In its battle for mobile-data service dominance, Bell Canada is bumping up the speed of its CDMA-based network to provide 3.1 Mbps downloads and 1.8 Mbps uploads. Bell has also introduced two Novatel Wireless Inc. data-access cards, one in PC card form, the other ExpressCard. As well, Bell said it's now offering Research In Motion Inc.'s (RIM) BlackBerry 8830 World Edition smartphone, which operates on North America's CDMA networks and the GSM networks that are more common in Europe. With new features such as wireless number portability on the mobile landscape, Bell and other carriers have been adding novel services, such as video, business-specific applications and speed enhancements, to win more customers.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.