RESTON, Va.-Nextel Communications Inc. and Motorola Inc. announced the 10 year anniversary of the first lab test of Nextel’s Direct Connect push-to-talk service allowing customers to instantly talk with each other in their local calling areas with a push of a single button.
The service has become a popular side effect of the carrier’s specialized mobile radio spectrum and Motorola’s iDEN technology and according to Nextel handles more than 150 million Direct Connect calls daily.
Nextel said it will begin rolling out nationwide Direct Connect services by the end of this year with initial service being offered in the New York and Boston markets. Nationwide availability is expected by the middle of next year.
