Sprint Nextel today announced plans to expand and upgrade its existing Sprint Power Vision broadband network to EV-DO Revision A.
Up to 10 times faster than the current Power Vision network, the planned EV-DO Revision A technology upgrade increases peak download data rates to 3.1 Mbps (from 2.0) and peak upload data rates to 1.8 Mbps (from 144 kbps). Average download speeds improve to 450-800 kbps (from 400 -700) and average uplink speeds become 300 - 400 kbps (versus 70 - 144 kbps).
The faster data rates can enable richer applications and services such as high-speed video telephony, music on demand, video messaging, large file uploads and high performance push-to-talk capability.
By year end 2006 the network is expected to reach an estimated 190 million people nationwide and in Puerto Rico, making it the largest mobility network. Sprint plans to reach about 220 million people in the U.S. with the advanced network by the end of Q3 2007.
Sprint will demonstrate EV-DO Revision A connection card technology at the CTIA Wireless Show in Las Vegas with industry partners Nortel, Novatel Wireless and Sierra Wireless.
