Nextel will deploy a wireless broadband trial based on UMTS TD-CDMA technology from IPWireless, the companies announced today. The field trial will begin during the third quarter in Washington, D.C.; Arlington, VA.; Alexandria, VA.; Reston, VA. and Bethesda, MD.
"The upcoming trial in the Washington, D.C. area is an example of our commitment to evaluate the best available broadband options in order to ultimately deliver cutting-edge services for our customers," said Barry West, chief technology officer at Nextel. "Nextel has conducted lab testing of the IPWireless technology, and this trial will allow us to test the performance and economics offered by the TD-CDMA technology in our 2.5 GHz spectrum."
The trial will allow Nextel to test a range of subscriber services, including broadband access for laptops, desktops or PDAs, backhaul for enterprise campus and a wide array of Wireless Interactive Multimedia Services such as video streaming, online gaming, document collaboration and video conferencing. The trial will allow Nextel to develop and test digital convergence concepts that target business users, consumers, public safety agencies, universities and multimedia content partners.
During the upcoming field trial, Nextel will evaluate network performance and customer satisfaction under real-world conditions. The trial is scheduled to run for a minimum of six months and is not expected to have a material impact on Nextel's financial results in 2005. The trial will be offered only to select Nextel customers and is not expected to be offered commercially to the general public at this time.
