Merlin S720 Rev A Card Available From Sprint

Michael · Last edited by Michael on Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:58 pm; edited 1 time in total

Sprint just added the Novatel S720 Rev A Card and it is available for ordering now Smile

The cost is $99 on a 2 year contract , Sprint had 500+ in stock as of a few minutes ago Smile

We will be getting one in shortly and post a lot more information about it, for example, does it work with Macs?

We do know that the Sprint Connection Manager that ships with the S720 will also work with a S620.

More info soon...
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xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

Um, wow. So is there any clarification that monthly rates are same as Rev 0? Does it work with KR1 router?

Might want to point these things out on news announcement as well...

- Dowloads up to 3.1Mbps (average will likely be 600Kbps - 1.0Mbps). EVDO Rev 0 max is currently 2.4Mbps.

- Upload to 1.8Mbps (average will likely be 400Kbps - 600Kbps). Rev 0 max is only 144Kbps.

- Latency as low as 50ms (best case), which should help online gaming, VPN and chatty apps. Rev 0 latency is typically 150ms-400ms.

- Sprint plans to have EVDO Rev A rolled out to 40m population be end of this year and nearly all network (220m+ pops) by end of next year.

- The Rev A card will still work on Rev 0 and 1xRTT network, of which Rev0/A plans to be rolled out from 155m pops now to 200m pops by end of this year, 220m+ by end of next year. Sprint apparently needs to acquire iPCS affiliate to do entire network (rural IL, IA, MI, WI).

- Sprint will also data roam on Alltel network starting later this year, both EVDO and 1xRTT networks. A few areas already work with 1xRTT.

- Rev 0 cards already roam on Mexico/Canada EVDO

slyfly · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 16

Is this a PC-Card or ExpressCard?

Ben Miller · Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:08 pm Post subject:

I think this is a PC card. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Any word on when the EVDO Rev. A network will be turned on for subscribers? Also, any word on an ExpressCard/34?

Michael · Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:13 pm Post subject:

It is a PCMCIA Type II card.

According to Sprint, 40 million will get EVDO Rev A by end of 2006 and 200 million by end of 2nd quarter 2007.

More info written in our new EVDO Blog on the subject.
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xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/news_dtl.do?id=11040
http://www2.sprint.com/mr/news_dtl.do?id=12900

From these two releases, it appears to be happening like this...

190-200m to have at least Rev 0 by end of this year
40m to have Rev A by end of this year
200-220m to have Rev A by end of 2007 or possibly entire network

They probably need to purchase iPCS affiliate to do entire network, which covers about 255m.

There were some Rev A tests that showed up in Vegas and Kansas City on dslreports archive, so maybe the Rev A rollout has begun.

Semi75 · EVDO Junkie Joined: 25 Feb 2006 Posts: 240

Glad to hear a Rev A card is coming out. Hopefully we can see some real world/average user latency tests soon provided anyone to test in a Rev A is available.

I'm still holding out for the little usb tether device that was reviewed here from the Sprint display at CITA but this is a step in the right direction.

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

Mobility Today covers it, referring to evdoforums.com as the source..

http://mobilitytoday.com/news/sprint_evdo_rev_a.html

I wonder if in Connection Manager it shows if on Rev A or 0?

Chuong · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 25

Hi,
Anybody knows when Sprint Express Card will come out. I am waitng for it because if I get a PC type II card now I will be stuck with it for 2 years.Can I swift to Express Card later on when it is available without penalty? My PC has Express Card slot. Please advise. Thanks.
Chuong

gojeda · EVDO User Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 33

I wonder which phone will be the first to be upgraded to Rev A?

I say the A900....

sheureka · EVDO User Joined: 27 Aug 2006 Posts: 58

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

There are some dual-mode iDen/CDMA phones coming that are intended to transition Nextel users to CDMA. I've read some will have Rev A, which is needed for QChat push-to-talk service that will replace iDen PTT.

Current Rev 0 phones cannot be upgraded to Rev A. It's still very possible an A900 or current models will add RevA in a next release. But the change may be significant enough to give it a new model.

getut · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 11

Wow.. I am still under my 30 guarantee with my S620 and just called to swap. NO PROBLEM.

Well pleased with their support on this one. The initial reports are that it is already working with my KR1 router also. My external antenna pigtails will also work with the S720.

Michael · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:52 pm Post subject:

Yes, I can confirm it is the same antenna port as the Merlin S620 Smile

There is another thread talking about:

Merlin S720 EVDO Rev A and KR1 Compatibility
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Michael · Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:00 pm Post subject:

BTW, the picture that we originally posted up here on on EVDOinfo.com (and every news site picked up), was incorrect, here is an actual photo of the real card:

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