Sprint to Outline Data Plans...EvDO Likely?

[ehcruzan]

Sprint to outline data plans....EvDO likely?

NEW YORK, May 24 (Reuters) - Sprint (NYSE:FON - News), could reveal plans within the next month for a high-speed wireless data service to compete with that of its larger rival Verizon Wireless, according to one analyst.

Legg Mason analyst Craig Mallitz said in a note to clients, he expects Sprint, the No. 4 U.S. mobile company to formalize plans to use the same technology as its bigger rival Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ - News; London:VOD.L - News) to offer wireless Web access that comes close to the speed of even the fastest home connections.

Verizon Wireless is set to provide the service, known as EV-DO, across the country by the end of the next year. EV-DO is a data-only standard, which allows users to receive data wirelessly at speeds of about 300 kilobits per second.

Mallitz said it is "inevitable" for Sprint to chose the same data-only technology standard as Verizon because high-speed gear that combines voice and data would not be available until the 2006 to 2007 time frame.

Sprint expects to complete the network upgrade over the next two years within its current annual spending budget of $4 billion, Mallitz said.

Sprint said in its recently quarterly report it expects to spend $4 billion in 2004 for items such as wireless and wireline network improvements. Sprint has previously told investors that 2005 spending would be comparable to 2004 and include $500 million for a high-speed data upgrade.

Company spokeswoman Mary Nell Westbrook said Sprint would reach a decision on high-speed data later this year.

"We haven't made any announcements," Westbrook said. Referring to the data-only and the combined voice and data technology she said. "Our public statement has been that we're looking at both options."

Sprint shares were down 7 cents at $17.86 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

[AnthroMatt]

INteresting. Obviously this is a major change in plans, but it's probably a wise move. If they couldn't deploy EV-DV until late 2006 or 2007 they would be too far behind Verizon to play catch-up. Obviously Sprint goofed when they allowed Verizon to take the EV-DO lead.

[ehcruzan]

I agree AnthroMatt. I was wondering how Len Lauer could insist Sprint would retain it's strong position in data, yet say they would skip DO and implement DV. I think he's now realized that's not possible.

[jayc]

Nice to think by VZW commanding the lead it has forced other carriers to pursue high speed data technology.

What about those GSM carriers? Have any of them have plans to launch a nationwide data service to compete?

[larry]

Originally Posted by AnthroMatt

INteresting. Obviously this is a major change in plans, but it's probably a wise move. If they couldn't deploy EV-DV until late 2006 or 2007 they would be too far behind Verizon to play catch-up. Obviously Sprint goofed when they allowed Verizon to take the EV-DO lead.

Well you win some you lose some. Sprint was the first carrier to come out with a lot of previous things such as the first internet capable phones, first camera phone, first full national 1X network, etc.

[GoodmanR]

Well, as for the GSM carriers, Cingular is inheriting a huge asset in AWE. They now have the spectrum to run UMTS, which they couldn't even think about before. Also equally big is that ATT is sticking with its UMTS launch plans to bring four cities online by the end of this year. That is the first step in nationwide deployment. I would expect the new Cingular to move relatively quickly to expand UMTS nationwide. Stigman wants nothing more than to slap Denny Strigel on the face by offering something like faster data services, and I think they probably will launch UMTS nationwide before Verizon, and maybe before Sprint launch EV-DV.

[bobolito]

With EDGE already available on the entire AWS footprint and most of the Cingular network, and with AWS UMTS/3GSM coming in the next few months in 4 markets THIS year, it will undeniably make it a lot easier for Cingular to implement real 3G nationwide sometime in 2005/2006 and possibly beat Verizon and Sprint at it. It seems GSM carriers are moving quicker in the race to 3G when a few months ago it seemed like CDMA carriers had the lead. What happened to that claim saying that GSM carriers are doing 3G the hard way? Today, CDMA and GSM carriers just seem nose to nose, although T-Mobile seems it will lag behind by a big margin because they have a network to build first.

[AnthroMatt]

Originally Posted by larry

Well you win some you lose some. Sprint was the first carrier to come out with a lot of previous things such as the first internet capable phones, first camera phone, first full national 1X network, etc.

You're right about that Larry.

[Norsk.Viking]

Originally Posted by ehcruzan

Sprint to outline data plans....EvDO likely?

NEW YORK, May 24 (Reuters) - Sprint (NYSE:FON - News), could reveal plans within the next month for a high-speed wireless data service to compete with that of its larger rival Verizon Wireless, according to one analyst.

Legg Mason analyst Craig Mallitz said in a note to clients, he expects Sprint, the No. 4 U.S. mobile company to formalize plans to use the same technology as its bigger rival Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ - News; London:VOD.L - News) to offer wireless Web access that comes close to the speed of even the fastest home connections.

Verizon Wireless is set to provide the service, known as EV-DO, across the country by the end of the next year. EV-DO is a data-only standard, which allows users to receive data wirelessly at speeds of about 300 kilobits per second.

Mallitz said it is "inevitable" for Sprint to chose the same data-only technology standard as Verizon because high-speed gear that combines voice and data would not be available until the 2006 to 2007 time frame.

Sprint expects to complete the network upgrade over the next two years within its current annual spending budget of $4 billion, Mallitz said.

Sprint said in its recently quarterly report it expects to spend $4 billion in 2004 for items such as wireless and wireline network improvements. Sprint has previously told investors that 2005 spending would be comparable to 2004 and include $500 million for a high-speed data upgrade.

Company spokeswoman Mary Nell Westbrook said Sprint would reach a decision on high-speed data later this year.

"We haven't made any announcements," Westbrook said. Referring to the data-only and the combined voice and data technology she said. "Our public statement has been that we're looking at both options."

Sprint shares were down 7 cents at $17.86 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

You omitted this part of the article: "Lauer said Sprint is considering EV-DO and EV-DV as well as a technology from start-up Flarion Technologies that its smaller rival Nextel Communications Inc. (NasdaqNM:NXTL - News) is testing."

[ehcruzan]

Originally Posted by Norsk.Viking

You omitted this part of the article: "Lauer said Sprint is considering EV-DO and EV-DV as well as a technology from start-up Flarion Technologies that its smaller rival Nextel Communications Inc. (NasdaqNM:NXTL - News) is testing."

Actually Yahoo News missed it I did a cut and paste.