Travel Technology - Verizon to rollout fast broadband in many cities (currently only San Diego/Wash DC)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">The national mobile operator will roll out a fast cellular data service in many large U.S. cities during this summer, the company announced Thursday. Verizon shied away from giving greater detail on the timing, as well as on other aspects of the rollout. The rollout will then continue, with additional markets phased in through 2005, according to the Bedminster, New Jersey, company.

The service, called BroadbandAccess, is based on CDMA2000 1x EV-DO (Code Division Multiple Access Evolution-Data Only). Nationwide, Verizon now offers voice and data services on CDMA2000 1x, which delivers roughly the speed of a dial-up Internet connection.
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InfoWorld article here (http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/01/08/HNverizon3g_1.html)

This is good news. Perhaps our 3G operator in the UK (Three UK) will wake up and smell the coffee when Verizon demonstrates how to do a 3G roll out properly.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Internaut:
This is good news. Perhaps our 3G operator in the UK (Three UK) will wake up and smell the coffee when Verizon demonstrates how to do a 3G roll out properly.</font>

Highly unlikely...

I suspect they won't wake up until the next 3G network is running in the UK, probably one with working handsets, real Internet access and decent broadband services...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">BroadbandAccess costs $79.99 per month with a one-year contract.</font>

No thanks. I doubt it will be much faster than dial-up, no matter what Verizon says.

[This message has been edited by UALOneKPlus (edited Jan 09, 2004).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by UALOneKPlus:
No thanks. I doubt it will be much faster than dial-up, no matter what Verizon says.

[This message has been edited by UALOneKPlus (edited Jan 09, 2004).]</font>


Yes, that could be. The existing "Express Network" is snappier than GPRS but not quite as fast as dialup, really, at least when I use it.

EV-DO is a lot faster than dial-up, but the way it's rolled out is dependent on density of active users. In other words, the more people use it, the slower it gets. So the early adopters will love the performance.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Internaut:
This is good news. Perhaps our 3G operator in the UK (Three UK) will wake up and smell the coffee when Verizon demonstrates how to do a 3G roll out properly.</font>

You can get data PC cards now from 3 Corporate sales. Also Vodafone and O2 are doing limited data users now as well. If you are a corporate customer you should push to get on a WCDMA data card trial from your operator.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by UALOneKPlus:
[B] No thanks. I doubt it will be much faster than dial-up, no matter what Verizon says.</font>
Why?

I've been very very disappointed with the speed of the current generation of "wireless internet". I take everything the wireless vendors say with a grain of salt. Hopefully they'll shock me and prove me wrong, but my experience tells me otherwise.


[This message has been edited by UALOneKPlus (edited Jan 11, 2004).]

I've been happy with the speed of the Express Network aka National Access, much faster than the maximum 26kb dial up connection I can get at home. In usual use (free nights and weekends) I can get around 10KB up or down. Can't wait for EV-DO to move nationwide (and for EV-DO phones to become available). $80 bucks a month for a portable near DSL line is fine by me. Especially compared to crappy wi-fi coverage.

Guys; the speeds are there... What is the killer is latency. This cannot be fixed as RF on a mobile network no matter if it's CDMA2000, WCDMA, TDMA or GSM/GPRS will have similar latency issues. It gets better with CDMA2000 and WCDMA but it's still the pits.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NickP 1K:
Guys; the speeds are there... What is the killer is latency. This cannot be fixed as RF on a mobile network no matter if it's CDMA2000, WCDMA, TDMA or GSM/GPRS will have similar latency issues. It gets better with CDMA2000 and WCDMA but it's still the pits.</font>

Which, just like on GPRS rules out killer apps like Terminal services and Citrix while on the road http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/frown.gif

I guess one will have to wait for 802.16 rollout http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

Nah, there's going to be billions spent on 802.11 rollouts this year and soon Moto and others will add 802.11 to their phones. Some PDA's already have it.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by stimpy:
Nah, there's going to be billions spent on 802.11 rollouts this year and soon Moto and others will add 802.11 to their phones. Some PDA's already have it. </font>

Which is completely useless when driving in a car, in a train or anywhere else outside the 100meter range of an AP.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ScottC:
Which, just like on GPRS rules out killer apps like Terminal services and Citrix while on the road http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/frown.gif</font>
What's the max latency that you find acceptable?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ScottC:
Which is completely useless when driving in a car, in a train or anywhere else outside the 100meter range of an AP. </font>

You don't think there's going to be AP's on trains soon? Also airplanes. They are both in the works.

