Can EvDO work on 700Mhz?

evdoman · EVDO User Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 61

With Google now officially known to be bidding on the 700Mhz spectrum, I am wondering if EvDO can be run over this frequency? With EvDO the most widely used format in the US and new products like the Amazon Kindle leveraging its ubiquity, I have to wonder if Google might not consider building out their network on the EvDO platform (or partnering with someone like Verizon to do so)? Technically possible?

n6gn · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:47 am Post subject: Re: Can EvDO work on 700Mhz?

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

Technically yes. But doesn't look like anyone would. Verizon/ATT is going with LTE. Google would do 4G, not 3G and UMB has lost steam. Sprint is heading to WiMAX (so far). Since Google has an 'open' mentality, WiMAX may make more sense to them.

I'm very surprised Verizon has committed to LTE before the 700mhz auction. What if they don't win enough spectrum? Are they able to do LTE together with existing CDMA in the 800/1900 space? I don't think they have nationwide AWS spectrum... maybe they do.

BTW, LTE can get 100Mbps total out of 20mhz spectrum, WiMAX can get 200Mbps out of 20mhz. Anyone know what EVDO can get out of 20mhz?

Not clear to me if only one bidder will be able to get over 20Mhz chunk of 700mhz. Unless $10B is play money to Google, they are taking a risk according to...

http://www.andrewseybold.com/commentary.asp?ID=107

evdoman · EVDO User Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 61

Thanks for the insight, guys. I'm not very strong on the technical issues but I'm usually good at seeing the bigger picture fairly well.

From what I've read, VZW isnt necessarily 100% committed to LTE; they've just made it clear it is their choice for now and that they will be progressing and testing it. Just as Sprint is quite likely to back away from WiMax (I think it is almost a given now), Verizon could always back away from LTE. If they dont, the statements I've read make it very clear that EvDO is not being phased out whatsoever. Quite to the contrary, they claim they will be continuing to support it and *increasing* its footprint and deployment in coming years. The massive benefit EvDO has versus everything else is that it is already widely used (devices, presence) and is relatively cheap to move to Rev B. At Rev B speeds, it becomes questionable whether further bandwidth is needed right now (no doubt it will be years into the future). LTE, WiMax, UMB, and any other 4G service have no way of being deployed without a lot of additional cost and time. So, this paints a picture for Google of "do we hop onto a widely deployed technology that can get even faster quite cheaply and will serve us well immediately and for the next few years, or do we forgo the immediate years and put a lot of money into building something that will be superior to Rev B speed-wise but will take a long time to get there?" Deciding to go with EvDO in the near term would almost certainly delay the progression to 4G down the road, but what Im really questioning is if there is a need to rush anyway... why wouldnt Rev B support needs for the next 5 years while a 4G network is very slowly and carefully built?

n6gn · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 6:14 pm Post subject:

evdoman · EVDO User Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 61

Right - there is clearly a benefit of a unified platform between the two (assuming they stay financially linked for the long-haul). However, this too becomes an issue several years out... there is no way they will be unified near-term, so again the question of whether or not they jump into a widespread network that is working and cheaply ungradable becomes present. Sometimes it makes more sense to go with the sure and simple thing rather than the complex and risky albeit theoretically better one.

I dont understand the equpment-upgrade side well enough, but since VZW is going to continue to support EvDO (and upgrade and expand), couldnt they do this and add LTE to the same towers simultaneously, gradually? For users who dont want or care about the LTE upgrade, they coudl just stick with EvDO Rev B for many years and be fine. For those who need international roaming and blazing data speeds, they could pay for LTE. Google could take the same approach... tie their stuff to EvDO for the coming years and plan for LTE down the road.

Michael · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:57 pm Post subject:

Here is your answer Smile

southsanfran · EVDO User Joined: 21 Apr 2007 Posts: 55

When the hell are Qualcomm's patents on CDMA going to expire? They started filing them in 1989.

evdoman · EVDO User Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 61

Thanks, Qualcomm! Timely release to answer my question Very Happy

For what its worth, my predicitons are now:

1) WiMax will continue to fade away and never see a major launch in the US.

2) Verizon and Sprint will upgrade to Rev B slowly and cheaply, as they did with Rev A, and the resulting network and speeds will continue to be the backbone for mobile applications for the next 5 years. Heck, dialup is still used widely a full decade after DSL, cable, and satellite became available, so I dont see why muliti-MB mobile speeds wouldnt satisfy the vast majority of needs for several more years as well.

3) Google and other players entering the 700mhz arena will choose EvDO, citing its ubiquity, low cost, and likelihood of being a sufficient backbone for 5 or more years.

4) During those 5 years, LTE infrastructure will be slowly built and turned on. Power users will adopt it first, and over time it will become the predominent technology, but this will take 6-8 years to happen. The international synergy and roaming LTE gives VZW/Vodaphone is too great of an advantage to ignore, so UMB probably wont happen. I suppose Vodaphone could switch to CDMA instead of VZW going to GSM (since LTE requires a serious buildout anyway), but it sounds unlikely. If LTE testing doesnt go well, however, maybe UMB could become the second horse to take the lead.

5) Many years down the road, even after LTE becomes the predominent technology, EvDO Rev B will still be supported. Devices using the Rev B shouldnt go anywhere for a long long time. Just as basic DSL is sold at a low cost by the telcos now (despite high-speed DSL being available too), EvDO Rev B will still be provided at a lower cost than the bandwidth-intensive LTE.

Thoughts?

xrayman · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:13 pm Post subject:

Interesting predictions evdoman. But only time will tell. I have bookmarked your posting for future reference.

Alex · Site Admin Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 1899

Verizon Wireless wins C block in 700Mhz airwave auction

http://www.evdoforums.com/thread8738.html