Just over a year after launching its Wi-Fi initiative, Sprint Corp. reported that it will enable customers to access both its CDMA2000 1x-based wide area network as well as its Wi-Fi Zones local area network using a single client interface. Sprint said it will include Sprint PCS Connection Manager Software with Wi-Fi on its Novatel Wireless Inc.-supplied Merlin C201 PC Cards.
Sprint added that customers accessing its Wi-Fi Zones service would need to use either third-party Wi-Fi cards or laptop computers embedded with Wi-Fi technology.
Sprint explained that the NDIS drivers now bundled with the $180 Novatel card automatically establish a connection with the network once the device is powered up or following a suspend-and-resume session. The software, which was originally available with the Airprime PC3200 PC Card that the carrier offered when it first launched its Wi-Fi initiative, is also available as a free upgrade to older C201 PC cards from either Sprint’s or Novatel’s Web sites.
“Wi-Fi is an integral part of Sprint’s remote access strategy, and we are fostering customer productivity by providing multimegabit wireless data speeds at an ever-growing list of venues that are frequented by mobile employees,” said Wes Dittmer, general manager of Sprint’s WLAN services.
Sprint claims its Wi-Fi Zones service is available in thousands of locations across the country, and its 1x network covers 99 percent of the nation’s largest cities.