The car? Well we have BT in cars now and from there you just need some sort of air uplink. I guess I should include BT with 802.11 as it will be in many products soon.

I have never understood why anyone would put WiFi in a phone. My computer has WiFi, and my PDA. If I have a WiFi signal available why put my phone in the mix. I use my phone when Im not near an access point.

Actually there is talk of putting a 802.11a (only in 1MB mode) in a phone to act as a AP when using the phone as a modem.... This would make using a wireless notebook idiot proof with a phone..

Expect to see this on phones in 2006

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NickP 1K:
Actually there is talk of putting a 802.11a (only in 1MB mode) in a phone to act as a AP when using the phone as a modem.... This would make using a wireless notebook idiot proof with a phone..

Expect to see this on phones in 2006</font>

Okay, so Im wrong. I hadnt thought of that particular application. That would be useful for PC users. Probably not so much for Mac users since they play nice with Bluetooth anyways but I can see that being useful.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by GadgetFreak:
I have never understood why anyone would put WiFi in a phone. My computer has WiFi, and my PDA. If I have a WiFi signal available why put my phone in the mix. I use my phone when Im not near an access point.</font>

Using a phone with WiFi would make it much cheaper to roam for example. You could signup to Vonage and be reachable on your WiFi cellphone all over the world when close to an AP, making unlimited calls to the US for next to nothing, just one of the examples...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ScottC:
Using a phone with WiFi would make it much cheaper to roam for example. You could signup to Vonage and be reachable on your WiFi cellphone all over the world when close to an AP, making unlimited calls to the US for next to nothing, just one of the examples...</font>

Yeah, but will network operators EVER let handsets that do this be sold or subsidised by them.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NickP 1K:
Yeah, but will network operators EVER let handsets that do this be sold or subsidised by them.</font>

I assumed they wouldnt be crazy enough to let you do this somehow http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NickP 1K:
Yeah, but will network operators EVER let handsets that do this be sold or subsidised by them.</font>
Do the GSM network operators have a choice in this matter? If someone buys a SIM-compatible device, can't they just use it?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by lensman:
Originally posted by NickP 1K:
Yeah, but will network operators EVER let handsets that do this be sold or subsidised by them.</font>
Do the GSM network operators have a choice in this matter? If someone buys a SIM-compatible device, can't they just use it?

Without network subsidies a device is much too expensive for the majority, thing in the neighbourhood of $900 for a high-end device like that.

Without the support of the networks the major players would never commit to making a new phone.

Just reviving this thread to talk about this device that I heard about through the FWD mailing list:
http://www.clipcomm.co.kr/eng/e_product/e_product_bs_v100.html?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">In addition, the BlueStation provides your mobile phone or PDA with wireless connection to existing voice networks, which enables you to make a wireless phone call at a lower cost using your portable devices. When your Bluetooth enabled mobile devices are connected to the BlueStation-V100, the built-in voice over IP (VoIP) gateway of the BlueStation-V100 enables your mobile phone or PDA to support wireless Internet phone calls, while the BlueStation-A100/A101 wirelessly connects your mobile devices to PSTN or VoIP.</font>

Whether certain service providers want it or not, these products are coming. MOT is certainly building theirs, and many smaller outfits are doing the same.

As for the $900 tag, I'd certainly pay for it as would many other early-adopters. After our wave proves successful, the prices go down and the rest join the bandwagon.

Wireless carriers such as Sprint already hate Bluetooth since they worry that laptop users will connect to their T608 via BT and clog their 1xRTT network. Plus they sell laptop wireless cards as a premium service. But that hasn't stopped BT. Thankfully TMobile has no problems with BT and has all-you-can-eat data plans.


[This message has been edited by stimpy (edited Feb 03, 2004).]