Canada, which has for long been at the forefront in leading edge communications is to get a nationwide packet cellular data network as a result of a joint venture between local conglomerate Telesystems Enterprises Ltd – a subsidiary of National Telesysteme Ltd, and Mountain View, California-based Cellular Data Inc.Using Cellular Data’s technology, the network will provide packet data services to subscribers whose requirements include fast response time, low transmission costs and low-cost end-user devices in a portable or mobile environment, Cellular says. Credit card authorisation is seen as the prime application, and target subscribers include taxi operators, home deliverers and contract service providers whose businesses would be more profitable and whose customers would be better served if credit cards could be electronically verified and authorised without using a telephone line connection. The technology being deployed uses the space between the voice band channels to carry the packet data – there has to be a narrow band between channels to prevent speech channels from interfering with one another. Packet data does not require the call set-up time speech demands so that pricing can be based on packets carried or on a per-transaction basis rather than time elapsed. Packet data is also unaffected by the hand-off technique associated with speech calls which can create errors and delays for data transmitted by cellular modems.
