Sprint EVDO coverage to 187m population? RevA in early 2007?

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

Updated with original source...
http://www.twice.com/article/CA6314051.html

Sprint Home VoIP/Cellular Handset To Bow In 2nd Half

New York -- Sprint Nextel outlined new product and distribution plans here at an investor conference, where it targeted an October launch of its first dual-mode iDEN/CDMA phone and the second-half debut of a Wi-Fi/cellular phone that provides VoIP service through a home Wi-Fi network.

The integrated Wi-Fi/cellular voice service will be available in seven undisclosed markets this year as part of a joint venture announced last year between the carrier and four of the largest cable operators: Advance/Newhouse, Comcast, Cox and Time-Warner Cable. The phone will handoff calls from the cellular network to a Wi-Fi-enabled broadband cable modem. The service will focus initially on integrated voice services, including integrated home/cellular voice mail and call routing, said COO Len Lauer, but in 2007, the service will expand to include entertainment and contents, including the ability to remotely program a cable company's DVR from the cellular handset, watch cable-TV programs on the handset, and integrate e-mail boxes and data services offered by the cable companies and Sprint Nextel.

The dual-mode phone will use Nextel's iDEN-network push-to-talk (PTT) technology, but traditional voice and data services will be delivered over Sprint's CDMA 1x and CDMA 1x EV-DO network. Sprint Nextel's Boost prepaid-service division will offer a dual-mode phone in 2007.

In the wake of the August 2005 merger of Sprint and Nextel, the combined company also outlined plans to reduce its store count by 170 stores to 1,530 by the end of the second quarter and to expand the distribution of Nextel iDEN-network phones this year into more national retail accounts following RadioShack's addition of iDEN phones four months ago. The national accounts, which already sell Sprint's CDMA-network phones, would be able to take advantage of a new activation system to be available mid-year to activate phones on either network, said consumer solutions president Tim Kelly. The rollout of iDEN phones to national accounts was always in the carrier's post-merger plans, Kelly said.

The stores targeted to close were chosen based on productivity and proximity to other Sprint and Nextel stores

The carrier also outlined plans to bolster support for the small wireless retailers who formed the backbone of Nextel distribution, in part by emphasizing the Nextel brand more in ads, offering a new co-op advertising program, and stepping up other incentives. Traffic at those stores dropped after the carrier launched its post-merger ad campaign focused on the Sprint name, the company admitted.

On another distribution-related topic, COO Lauer said "acquisition costs need to get lower and that "acquisition costs are lower on the direct distribution side."

On products and service topics, executives said Sprint Nextel will:

* Expand its high-speed EV-DO footprint to cover 187 million people, up from a year-end 2005 level of almost 150 million.

* Commercially roll out a higher speed EV-DO Rev. A network in the first quarter of 2007, with all of its markets offering Rev. A by the end of 2007. In the first quarter of 2008, the company will launch high-performance push-to-talk service on its Rev. A network and, via a gateway, enable iDEN-network and CDMA-network subscribers to talk to each other via PTT.

Rev. A enables VoIP over a cellular network, accelerates data download speeds to a theoretical 3.1Mbps from 2.4Mbps, and accelerates upload speeds from 135kbps to 1.8Mbps.

Sprint will make a second-quarter decision on which of several technologies to use to launch IP-based 4G service over its 98MHz of spectrum in the 2.5GHz band. Sprint 4G networks will be deployed where needed, and calls and data sessions will be handed off from Sprint's 4G network to its 3G EV-DO network. The company will launch 4G service in 2009 in limited markets to meet FCC requirements.

Service over Sprint's 4G spectrum can be offered "at fairly reasonable retail prices," Lauer noted. CTO Barry West explained the low costs in large part to the sheer amount of spectrum owned by Sprint, lowering the cost to deploy the technology at any given cell site. He also said IP-based equipment will be less expensive to buy because it's based on a widely used standard and because base stations from multiple suppliers will interoperate, spurring greater price competition.

