Clearnet Communications
Encyclopedia
Clearnet Communications was a Canadian
cellular telephone service provider from 1984 to 2000, when it was acquired by Telus Mobility
. Clearnet operated a CDMA-based PCS
network and an iDEN
-based cellular network called Mike
. Following the merger, Clearnet's PCS service was incorporated into the existing Telus Mobility network, while the Mike system was kept as a separate service under its original name. All Clearnet's distinctive marketing and branding, including their animal theme and tag line "The future is friendly", was also adopted by Telus Communications
to promote its various services. The Clearnet brand name, however, was discontinued until April 2011, when Telus launched a MVNO
with the Clearnet name.
Prior to their merger with Telus Mobility, Clearnet had developed an innovative out of the box cell phone marketing system, where their phones were available at various retail stores, besides their own. To activate a Clearnet cell phone, a customer simply called the company with a credit card, went through an instant credit check, and if approved, they set up their Clearnet account over the phone. Within an hour or two, the customer could use his or her mobile phone service. Due to the current dominance of broadband Internet
, many companies will charge more for activations in store or over the phone while reducing or eliminating online activation fees.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
cellular telephone service provider from 1984 to 2000, when it was acquired by Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility is a division of Telus Communications which sells wireless services in Canada on its numerous networks. They currently have three different networks based on three different technologies: CDMA and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks, plus iDEN via its Mike division...
. Clearnet operated a CDMA-based PCS
Personal Communications Service
At the most basic level Personal Communications Service or PCS describes a set of wireless communications capabilities that allows some combination of terminal mobility, personal mobility, and service profile management...
network and an iDEN
Iden
For other uses of the word, see Iden The Iden was an English automobile manufactured from 1904 until 1907. Designed by George Iden, formerly of Daimler, they were four-cylinder 10/17 hp and 25/35 hp shaft-driven cars; each came with "Idens's frictionless radial gearbox"....
-based cellular network called Mike
Mike (cellular network)
Mike is a Canadian mobile phone and push-to-talk network, launched in 1996 using the proprietary iDEN platform from Motorola. The network was initially launched by Clearnet in the Windsor to Québec corridor, while its roll-out in western Canada followed in 1997...
. Following the merger, Clearnet's PCS service was incorporated into the existing Telus Mobility network, while the Mike system was kept as a separate service under its original name. All Clearnet's distinctive marketing and branding, including their animal theme and tag line "The future is friendly", was also adopted by Telus Communications
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
to promote its various services. The Clearnet brand name, however, was discontinued until April 2011, when Telus launched a MVNO
Mobile virtual network operator
A mobile virtual network operator is a company that provides mobile phone services but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service...
with the Clearnet name.
Prior to their merger with Telus Mobility, Clearnet had developed an innovative out of the box cell phone marketing system, where their phones were available at various retail stores, besides their own. To activate a Clearnet cell phone, a customer simply called the company with a credit card, went through an instant credit check, and if approved, they set up their Clearnet account over the phone. Within an hour or two, the customer could use his or her mobile phone service. Due to the current dominance of broadband Internet
Broadband Internet access
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is a high data rate, low-latency connection to the Internet— typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56 kbit/s modem or satellite Internet with inherently high latency....
, many companies will charge more for activations in store or over the phone while reducing or eliminating online activation fees.
See also
- Telus CommunicationsTELUSTelus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
, the parent that owns Telus Mobility.- Telus MobilityTelus MobilityTelus Mobility is a division of Telus Communications which sells wireless services in Canada on its numerous networks. They currently have three different networks based on three different technologies: CDMA and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks, plus iDEN via its Mike division...
, the company that acquired Clearnet in 2000.
- Telus Mobility
- Clearnet (Telus Mobility)Clearnet (Telus Mobility)Clearnet is a division of Telus Mobility launched in April 2011 which sells landline and mobile phone bundles in Western Canada. It is a revival of the Clearnet Communications brand name, an independent cellular provider that was merged into Telus Mobility in 2000...
, a MVNOMobile virtual network operatorA mobile virtual network operator is a company that provides mobile phone services but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service...
launched in April 2011 by Telus Mobility.
External links
- Clearnet website (June 2000, from the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
)