Posted by
timothy
on from the shhh-someone-might-buy-it dept.
Cesaro writes: "According to this CNN article here it looks
like Verizon has beaten all others to the punch on launching the
first 3g wireless network in the US. I was at a loss to find any
good information on this at Verizon's website. One would think they
would want to publicize these items."
This is NOT a 3G network.
by
carlhirsch
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Calling this network "3G" is pure marketroid hype.
Verizon is claiming they'll offer up to 144kbps throughput, which will work out to provide real-world speeds of 20-30k.
Here's a <A href=http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2002/01/28/rtr 494921.html>Reuters</A> article breaking it down.
-- .
We've got computers, we're tapping phone lines, you know that ain't allowed - Talking Heads, "Life During Wartime"
Perhaps they're trying a silent rollout first.
by
Restil
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
If they overadvertise and the network becomes clogged and people decide that due to insufficient bandwidth and excessive bottlenecks they don't NEED the services that badly, it could make getting it started more difficult. Rather they slowly introduce it, ramp it up slowly. Build the network as they go.
DSL had similar problems. The demand was greater than the infrastructure could handle, and service (technical and customer) suffered as a result, and in some cases, it still does. They might be trying to avoid a similar problem.
Of course, I haven't known Verizon and GTE before that of going out of their way to avoid problems. The best screwup I remember, is when they cut off the phone service for my entire city (Plano, TX ~ 200,000 people) for 8 hours. Cellular service and payphones were also out of commission. The police had an officer stationed at every major street corner in case of emergencies since 911 wasn't functional. I had to drive 5 miles just to find a working payphone to call someone from. This happened about 2 years ago, fyi.
grammar silliness, and relevance...
by
Mr_Matt
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Quoth timothy:
One would thing they would want to publicize these items. "
Sorry you've got a cold, man.:)
How long do you guys think it'll take for the service to make it out of the original three launch areas? (arrgh, they picked SLC instead of Denver, those tools! Stupid Olympics...) Seems to me like new wireless services come and go all the time...is this just another flash-in-the-pan?
--
But what does my opinion matter, I just vote here. It's not like I have any money or anything.
already available in Japan
by
jsprat
·
· Score: 1, Interesting
My boss's (is that spelled right?) boss is here from Japan. There, they have phones/digital cameras.
No need for media, just point, click, then email to yourself! With the 3G service, it's lightning fast.
Just imagine yourself on vacation with an almost unlimited supply of snapshots, anytime you want it.
the service is lacking.
by
joshsisk
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
I called earlier this morning, as I've been looking for a wireless provider. Verizon makes you sign up for a calling plan (though you dont actually have to have a phone, interestingly enough), the Express Network service uses the plan's minutes and costs an additional $30 a month. The person I spoke with said speeds were around 56k.
They already offer a CDPD service that is 28.8, but it is unlimited usage for $40 a month. In addition, the CDPD service goes ANYWHERE Verizon does, the person I spoke with said the Internet Express service is currently more limited (though I expect that to change).
Both have contracts, though there is only a $100 fee for early cancellation. I think I'm gonna get the CDPD service, as it's cheaper and the the constant connection is important to me. If they change the new service to constant connection, I'll just pay the fee and upgrade. Also, both offer a two week grace period where you can cancel with no fee. I'm gonna test my connection out in places i usually go, to make sure I can get a good signal. If not, I'm cancelling.
Re:the service is lacking.
by
TheSync
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
They already offer a CDPD service that is 28.8, but it is unlimited usage for $40 a month. In addition, the CDPD service goes ANYWHERE Verizon does
I'm a big user of Verizon CDPD. 28.8kbps throughput is a significant overstatement. 14kbps is good for CDPD, 9.6kbps is what you get in general. That said, my wife uses it for her webcam, and it generally gets the job done. I've used CDPD on the Amtrak from DC to NYC. Both Verizon and AT&T (carrier for Palm-based Omnisky) have good coverage along the tracks with a few holes.
