CANTEL LAUNCHES PCS SERVICE
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Rogers Cantel is the first off the mark in introducing personal communication services to Canada. The company launched its PCS service in Montreal last week, and will roll it out to Toronto and Montreal early in 1997, and to most major cities by mid-1997. PCS phones are lower powered and use higher frequencies than cellular phones. They are also smaller, lighter and cheaper. They must be used within 100 metres of a small base station which relays calls locally or internationally. The phones can be used in offices, homes or public locations such as malls, but not in moving vehicles. Cantel's PCS service lets customers see the number of the person calling and allows customers to see at a glance that someone is holding. They will also be able to receive both text and numeric messages on their phones. Cantel refused to reveal its advertising for the service. It will be done by Gee, Jeffery & Partners Advertising of Toronto. Groupaction Marketing of Montreal will create ads for Quebec. Other companies given a license to launch personal communications services last year were: Clearnet Communications of Pickering,Mobility Personacom Canada of Toronto and Microcell Telecommunications Inc. of Montreal.