Sprint Nextel, the thirdlargest US mobile carrier,
is accelerating the rollout of its 3G highspeed
data network, which should reach a estimated 190m
people by year end.
The network, dubbed ‘Sprint Power Vision’ and
based on Qualcomm’s EVDO (Evolution Data Optimised)
technology, is currently available to about 150m
people, or half the US population.
At the same time, Sprint said it plans to begin
upgrading the network to a second generation EVDO
called EVDO Revision A, a wireless broadband
technology that will deliver even faster download
speeds for multimedia content including music and
video up to 10 times faster than the first
generation EVDO technology.
Both Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless, a joint
venture between Verizon Communications and Britain’s
Vodafone, are competing with Cingular Wireless, the
market leader which is rolling out a 3G network
based on a rival technology called HSDPA (High Speed
Data Packet Access.)
Like mobile carriers elsewhere, the US wireless
telecommunications companies view broadband data
wireless services including video as the key to
winning and retaining more lucrative customers and
offsetting price pressure for basic mobile voice
service.
Sprint Nextel, which will spend $6.3bn this year
on upgrading its network, is betting heavily that
consumers and business users will pay premium prices
for services like mobile video and TV and music
downloads.
Looking further ahead, Len Lauer, Sprint’s chief
operating office told an investor conference in New
York earlier this week that the carrier will select
the technology that will power so called 4G services
later this year and plans to begin deploy that
technology next year using spectrum that Sprint
Nextel already owns.
Mr Lauer claimed that this will give Sprint a
significant lead over its rivals who are expected to
bid for new spectrum that will be made available for
4G services in auctions organised by the Federal
Communications Commission this summer. “We think we
have about a two year lead,” Mr Lauer said.