Of course, 144kbps sounds much better, but I can't imagine it being priced reasonably.
How HOT do these 3G phones get?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 1, Interesting
I heard from a colleague in Japan that their 3G phones get really freaking hot in use. Uncomfortably hot. And that battery life sucks rocks. Like 30 mins talk time. This struck me as weird, because I didn't think 3G was about higher transmitter power or higher quality(/bandwidth) voice transmissions. Anyone know if this is a common 3G occurence?
Very Limited.
by
A+Commentor
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
It is currently only available in the NE, Salt Lake City, San Francisco.
For pricing, you must have a $35 or above voice plan with them. Then pay an additional $30 for data access, AND pay per minute (minutes come out of voice allowance minutes + charge the same as your voice minutes for any overage).
Also, billing based on minutes make absolutely no sense, since these data connections do not tie-up a line like a voice call does, it only transmits/receives when there is activity. Many people can share a single channel.
--
Looking for any old 8-bit Heathkit/Zenith software/hardware - http://heathkit.garlanger.com
Re:Very Limited.
by
Phil+Wherry
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I must admit that I'm impressed at Verizon's ingenuity here. I really didn't think it was going to be feasible to find a way to do per-minute pricing for a packet service, but I underestimated the company's ability to misunderstand the utility of packet data.
Whether it's the entertainment industry or the telecom industry, consumer preference is pretty clear: predictable costs drive product acceptance. The cellular industry, however, is justly famous for deliberately making costs hard to understand, let alone predict.
This pricing scheme is doubly insulting from a CDMA carrier; as those who are familiar with CDMA are aware, it's far and away the most bandwidth-efficient wireless communications system in widespread use. There's at least one carrier that's been quite successful in using CDMA technology to offer a truly flat-rate all-you-can-talk local calling service in a number of areas in the U.S. [Important disclaimer: I work for the aforementioned carrier's parent company, but don't speak for it in this forum; I'm mentioning the service here in order to illustrate a point, not advertise the service. If you live in a coverage area, you've heard about it already, I'm sure...]
Packet data can be even more bandwidth-efficient than voice traffic since the latency requirements are relaxed considerably, so it seems to me that there's really no excuse for Verizon to be billing for this service in such a boneheaded way.
I sure hope Verizon can make it work
by
LM741N
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I work in the cellphone chip business, and we and many others really need some carriers that can make a 2.5G phone that people will really want. In order for them to want it, it has to be easy to use and truly deliver on the bandwidth. So far we have seen none of that, and its reflected in the poor earnings reports for Nokia, Motorola, and Ericsson, which has rippled down to everyone else in the supplier business
Lil' Ol' Salt Lake City
by
BermJumper
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I was surprised to see Utah in the same list as Silicon Valley and the Northeast for this coverage-- Maybe it has to do with the Olympics, which are fewer than 300 hours away. Still, according to SLOC, two of Verizon's competitors, AT&T and Qwest, are the official sponsors, not VZ itself. Maybe it's planning to upstage them while the world is watching the Beehive State?
As long as the rates stay relatively low (HA!-- not likely) it may be that the Olympics got something for Utah, aside from a few billion in highway money--
Slashdot Mirror
Maybe publicity is the last thing they want. 3G has been labeled vaporware many times over, this could hurt them is they don't get it right.
Poll Results:
How ready are you to utilize a "3G" service like Verizon's new Express Network?
The majority (32% of those who voted) said "Maybe never -- I don't plan to need that much wireless speed."
I find this quite interesting.
If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
Calling this network "3G" is pure marketroid hype.
r 494921.html>Reuters</A> article breaking it down.
Verizon is claiming they'll offer up to 144kbps throughput, which will work out to provide real-world speeds of 20-30k.
Here's a <A href=http://www.forbes.com/newswire/2002/01/28/rt
. We've got computers, we're tapping phone lines, you know that ain't allowed - Talking Heads, "Life During Wartime"
If they overadvertise and the network becomes clogged and people decide that due to insufficient bandwidth and excessive bottlenecks they don't NEED the services that badly, it could make getting it started more difficult. Rather they slowly introduce it, ramp it up slowly. Build the network as they go.
