Verizon Unveils High Speed Data Network Plans

[Kris Kumar]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040922/ap_on_hi_te/high_speed_wireless_1' target='_blank'>http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040922/ap_on_hi_te/high_speed_wireless_1</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Verizon Wireless plans next week to expand its high-speed mobile data service to 11 more markets, including New York and Los Angeles, as well as 19 more airports. The speedier laptop connections will be marketed only to businesses while the company adds coverage and readies services and devices for a consumer-oriented launch in 2005, Verizon Wireless said Wednesday...Verizon Wireless, owned jointly by Verizon Communicaions Inc. and Vodafone PLC, is promising downloads of 300 to 500 kilobits per second using "EV-DO" technology, rivaling the speed of entry-level DSL and cable broadband connections."</i><br /><br />The race to upgrade the cell phone data networks in the US has begun. Currently Verizon Wireless and <a href="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6193">AT&T</a> are the two main participants, who have high speed networks operational. Verizon currently does not have any EV-DO capable phone and is only offering EV-DO laptop cards for $100 after a $150 rebate. The high speed mobility will come at a high price, $80 per month. 8O

[MobileRob]

I can not wait for this to be available in Ohio and with a EVDO Smartphone to use with it. That will be my next purchase! :way to go:

Rob. 8)

[ShivShanks]

The high speed mobility will come at a high price, $80 per month. 8O

Wait for Sprint to start rolling its EV-DO network. They will have more reasonable prices I'm sure. It looks like Verizon is so far targetting this at the jet set corporate laptop user types. Sprint OTOH has been more at the forefront of pushing technology to all users at the same time. For example they pushed 1xRTT to all users at the same time and had handsets ready for it. 2005 will be an inetersting year for high speed data access.

[Kris Kumar]

I agree, once Sprint adopts a technology, it does not believe in keeping it restricted to a region or the elite. It applies the technology over its entire network. Like when they launched the initial data services and then Vision services etc.

I too hope that they would do the same for EV-DO. Not to forget they offer sweet prices. :-)

[ricksfiona]

I have faith in that T-Mobile will do something soon. They've always been there at the front. 100kbs - 300kbs is VERY cool :drool:

At this speed, you can start expecting streaming video to your PDA/phone... And the porn industry will be the first ones there.

[aristoBrat]

Keep in mind that the technology that Sprint/Verizon are deploying is two steps ahead of T-Mobile.

They've gone from (I forget the name) to 1xRTT to EV-DO/EV-DV.
T-Mobile's needs to go from GPRS to EDGE to UMTS (or whatever).

T-Mobile's still on GPRS. Le Sigh

[Kris Kumar]

I feel that T-Mobile is focusing on the WiFi Hot Spots and is betting on the fact that soon the phones will have WiFi built into them. That is why I believe we haven't any announcements from them. I feel it is a nice strategy. WiFi is faster than most of the 3G speeds being offered currently. Now if only we can get some phones.

Too bad the newer Smartphones don't have SD slots, instead have mini-SD. Which means we will not be able to use the standard SDIO WLAN cards. :-(

[wirelessbeachbum]

The region by region city by city launch of EVDO by Verizon is a little annoying, but they expect to have 1/3 of their network launched by the end of the year and the rest next year.

Sprint may have a tough time getting EVDO launched all at once like they did 1xrtt because over the past year their affiliates have had to pay for Switch upgrades for Readylink which gave them virtually no return on investment, if the affiliates have to pay 20k or so for each cellsite updated radio card for EVDO, they may have a tough time launching it all at once.

[aristoBrat]

I feel that T-Mobile is focusing on the WiFi Hot Spots and is betting on the fact that soon the phones will have WiFi built into them. That is why I believe we haven't any announcements from them. I feel it is a nice strategy. WiFi is faster than most of the 3G speeds being offered currently. Now if only we can get some phones.

Too bad the newer Smartphones don't have SD slots, instead have mini-SD. Which means we will not be able to use the standard SDIO WLAN cards. :-(
I think that T-Mobile US is hoping that the WiFi HotSpots will hold their heavy-hitting data users until they can get something faster into the field. Until then, $20/month for unlimited GPRS and another $20/month for unlimited WiFi at 6,000+ HotSpots isn't a bad deal! :D

Looks like T-Mobile US is interested in UMTS:
"Our goal is to deliver a great mobile experience to our customers, and we must do so while managing operational costs," said Tim Wong, executive vice president and chief technology officer, T-Mobile USA. "BTS 18000 will enable us to keep our operational costs in check while dramatically increasing network capacity, so we can manage a larger volume of voice calls and swiftly roll-out advanced data services that our customers desire."

http://www.wirelessiq.info/content/newsfeed/1803.html