Sprint Nextel sheds more light on PTT plans

Following up on comments made earlier this month, Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) said it plans to begin rolling out an updated CDMA-based push-to-talk service later this year. The offering will be branded as Sprint Direct Connect, include a more diverse handset lineup and be interoperable with its current Nextel Direct Connect service.
Sprint Nextel said the offering will launch with ruggedized devices from Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and Kyocera Wireless Corp. that will include access to the carrier’s CDMA2000 1x EV-DO network, “next-generation push-to-talk applications and functionality,” high-resolution cameras and Bluetooth. Additional devices are to include an “ultra-rugged” camera flip phone and a smart phone powered by Google Inc.’s Android OS.
The advanced PTT functionality will include a group feature that will allow for up to 200 participants in a call, Land Mobile Radio interoperability and availability notification. The carrier said it will also add international PTT services in early 2012.
Sprint Nextel noted that the service would provide sub-one second call set up where it currently provides EV-DO Revision A coverage, with that capability expanding as it rolls out network upgrades as part of its Network Vision plan.
Sprint Nextel explained that Network Vision will increase PTT coverage to 2.7 million square miles and cover 309 million potential customers through 1x and roaming coverage. The current iDEN-based PTT service works across more than 908,000 square miles and covers approximately 278 million pops.
Sprint Nextel SVP of Networks Bob Azzi noted at an investor conference earlier this month that PTT services would be a major part of the carrier’s Network Vision plans. Azzi noted that the carrier’s previous QChat service for CDMA PTT only provided about 40% of the coverage of its iDEN-based offering. The QChat service, which was developed in conjunction with Qualcomm Inc., allowed interoperability between CDMA and iDEN PTT services.
Azzi explained that the biggest deterrent to greater coverage for the QChat service, was the shallower CDMA network coverage due to the use of 1.9 GHz spectrum and the need for a strong EV-DO signal to support the service’s sub-one second call set up ability.
However, moving forward Azzi claims that with the initial enhancements being provided by the Network Vision deployment, the carrier expects coverage using the same 1.9 GHz spectrum to improve to 80% of the current in-building coverage provided by iDEN in the 800 MHz band, and to further increase to 95% with continued evolution to using 800 MHz spectrum for CDMA services.
Sprint Nextel in 2007 also attempted to bridge the gap between its iDEN and high-speed CDMA coverage with its dual-mode PowerSource devices that included an iDEN radio for PTT services and a CDMA radio for traditional voice and data. Azzi noted these devices failed to gain significant traction as customers were confused about the different coverage provided by the two networks. The carrier stopped offering the PowerSource devices last year and has slowly been losing those devices on its network.
Sprint Nextel is pressing to bring a high-performance CDMA-based PTT service to market as it plans to begin decommissioning its iDEN network in 2013.