Verizon Wireless Launching 1xEV-DO Service

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/2100-1039-5083528.html' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/2100-1039-5083528.html</a><br /><br /></div>Looks like 3G is coming faster in North America than we might have initially anticipated. Verizon Wireless is set to launch an $80/month BroadbandAccess package, which uses a 1xEV-DO network now established in parts of the east coast near Washington, D.C. and on the west coast near San Diego.<br /><br />"The service promises the average user download speeds of 300 kilobits per second to 500 kilobits per second, a Verizon Wireless spokeswoman said. She said that makes BroadbandAccess twice as fast as its closest competitor."<br /><br />Cool. 8) What's even nicer (according to <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/techcorporatenews/2003-09-29-verizon-wireless-data_x.htm">this article</a>) is that the PC cards that they're using with laptops for the service automatically fall back to 1xRTT, so that you're still connected in other parts of the network.

[ricksfiona]

This is good. The price is too high for the average home user, but should be fine for the business user.

[CTSLICK]

Go team go!! Keep pushing the wireless envelope. The sooner this becomes the norm or the "standard" the sooner it will become more affordable. At $80/mo I'll continue to go slow with my T-Mo plan. But if you need the bandwidth this would be great.

Wonder if the bandwidth really produces the advertised transfer rates.

[werb]

Now if only Telus would get their act together!! 40k on 1xrtt is a joke.

[entropy1980]

A little scary if you read this though

http://www.reuters.com/printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=3534786

[werb]

Quote "If the test group was exposed to third generation base station signals there was a significant impact ... They felt tingling sensations, got headaches and felt nauseous," a spokeswoman for the Dutch Economics Ministry said.


And the last time I sat on a microwave for 3 hours my butt was red. :wink: There will always be someone who says any new technology has a dark side.

[Jason Dunn]

A little scary if you read this though..

"However, cognitive functions such as memory and response times were boosted by both 3G signals and the current signals, the study found. It said people became more alert when they were exposed to both."

Wow. 8O I don't want a cell phone signal to do ANYTHING to my cognitive functions... 8O

[Janak Parekh]

A little scary if you read this though
Huh. I don't get this, at all. WCDMA in Europe uses the 2100MHz band, which is between the upper 1800MHz GSM and 2400MHz WiFi bands. Why on earth would it be any different? You might say "traffic", but the GSM and WiFi bands are already pretty saturated -- CDMA is more spectrally efficient, and that's the primary reason they're getting better bandwidth.

I think we all need to see more data before drawing a conclusion on this.

--janak

[entropy1980]

"However, cognitive functions such as memory and response times were boosted by both 3G signals and the current signals, the study found. It said people became more alert when they were exposed to both."

Wow. 8O I don't want a cell phone signal to do ANYTHING to my cognitive functions... 8O

That's what I needed all through college! All I had to do was strap a 3G handset to my head!!! :lol:

[entropy1980]

I think we all need to see more data before drawing a conclusion on this.

--janak

I agree but still the timeliness of the study I thought was kind of funny, but then again they have been tell us this stuff for years, ya know that cell phones cause cancer and everything, I find it kind of funny considering people are living longer than ever before!

[brianworkman]

Enough with the negatives.

Yes the $80 a month is expensive. But imagine if you are with Verizon and have a smartphone or PPCPE. When you have talk time added in to your plan, then the cost is always less.

It makes me wonder if I can order one of the Samsung m400's discussed a lot earlier in this post http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15656&highlight=m400. I wonder if you can get a unlocked version and program a CDMA phone?

[Bob Anderson]

I'm spending $80 a month right now on the 1xRTT data service and feel it is worth every penny (all 8,000 of them to be exact) and would easily buy a new card if I was going to get the kinds of regular speeds they are talking about!!

Now, if only Verizon could match their network "cool factor" with phones with an equal amount of coolness (i.e., where's bluetooth?) I'd be a really happy camper!

Long live wireless broadband!

[Thomas Foolery]

I used this service. I gotta tell you, 80 bucks is a deal for it. I had someone drive me around DC watching 220K streaming video at 70MPH, listening to shoutcast at 128K, never dropped a frame. It's killer. GPRS and 1xRTT are no comparison.

If they get EVDO in my home town, I'll throw out my cable modem.

[werb]

Now I have images of My shuttle running Snapstream and streaming live TV to my PPC and Tablet to keep the kids happy on trips. Who needs an in car system when you have that?

[jasoncli]

Hey I just had a thought. What if I drop my ever rising land based cable provider (Cox communication), and just get this service. That would be super cool, I would have both a cell phone service, and a internet provider for only $80.00, that could be a deal. What do ya think?

[Thomas Foolery]

Hey I just had a thought. What if I drop my ever rising land based cable provider (Cox communication), and just get this service. That would be super cool, I would have both a cell phone service, and a internet provider for only $80.00, that could be a deal. What do ya think?

EVDO. "DO" stands for "Data Only" so if you got rid of your cellular, then DO would stand more for a Homer-like "Doh!!" :lol:

[dh]

Actually, if this service could be hooked up to a router at home, it might make economic sense.

Right now I pay $53.00 per month for my cable internet and $40.00 for T-mobile Hot Spot service.

Replacing them both with the Verizon service would save money and be much more versitile than having to keep stopping at Starbucks.

[thunderck]

Sprint's 1x network is slated to be upgraded "nation-wide" Dec-Jan to 1xev-do. Sprints current data is 80 bucks for unlimited data. However you can by a data link cable from FutureDial /w software for 50 bucks and not pay any added charges but rather pay one's current monthly charge. My charge is $45 per month. I get unlimited data and on average i get 110 Kps. :lol: My current sonyo 8100 will work on the 1xev-do network. Just don't try this if you are a corporate customer because Sprint will "come down on you hard" as I have been told by a corporate rep. Personal data access will not unleash the same rath at this point. Cannot wait to have near 500 Kbs access earlly next year. :mrgreen:

[Mark Ramberg]

Maybe I misinterpreted the article, but it sounded like it was talking about Verizon was getting into the WiFi hotspot business. Separately, per the link at the bottom of the article, Verizon is building out it's next-gen cellular data network, 1X-EVDO.

[thunderck]

One of the best places to get info about CDMA is the CDG (http://cdg.org.com) (cdma dev group)

1xev-do stands for evolution data optimized. http://www.cdg.org/technology/3g/resource/cdma2000_delivers_3g.asp