REVIEW: The chirp is back with Verizon Wireless’ push to talk service

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Yay or Nay. Every week we’ll review a new wireless application or service from the user’s point of view, with the goal of highlighting what works and what doesn’t. If you wish to submit your application or service for review, please contact us at rcrwebhelp@crain.com.
Application: Verizon Wireless Push to Talk service.
Running on: Motorola Adventure 750 on Verizon Wireless network.
Yay: Speedy PTT service with broad coverage. Feature-packed handset.
Nay: EV-DO Rev. A speeds needed for rapid service. Handset a bit bulky.
We say: Verizon Wireless’ new PTT offering is a compelling competitor to segment stalwart Sprint Nextel and a vast improvement over previous CDMA-based efforts.
Review: The recent rush of push-to-talk offerings has brought a bit of nostalgia to the RCR Wireless News offices as it seems not so long ago that carriers were trumpeting new PTT services to combat Nextel Communications Inc.’s dominance in the market. Considering the low churn and high average revenue per user Nextel was posting based on its PTT service, those first-generation competitors seemed justified, though in practice they failed to match the performance benchmarks established by Nextel’s iDEN network.
Fast-forward several years and the PTT playing field is vastly different. Sprint initially boosted its PTT presence by acquiring Nextel and more recently has begun to roll out its QChat-based PTT service, which allows its customers to talk between its CDMA and iDEN network. AT&T Mobility and Alltel continue to offer circuit-switch-based PTT services from Kodiak. Of the initial PTT services, Kodiak’s came closest to matching the iDEN standard. And from the nation’s No. 2 carrier, Verizon Wireless, a drastic upgrade of network speeds has seen the carrier relaunch its PTT service backed by superior network coverage claims.
With a pair of Motorola Adventure V750 handsets in hand and a trip to the hinterlands of Colorado on the docket, we felt prepared to put such claims to a test. The addition of a pair of iDEN-based Sprint Nextel devices would provide a barometer for just how far Verizon Wireless had come with its PTT offering.
The results? Pretty far, and in some cases, farther.
In the network-saturated areas around Denver where both devices were feasting on healthy doses of their native networks, the Verizon Wireless PTT service nearly matched the initial call set-up and intra-call latency performance of the iDEN phones. In fact, without a stopwatch and a steady hand, it was nearly impossible to discern any difference in performance.
But, once we hit the road, differences emerged as network reach diverged. Sprint Nextel’s iDEN network became nearly non-existent once off the comfortable confines of the major highways running though Colorado’s mountains. By contrast, it took extreme canyon ventures to shake Verizon Wireless’ network, and not just its basic 1x network, which the carrier said would continue to support the PTT service, just at a slower speed, but its Rev. A network. In fact, everywhere the Verizon Wireless phones had a hint of coverage, it was EV-DO coverage, meaning that not only was I still able to use the PTT service, but I was able to do so with the minimalist of lag.
Another nice feature of the service, though not exclusive, is the presence functionality that lets you know which of your contacts is capable of receiving a PTT call.
The reliance on the carrier’s Rev. A network also has the side benefit of allowing Verizon Wireless to include many of its data-intensive features, including access to it Vcast Video service, Vcast Music with Rhapsody and Vcast Navigator services. The phone also includes a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth and a memory-card expansion slot that supports up to 8 gigabytes of memory. Such features lend to a somewhat large device, which may be a drawback for those looking to keep a slim profile.