Use Ositech's Data Kit To Get On The Internet?
All you need is a laptop and a cell phone, once you purchase Ositech’s King of Hearts or King of Clubs Cellular Data kit – you’ll have all you need to get online. Ositech’s documentation shows you how to set up the most common Internet Dial-Up packages so that you can log on to your Internet Service Provider and begin surfing the web.
Are there any extra costs from Ositech to use your product once I've purchased it?
No. Ositech is a manufacturer and supplier of PC Cards and Wireless Mobile Data solutions. We do not operate a network which would require users to purchase time from us at any point. While there will likely be costs from a service provider in order to use their Digital Data network, there are no costs/charges from Ositech once you have purchased one of our data products.
Is a separate Digital Data plan required with Telus Mobility for digital data access through my cell phone?
Yes. While many Digital Cellular plans encompass both Digital and Analog VOICE minutes, most service providers require a separate Digital Data plan be subscribed to in order to use their Digital Data networks. As a Telus Mobility user, you must subscribe to Telus' PCS Online, Mike Online or Velocity Wireless service.
What Do GSM, TDMA, CDMA And AMPS Mean?
GSM, TDMA, CDMA and AMPS are all forms of Wireless communication technologies. Each provides a different method of carrying data (or voice) from its source phone or computer to its destination phone or computer. Each is explained in some detail below: GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) GSM is a digital mobile telephone system that is widely used around the world (especially in Europe). GSM uses a variation of TDMA and is the most widely used of all three digital wireless telephone technologies. GSM digitizes and compresses data, then sends it down a channel with two other streams of user data, each in its own time slot TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) TDMA (used in GSM, above) is a technology which divides each cellular channel into three slots in order to increase the amount of data that can be carried on a particular channel at a particular time. CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) CDMA, unlike TDMA and GSM, after digitizing data, spreads it out over the entire bandwidth available to it (unlike GSM and TDMA which place the calls side by side in three streams). Multiple calls are then overlapped on top of each other, and each is assigned a unique sequencing code to "unlock" the information only when and where it should be unlocked. AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) AMPS is the original standard for cellular products. All AMPS phones should work in almost any region across Canada or the United States.
My Connection Speeds Seem Particularly Low, How Do I Get A Stronger Data Connection?
Wireless Data connections are slower than their landline counterparts. This is a factor of the existing Wireless Network infrastructure. Staying in one location during a cellular data connection can ensure a more constant signal and help avoid interference with your connection. If you are inside a building, try to locate yourself as close to a window as possible, position yourself as far away from large metal objects (such as elevators) as possible, also, try to avoid sitting too close to fluorescent lights as they can provide "noise" which can interfere with cellular data signals. In terms of simple solutions; Digital connections will tend to yield faster speeds than their Analog counterparts, so positioning yourself in a Digital Data area may help ensure you obtain the optimal data connection possible with your phone and provider.
Why Am I Not Getting 56K Cellular Data Connections?
While Ositech sells 56K PC Card modems, these fast speeds are only attainable through regular phone line connections. When making a cellular data call, interference and atmospheric conditions make cellular phones unable to establish high speed (over 14.4K) connection speeds. Ositech Wireless Cellular Modems will provide you with the optimum data connection possible within the confines of the limitations and resources available on the cellular network in your area.
Can I Use my Current Internet Service Provider (ISP) with Ositech's Wireless Data Products?
While you should be able to continue using your current ISP with Ositech's products, you will have to be sure of a few things. As Cellular data generally provides a slower form of connection than traditional landline modems, you will have to confirm that your ISP will accept low speed dial-up connections (below 19,200 for Digital and below 9600 for Analog). As long as your ISP can handle lower speed connections, you should have no difficulty making Wireless Data connections without switching Dial-Up providers. Please contact your ISP for clarification.
If you have further questions not answered above, check out our Education page or e-mail the Webmaster.

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