Sprint Nextel Corp. is revving up its network with the promised first launch of CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Revision A technology, lighting up San Diego with coverage that the carrier promises will deliver “significantly faster” upload speeds and faster download speeds as well. San Diego is conveniently home to CDMA pioneer Qualcomm Inc.
Sprint Nextel said that it will roll out 21 more markets by the end of the year, bringing its coverage to around 40 million potential customers. Among the initial markets: New York; Boston; Detroit; San Francisco; Denver; Salt Lake City; Los Angeles; Seattle; Baltimore; and Washington, D.C.
The carrier expects the faster network to drive its wireless data revenues and enable new applications such as video telephony, multi-user video conferencing, real-time gaming, video streaming and high-performance push-to-talk service. The company eventually plans to migrate its iDEN customers onto the Rev. A network, promising the Nextel Communications Inc. loyalists that Rev. A PTT will deliver the type of latency and reliability that those subscribers are accustomed to.
Sprint Nextel currently has several Rev. A laptop data cards available and said that it will make its first mobile broadband USB modem available in early November for $250 or as low as $50 with a two-year contract and mail-in rebate.
Sprint Nextel indicated that it expects to reach more than 200 million people with a combination of Rev. 0 and Rev. A by the end of this year. The Rev. A coverage “in most markets will initially be concentrated in airports and business districts where wireless data demand is highest and will expand to include Sprint’s entire market footprint,” the company said.
Sprint recommended that customers who already have Rev. A-capable devices visit the carrier’s Web site to download a software update to “ensure their devices are functioning on Revision A where it is available.”
