RESTON, Va.-Following what it called a successful trial, Nextel Communications Inc. said it will begin accepting paying customers for its high-speed service using Flarion Technologies’ Flash-OFDM technology. Nextel will also expand the coverage and scope of its wireless broadband network trial, which was initially offered in the Raleigh, N.C., market, to now cover approximately 1,300 square miles, including Durham, Chapel Hill and other neighboring communities.
The service, which is now called Nextel Wireless Broadband and initially trialed earlier this year for select Nextel clients, will be available in four price plans ranging from $35 to $75 per month with varying speeds, number of e-mail accounts and amount of online storage. All plans will also include a one-time $100 equipment fee for either a PC card for laptop computers or a wireless modem for desktop computers.
Nextel noted the service offers typical downlink speeds of up to 1.5 megabits per second with bursts of up 3 Mbps and typical uplink speeds of up to 375 kilobits per second with bursts of up to 750 kbps.
