Clearnet Communications
"The future is friendly"
|
|
| Industry | Wireless Services |
|---|---|
| Fate | Acquired and merged |
| Successor | Telus Mobility |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Defunct | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Scarborough, Ontario |
|
Area served
|
Canada |
| Services | PCS, Mike cellular networks |
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 short-lived new brand with the Clearnet name.
Clearnet Communications Inc. was launched by The Lenbrook Group in the early 1980s as a national provider of Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR), two-way radio systems commonly used by taxicab and package delivery services. In 1994, Clearnet acquired the assets of Motorola's SMR network giving Clearnet the critical mass of radio spectrum to accomplish a conversion to a digital system. At the same time, Clearnet, with new strategic partners in Motorola and Nextel, completed an initial public offering to pay for this conversion.
In December 1995, Clearnet was awarded a 30 MHz national PCS license by Industry Canada. Mobile service under the Clearnet brand was launched later that year. A new service was launched in 1996 as the Mike network, using iDEN phones with its push-to-talk (PTT) functionality. In 1997, Mike added the "Green Card" roaming option through its partnership with Nextel, which offered notably low prices on international service. Mike is marketed primarily towards business and industrial customers who need the PTT functionality.
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