TORONTO, Ont. – Telus Mobility has expanded its Mike wireless network, as well as its Direct Connect walkie-talkie service. The company has also grown its network while introducing four new Mike phones, which are the first to feature Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities.

“Today’s enhancements to Mike’s Direct Connect service, phone selection and network footprint underline that Mike remains the wireless power tool of choice for Canadian business,” George Cope, president and CEO of TELUS Mobility said at a Toronto news conference.

“Direct Connect has always set Mike apart from the wireless crowd. Now, with the ability to remain in instant push button contact with fellow Mike users across most of Canada, we expect our business clients to rely more and more on Mike’s ability to save them time and money.”

One of the features of Mike’s Direct Connect is the ability to immediately connect with other users at the push of a button using its “push-to-talk” feature.

The service area ranges from Vancouver Island to Eastern Quebec.

The four new phones (introduced this fall) all have GPS capabilities. They include: Motorola i730; Motorola i305; Motorola 158sr; and Motorola i205. Company officials say the phones provide location-based tracking and mapping services making them an ideal choice for truckers.

“The business applicability of Global Positioning System functionality in our iDEN phones will ultimately reshape how many companies do business,” said Rey Mor, senior vice-president and general manager, Motorola Inc. iDEN Subscriber Group. “Where location, timing and service intertwine, our GPS enabled phones will provide intelligent solutions to smart companies.”

Meanwhile, Telus Mobility has continued expanding the Mike coverage area. In B.C., 16,000 sq. km of coverage has been added in Kamloops and the Okanagan Valley. And in Alberta, truckers in the oilfields will now have access to the Mike network. The network already covers 100 per cent of the U.S. and 77 per cent of Canada’s population. By the end of the year, the Crowsnest Pass region will also be encompassed in Mike’s coverage area. Other areas to receive coverage this year include areas north and south of Fort McMurray, the Edmonton-Jasper corridor, the Grande Cashe region, the area south of Lethbridge and the area north of Slave Lake.