Sprint said it will become the first carrier to conduct a trial this summer of Qualcomm's MediaFLO technology, which broadcasts multiple channels of live TV to cellphones and other handheld devices over non-cellular frequencies. Sprint, however, already offers TV-over-cellular service and believes the Media FLO and competing DVB-H technology are "not essential to have now," said Oliver Valente, product development senior VP.

The company will also launch a national ad campaign this year to promote its network improvements, having placed prints ads with the same message in 12 local markets.

It is developing a Sprint-branded prepaid program, most likely a hybrid prepaid/postpaid program. It is designed to complement its Boost-branded prepaid service and the prepaid service offered by MVNO Virgin Mobile, which it owns in conjunction with Virgin.

And the carrier will enhance iDEN-network coverage by increasing the number of iDEN cell sites by 20 percent over the next three years, about half of them going online in 2006. The company will support iDEN technology through 2010 and beyond, chief network officer Kathy Walker said.

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

This is jam packed with many impressive plans. Even if they only deliver half of them, it's impressive.

It's not clear, does the 187m EVDO coverage imply by 2nd half of this year?

The dual iDen/CDMA phone thing is interesting. Between iDen/CDMA, Sprint Nextel covers 268m population for voice compared to 250m for CDMA only.

Cingular covers 270m with voice and Verizon covers 250m with voice. All 3 cover 290m+ with roaming.

Michael · Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 10:07 am Post subject:

I agree, that this is a ton of information.

Do we have a source for all this information, besides someone posting it on another forum and reporting it here?
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xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

I asked for them to post original source. I can't find on Google yet so this should be not considered a reliable source.

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

Still haven't found original source but there are many believable things about this piece...

- The piece says info came from Sprint investors conference, which was indeed a few days ago
- "chief network officer Kathy Walker" can be found on Google.
- We already expected Rev A sometime next year
- Other source has said EVDO coverage to be 100% network by 2007, another says Sprint rolling out EVDO at rate of covering 13m population a week, meaning covering 187m population mid-year is very realistic, if not sooner
- iDen/CDMA dual-mode is a pretty obvious path as other sources say iDen will be around for a while
- It's an extremely knowledgable piece with no misinformation of current state

I'd guess this was pasted as a copy from a subscription service only. The manner of writing and knowledge suggests it could be RCR Wireless News, of which most articles are subscription only.

wankel7 · Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 3:46 pm Post subject:

Wow, REV A. That is very exciting! It's fun actually being somewhere on the front of new technology:)

So, from previous posts REV A lets you use your same cards with no hardware change?

James

Michael · Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 4:35 pm Post subject:

Existing cards will be backward compatible with EVDO Rev A. Meaning, they will work at current speeds, you need a new card to go at Rev A speeds. I would bet Verizon & Sprint will be offering EVDO Rev A cards, well before their network supports the faster speed.
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xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

Here is the source of the article... A subscription service as I suspected...

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6314051.html

Mark Walter · Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:24 pm Post subject:

Here's a link for the Sprint Newsroom. While I haven't gotten this particular update (I figure we'll see it this week) it does give a lot of info about numerous happenings in the Sprint/Nextel world.

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/mrhome.do

Cheers,
Mark

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

http://www.xchangemag.com/tdhotnews/61h19121111.html

You may get the best of both. This suggests Sprint will target 260m population coverage with EVDO by next year. The current native voice coverage is 250m+ so that is greater than 100% of Sprint's native network today. Sprint is adding CDMA on Nextel sites, which explains the extra 10m coverage.

Rural areas w/out Sprint native voice service may get something like WiMax though, which can transit further.

Mark Walter · Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:29 pm Post subject:

I think we'd all like to have fast service now, but it's not a reality just yet. I think in under 5 years we will see it pushed out across the entire network, not just near the big cities and further more I speculate we will see it in some very remote areas as well.

