I have to admit, all of the TELUS Motorola Milestone rumors have been coming fast and furious lately… and the latest batch going ’round that it would launch on February 18th left me scratching my head. Don’t get me wrong, it still very well could launch on the 18th… But to this point I’ve been unable to get any sort of verification from the folks at TELUS (NYSE: TU), which was why I was reluctant to post any release dates for the Milestone.

Today, it looks like Best Buy has changed their tune, perhaps in reaction to TELUS bonking them on the head for spilling the beans. As you can see in the shot above (via MobileSyrup), Best Buy has removed the so-called launch date and have replaced it with a much more vague (and date free) pre-order blurb.

What you make of this is your own business. Could be the launch is delayed… Could be it’ll still launch on the 18th. Only thing I know for sure is I’ll let you know the moment I find out the real scoop from TELUS!

The Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Milestone launch on TELUS (NYSE: TU) might not be all that exciting for the HSPA-less residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but it sure is exciting for everyone else on Canada’s TELUS network. Following on news that the Motorola Milestone will soon be hitting Canadian airwaves, Best Buy has seemingly confirmed what the carrier has been reluctant to admit thus far – the Milestone will go live on February 18th! More to the point, GSM Droid hopefuls in the US will want to mark down that date in their calendars as the first day that a GSM variant of the Motorola Droid will be available with AT&T (NYSE: T) 3G compatible frequencies.

The implications here are huge. The Motorola Droid is so far a Verizon-only affair. Big Red’s network is completely incompatible with AT&T’s network, so the option of unlocking a US Droid for use on AT&T’s 3G network is out of the question. But, unlocking a TELUS Milestone for use on Big Blue’s network is totally within the realm of possibility. Imagine a Droid that will surf on a 3G network that lets you surf the web and make a voice call at the same time.

Now, get to working on figuring out just how you’re going to get a TELUS Milestone across the border.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Just an early morning quickie here for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Tour 9630 owners. We received a tip that TELUS (NYSE: TU) has released OS 5.0.0.419 for the Tour 9630… After a quick check, yes, it’s an official build, and you can get it from the BlackBerry Software Download Site (select the Tour 9630 from the dropdown menu to get started).

You may recall that just the other day Sasktel launched the same build… So don’t be one bit surprised if we see more official launches of .419 in the near future.

As always, if you do install, be sure to backup your device and take all necessary precautions before you start. Afterward, if you notice any marked improvements or enhancements, let us know about them in the comments.

The frustration for folks in Manitoba and Saskatchewan continues. With the Motorola Milestone launching on TELUS ‘real soon’, many nationwide are eagerly awaiting the official word. I’ve been prodding my contacts to spill the beans on this one, with no luck… However, ‘coming soon’ ads have appeared on the TELUS site, and my contacts have assured me the device is coming very VERY soon… That is, to all parts of the country besides Manitoba and Saskatchewan!

Yesterday, a new ‘ad’ popped up on the TELUS (NYSE: TU) site noting that the Milestone will not be available in MB and SK… at least for the immediate future. This is extremely frustrating and disappointing for folks in the area, as this is the second time around for such a debacle. Not so long ago when TELUS went live with the iPhone 3GS, the same deal went down, in fact, it’s still going down. Manitobans and Saskatchewanians (sp?) are still in the dark when it comes to Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s latest iteration of the iPhone.

The reason for these exclusions is of course due to their network. TELUS doesn’t have any HSPA coverage in MB or SK, hence the lack of iPhone and Milestone action. I hope TELUS is hustling on this one… I know more than a few folks are panting at the door, scratching and clawing to get out of their Rogers (NYSE: RCI)’ contracts.

Update: Just spoke to a contact at TELUS (NYSE: TU), and here’s the latest on the outage:

Fort St John won’t be affected. Only a few rural areas outside of that community will be affected, so around a few 100 people. The outage is expected to last just a couple of hours but we want to give a longer window just in case. We’re in constant communication with emergency personnel to ensure all preparations are taken. We are doing this work on network upgrades which in the end will help TELUS better serve these communities needs.

Starting February 8th at 11PM, and running through February 9th at 6AM, TELUS will have a scheduled outage to allow for some network upgrades. Now don’t panic, this is only for select areas out west, including Fort St. John, Charlie Lake and Cecil Lake… Plus, any of the following area codes: 261, 262, 263, 264, 785, 787 and 794.