:)
DSL had similar problems. The demand was greater than the infrastructure could handle, and service (technical and customer) suffered as a result, and in some cases, it still does. They might be trying to avoid a similar problem.
Of course, I haven't known Verizon and GTE before that of going out of their way to avoid problems. The best screwup I remember, is when they cut off the phone service for my entire city (Plano, TX ~ 200,000 people) for 8 hours. Cellular service and payphones were also out of commission. The police had an officer stationed at every major street corner in case of emergencies since 911 wasn't functional. I had to drive 5 miles just to find a working payphone to call someone from. This happened about 2 years ago, fyi.
That was a fun day.
-Restil
Play with my webcams and lights here
Quoth timothy:
:)
One would thing they would want to publicize these items. "
Sorry you've got a cold, man.
How long do you guys think it'll take for the service to make it out of the original three launch areas? (arrgh, they picked SLC instead of Denver, those tools! Stupid Olympics...) Seems to me like new wireless services come and go all the time...is this just another flash-in-the-pan?
But what does my opinion matter, I just vote here. It's not like I have any money or anything.
My boss's (is that spelled right?) boss is here from Japan. There, they have phones/digital cameras.
No need for media, just point, click, then email to yourself! With the 3G service, it's lightning fast.
Just imagine yourself on vacation with an almost unlimited supply of snapshots, anytime you want it.
I called earlier this morning, as I've been looking for a wireless provider. Verizon makes you sign up for a calling plan (though you dont actually have to have a phone, interestingly enough), the Express Network service uses the plan's minutes and costs an additional $30 a month. The person I spoke with said speeds were around 56k.
They already offer a CDPD service that is 28.8, but it is unlimited usage for $40 a month. In addition, the CDPD service goes ANYWHERE Verizon does, the person I spoke with said the Internet Express service is currently more limited (though I expect that to change).
Both have contracts, though there is only a $100 fee for early cancellation. I think I'm gonna get the CDPD service, as it's cheaper and the the constant connection is important to me. If they change the new service to constant connection, I'll just pay the fee and upgrade. Also, both offer a two week grace period where you can cancel with no fee. I'm gonna test my connection out in places i usually go, to make sure I can get a good signal. If not, I'm cancelling.
I heard from a colleague in Japan that their 3G phones get really freaking hot in use. Uncomfortably hot. And that battery life sucks rocks. Like 30 mins talk time. This struck me as weird, because I didn't think 3G was about higher transmitter power or higher quality(/bandwidth) voice transmissions. Anyone know if this is a common 3G occurence?
For pricing, you must have a $35 or above voice plan with them. Then pay an additional $30 for data access, AND pay per minute (minutes come out of voice allowance minutes + charge the same as your voice minutes for any overage).
Also, billing based on minutes make absolutely no sense, since these data connections do not tie-up a line like a voice call does, it only transmits/receives when there is activity. Many people can share a single channel.
Looking for any old 8-bit Heathkit/Zenith software/hardware - http://heathkit.garlanger.com
I work in the cellphone chip business, and we and many others really need some carriers that can make a 2.5G phone that people will really want. In order for them to want it, it has to be easy to use and truly deliver on the bandwidth. So far we have seen none of that, and its reflected in the poor earnings reports for Nokia, Motorola, and Ericsson, which has rippled down to everyone else in the supplier business
I was surprised to see Utah in the same list as Silicon Valley and the Northeast for this coverage-- Maybe it has to do with the Olympics, which are fewer than 300 hours away. Still, according to SLOC, two of Verizon's competitors, AT&T and Qwest, are the official sponsors, not VZ itself. Maybe it's planning to upstage them while the world is watching the Beehive State? As long as the rates stay relatively low (HA!-- not likely) it may be that the Olympics got something for Utah, aside from a few billion in highway money--