Sprint considering single account for any network access

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

Sprint is considering a single account for any network access for...

- 1xRTT
- EVDO
- WiFi on Sprint sites
- WiMAX (or whatever nextgen they go with)
- Even dialup using Sprint as an ISP

I saw a demo of the connection manager, which listed all flavors of wireless and wired access that Sprint supports. You would have one account (say, $60/month) and use whatever method is available nearby, even dialup. Uses a single-signon approach for all methods.

Sprint has I think 14K WiFi hotspots in US, so if you're at the airport, it could use WiFi and then do EVDO in other parts of metro. WiMax when available. Dialup if there is no wireless presence anywhere or if, say, EVDO card has problems. You can set priorities and conditions of preferred order of network connections.

May not see this until next year.

Michael · Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:37 am Post subject:

This would be very cool and really set them apart.

If something like this also supported, corporate WiFi, Ethernet, you would then have one connection manager for every possibility.

There was something like this years ago, it automatically "sensed" what network you were on and pre-selected printers and other settings.

It would be a real time saver.
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xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1969

I should point out it uses Sprint as the ISP for any of those connections but if there is a free WiFi available or your home WiFi and not Sprint, it will auto connect to those as well. If it finds nothing, it could auto dial on modem if it sees a dialtone.

Would be very cool to have one account for any type of connection. They should get this out the door immediately.

phxphun1 · EVDO User Joined: 02 Sep 2005 Posts: 65

Sounds like a very cool idea. I just hope they are cool enough to allow you to add any connections you want to the connection manager (home/corporate WiFi, free WiFi, even other provider's pay WiFi). It would be a shame if they came out with a "universal connection manager" and then crippled it by only supporting their own services. Of course, that kinda makes sense if, as initially described, it comes along with a flat-rate, any-connection account. So you'd use the Sprint connection manager to connect to Sprint, and something else to connect to anything else. But would be nice to see EVERYTHING in one.

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

From what I saw, that is the intent. It would manage any connection, whether free, another service, ethernet or Sprint's.

Verizon's manager shows other connection devices as well. The difference is that Sprint would allow access to all of their Net services for the price of the EVDO service - all on one account. Basically 4-5 services bundled in one package. Since Sprint owns a part of Earthlink (I think they still do), it would be cool if they bundled home wired broadband as well.

According to this, Sprint has 19,000 WiFi hotspots worldwide as of June 05. Probably more now.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:fFCJeEoIRFMJ:mm.aueb.gr/research/P2PWNC/presentations/acc2005.ppt+sprint+wifi+,000+hotspots&hl=en