Folks in said locations can expect outages in their cell AND landline during the time period mentioned above. This has caused some major concerns in the area, as the downtime will mean absolutely no service for folks in the area, including 911 calls. Emergency operations and personnel in the area are working towards preparedness for the scheduled downtime.

From what I’ve read thus far, it sounds like folks in the area are none too impressed.

Read

Well whataya know… over the weekend images of a Best Buy Mobile Buyer’s Guide detailed the Motorola Milestone as coming soon to TELUS (NYSE: TU)… Now, TELUS has gone ahead and made it kinda-sorta official by posting a link to a new coming soon page for the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Milestone. You can check it out right here.

On the new page you can register to receive periodic updates on the Milestone and its availability in Canada. To check out the promos over at TELUS, simply hit up their website. The links on the site will point you to the registration page over at Motorola… Guess the folks at Hello Moto are handling news and notifications on the release.

It’s only a matter of time now before the Milestone becomes available. My guess? We’ll see the Motorola Milestone on TELUS before the end of the month. What do you think? Sound off in the comments!

Thanks Phillip!

It wasn’t long ago that TELUS (NYSE: TU) released the BlackBerry Curve 8530. Introductory pricing on the latest iteration of the Curve was set at $49.99 on a 3-year contract. Not bad, but once again it looks like early adopters got burned… to the tune of $25. Yessir, the TELUS BlackBerry Curve 8530 is now available for $24.99 on the same 3-year term.

If you’ve been considering the Curve 8530, $25 for such a device is an almost unbeatable deal… that is, if you’re OK with paying those darn voice and data bills month after month for 3 years

The TELUS Curve 8530 is available in both Silver and Red, and features a full QWERTY keyboard, trackpad navigation, WiFi, 2MP camera, microSD expansion to 16GB and much more.

Get all the details over at TELUS.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

The Motorola Milestone, aka DROID has been a tightly guarded secret in Canada. With knowledge that the Milestone will indeed be making an appearance on the TELUS (NYSE: TU) network, all of my contacts within the company have been tight-lipped at best… and I have to give them all credit for being consistent on the topic. My most recent correspondence with TELUS regarding the Milestone resulted in this reply:

TELUS doesn’t comment on rumors and speculations but as previously mentioned when TELUS and Moto announced the upcoming release of the Milestone with TELUS, the device will be available in early 2010. We are as excited to bring this product to Canadians as many of your readers are and we will let everybody know when it’s launching officially as soon as we can.

A pretty stock answer, and consistent with their position all along.

With that said, the evidence is starting to pile up that the Milestone may be coming soon. In an upcoming edition of the Best Buy Mobile Buyer’s Guide, you can clearly see a the Moto Milestone emblazoned on the cover. While no pricing or launch date is given, this is surely good news for those eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Milestone in Canada.

Stay tuned for more.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Received a note from TELUS (NYSE: TU) this morning, letting us know that they’ve implemented a new technology to better track 911 emergency calls. The new tech lets TELUS and other carriers to pass enhanced location information to the 911 operators… In the end, this helps emergency services better locate the caller, translating (hopefully) into faster response times.

The new system uses a combination of GPS and cell tower trilateration to provide the most accurate location information possible… of course, this all depends on the handset being used, however… Some have GPS built-in, others don’t

For more information on the new ‘Enhanced 911′ service, hit up TELUS.

TELUS (NYSE: TU) has just launched the BlackBerry Curve 8530 in red and silver. To pick one up, you’ll need $49.99 on a 3-year plan, $249.99 on a 2-year, $299.99 on a 1-year and $349.99 on no contract.

The official description via TELUS:

The BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Curve 8530 lets you be as social as you like, wherever you like. Enjoy the convenience of a QWERTY keyboard and apps for Facebook, MySpace and more. The latest version of the very popular BlackBerry Curve features a faster processor and BlackBerry 5.0 software, making it easier to use than ever.

Key features of the 8530 include the full QWERTY keyboard, 3G (CDMA EVDO Rev 0), OS 5.0, optical trackpad, microSD expansion to 16GB, Bluetooth, WiFi, 2MP camera, voice dialing, speakerphone and more.

For more information pop on over to TELUS.