This story appears in the
June 2002 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Both Sprint PCS and Verizon have begun to deploy 3G networks,
although service will be limited at least until year-end. AT&T
will also be in the race by then, and Cingular will join in
2004.
Sprint is rolling out its services nationwide as expensive
3G-capable phones from its partners become available. The service
will be subscription-based, although prices and coverage details
were not yet finalized at press time.
Verizon's Express Network will start in the Northeast, Salt
Lake City, San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, and expand as
phones come online. For now, you need a laptop or a PDA with a $300
(all prices street) Sierra Wireless AirCard or an $80 Kyocera 2235
phone with a $50 Verizon connector. There's also a $30 monthly
surcharge.
What will you get for your money? 3G networks deliver more
bandwidth for Web browsing and better phone service. While
they're theoretically capable of 144Kbps, you'll probably
see about 56Kbps early on. That's still five times faster than
today's wireless networks, and it makes always-on access
possible without interrupting your phone calls.
Rich media downloads and more exotic mobile applications have to
await 3G-capable handsets and more bandwidth. Sprint says 3G
transmission speeds are headed for 2Mbps by 2004, but promises
streaming video teleconferencing and photo downloads before
then.
Erik P. Nelson is a technology writer in San Francisco and a
frequent contributor to Entrepreneur.