Cingular, Verizon duel over laptop access plans

MaximumSignal

By Kelly Hill
RCR News
Mar 29, 2006
ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Verizon Wireless announced developments in their respective offerings of wireless data service via laptop computers.
Verizon Wireless unveiled pay-as-you-go pricing option for its CDMA2000 1x EV-DO-based BroadbandAccess service, available on seven laptops that come with embedded EV-DO technology. For $15 per 24 hours, customers can sign up for service directly from their laptops. If a customer already has a Verizon Wireless voice plan of at least $40 per month, they can use an activation icon on the laptop to get monthly unlimited BroadbandAccess service for $60 per month; if they do not have a Verizon Wireless voice plan, the pricing is $80 per month.

“Session pricing is a very easy way for customers to try Verizon Wireless’ BroadbandAccess before they sign up for monthly service,” said Claude Mitchell, director of enterprise marketing for Verizon Wireless. “There is no need for customers to interrupt their work to visit a store or call customer service; they click on the icon, follow the prompts and they’re set up.”

Where EV-DO coverage is not available, the service falls back to Verizon Wireless’ 1x-based NationalAccess network. The laptops with BroadbandAccess session pricing available are: Dell’s Latitude D620 and Latitude D820; Lenovo’s Thinkpad Z60, T60 and X60; and the HP Compaq nc6140 and nc6320.

Meanwhile, Cingular named two Dell laptops that now can be configured with embedded access to its UMTS/HSDPA 3G network: the Dell Latitude D620 and D820. These are the first laptops that have embedded access to Cingular’s 3G network. Cingular also sells three wireless cards for laptops.

“This simplifies the wireless experience for business users by making it seamless,” said Jeff Bradley, vice president of business data services for Cingular. “There’s no longer any need to purchase and bring along a separate wireless card or search for a Wi-Fi hotspot when traveling domestically or abroad.”

Cingular offers unlimited access to its BroadbandConnect service for $60 per month with a two-year contract and a voice contract of at least $40 per month. Cingular’s 3G network is currently available in 16 U.S. markets and the company plans to “be online in most major markets in the U.S. by the end of this year.” Where HSDPA is not available, the service switches seamlessly to Cingular’s EDGE network.

Cingular added that customers will be able to sign up for Cingular Data Connect international plans starting late in the second quarter and use the Latitude notebooks on EDGE or GPRS data networks in other countries. The two international plans will include a North American plan with 100 MB of usage in Canada and Mexico for $110 and an Overseas plan with 100 MB for $140; both plans will include unlimited domestic data use. Cingular anticipates being able to provide access in more than two dozen countries, including Australia, China, Germany, Great Britain, India and Japan.

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1969

Scott · Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 6:45 pm Post subject:

"...Where HSDPA is not available, the service switches seamlessly to Cingular’s EDGE network..."

Which from my experience out west is pretty slow, save for maybe a few major metro areas... much slower than Sprint and Verizon's 1xRTT.