Paying $59.99 a month as opposed to the $80 I paid for the last 2 years with a some what slow but always present signal is also much better. I live on the Merlin C 201 for nearly 2 years with only real high speed at free Wi-Fi places and truck stops.

Patience is a vertue...

Mark
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horsessmellfunny · Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:37 pm Post subject:

hehe yes patience is a VIRTUE. No matter how many coverage maps, press releases, etc you see from a wireless provider, thte only way to test it, is to test it here and now. I know from personal experience, I did hours of testitng before I decided on my wireless data provider. I constantly asked Verizon "When will you have coverage in CO Springs?" 'Dont worry, it is coming very soon'. There is a tower by Peterson AFB thtatt has it. Thats fine and dandy, but thats 25 miles from where I am on a daily basis. I even drove around CO Springs, mty area, out east, all over to test their coverage. I read hours of press releases, stutdied their coverage maps vigorously, and still, they did not give me what I want and found in the here and now. Hence thte reason I went with Sprint. Their coverage maps dont even show the town 5 miles tot thte south of me, but that town is fully covered (with EVDO). The rep at the Sprint store said that my area (where I live) definetly has EVDO. I get home, no EVDO. You cant beleive everythting you see and hear. Unless you do the actual HERE AND NOW tetsting like I did. If not, then its all media hype. Sprint says 100% network coverage of EVDO by the end of this year. From the places I have travelled in CO. They have a hell of a lot of work to do. Not tnearly has much as Verizon, but alot. Until you drive around for hours wasting gas, (and not having a job to help cover thtat), all this hype is just tthat. HYPE!
(Sorry about the typos with all the 't's in them. My keyboard is crapping out!

Thanks!

Mark Walter · Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject:

My bad... I never was very good with spelling...

virtue

n 1: the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong [syn: virtuousness, moral excellence] 2: any admirable quality or attribute; "work of great merit"

I was referencing the 2nd meaning in the dictionary.

horsessmellfunny · Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:57 pm Post subject:

ARGH! When I first went to post my reply to this topic I gott a page cant be displayed and when I went back, it lost everything I typed. Funny thing, I am on my Sprint wireless connectiotn. But I am on 1xRTT, so that may explain it. Either way, here it goes again. Im a fairly decent speller, but I am a terrible typer, and I never proof read my posts, so it seems I am a terrible speller. No biggie lol.

My questiton was, what do you mean by 'the second defintion'? Are you referring to the service and having decent coverage? I am jsut confused by what you mean, if you could futhter elaborate it would be great! My mind is fairly hazy from programming/doing college nonsense homework all dang day! Not to mention my slow 1xRTT connection, even though thte Sprint rep said I had it here in my house. Dang hype!

Michael · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:51 am Post subject:

Of course it is fine to talk about things that may happen, marketing, projections, etc.

The point is, that all the big companies want everyone to believe they have better coverage than the other. There are many ways to help pound this message to end users.

Last year, Verizon advertised "Coast to Coast" coverage. Can, you get coverage coast to coast? Depends on how you define that. In between the two coasts, there is coverage, BUT not in all areas.

Late last year, Sprint put up a single tower in a big town and claimed we have Coverage in that city. Is that accurate? Well, technically, yes, but is it misleading? Yes.

Also, during the ongoing Sprint vs. Verizon Coverage wars. Verizon had a huge lead. What did Sprint do? Verizon had 81 metro areas covered. Sprint, broke down one metro area, into all the cities that were covered. This technique, "gave them the lead". For the uneducated, it was confusing.

I am sure we will see more of this confusion this year, with both Verizon and Sprint, and probably over the months with Cingular too.

Another avenue that people/companies are using to "pound in the message", is actually EVDOforums.com. We are getting some real heavy traffic lately. There are a lot of different posts from different people up here. Some posts are useful, some are not.

It is perfectly fine to talk about new products, products that you want/need, existing coverage, or future coverage, support issues and everything in between.

Time will tell, what is accurate and what is not and what will happen and what will not.
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