Sprint Corp.’s planned launch of CDMA2000 1x EV-DO-based high-speed wireless data services continues to inch ahead as the carrier Monday released preliminary coverage maps on the section of its Web site aimed at business users. The maps, which a Sprint spokeswoman noted Monday were preliminary and were still being adjusted, showed varying degrees of future EV-DO coverage across many of its major markets.
By Tuesday morning, however, the maps had been taken down from the Web site, along with any references to Sprint PCS’ high-speed data service.
Sprint announced earlier this year that it planned to have EV-DO service available in 39 “metro areas,” including 140 strategic markets covering 129 million potential customers by the end of June. Sprint added that it planned to cover most of its network by the end of 2006. The carrier’s Web site claims the EV-DO network will cover 60 metro areas by early next year encompassing more than 200 urban and strategic suburban markets and covering 150 million pops.
Analysts noted the carrier has been trialing services with real customers in Kansas City, Mo.; Las Vegas; and Des Moines, Iowa, and that those trials were in the final adjustment phases. Sprint’s Web site also includes the 57 other metro areas the carrier plans to cover by early next year.
Sprint noted on its Web site that it expects the EV-DO service to provide average network speeds of between 300 kilobits per second and 500 kbps with peak speeds of up to 2.4 megabits per second.
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Sprint’s EV-DO network launch is expected initially to target business customers using PC cards, with Sprint having already launched an EV-DO network card earlier this year. Sprint noted earlier this year that it also plans to have four Asian-sourced EV-DO handsets in support of the launch and expects to announce at least one device as early as this week.
Sprint’s EV-DO launch is also expected to be a boon for its mobile virtual network operator partners, many of which have said they plan to provide content optimized for higher-speed wireless networks.
Verizon Wireless currently offers EV-DO services in 32 markets with plans to cover two-third of its network by the end of this year. The carrier offers a trio of handsets for the service as well as its consumer-oriented Vcast offering, and has a deal with MVNO partner Amp’d Mobile Inc. that will rely heavily on the higher-speed network capabilities.
Sprint said earlier this year that it’s also planning to deploy higher-speed EV-DO Rev A technology beginning in late 2006 or early 2007. The Rev A network is expected to provide even higher network speeds and should enable the carrier to support Voice over Internet Protocol-based traffic that will enable its ReadyLink push-to-talk service to provide performance similar to Nextel Communications Inc.’s Direct Connect service.