RESTON, Va.—Seeking to further solidify its place in the wireless data market, Nextel Communications Inc. released a new wireless modem for laptops, as well as a new data compression technology the company said will speed wireless data transmissions by up to five times the current speed.
Nextel said the new technology will increase speeds on its packet-based iDEN network up to 75 kilobits per second, with average speeds clocking in at 30 kbps. The carrier previously offered speeds around 15 kbps. The data compression technology comes from Bytemobile’s Macara platform, which is also used by Vodafone’s U.K. business.
In conjunction with the increased speed, Nextel also released its new iM1100 wireless modem, which the carrier said works through any device with a Type II PCMCIA card slot and supports direct Internet connections, as well as dial-up access. The modem sells for $350, and Nextel’s flat rate data service costs $55 a month.
Nextel boasts the highest percentage of wireless data users—20 percent, or 2 million customers—than any other U.S. carrier.
