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Verizon's So Called "3G" Launch
from the speed-is-expensive dept
The rumors are true, Verizon is launching its CDMA 1xRTT data network in select markets in the US today. The service costs $30 per month in addition to a voice plan and data minutes are deducted from the same bucket as voice minutes. So even though 1xRTT is packet-switched, Verizon is charging by the minute. This is probably easier to explain to customers and easier on their billing system. But it limits the service to be used as an expensive dial-up alternative. It'll be fine for downloading email and checking out a couple of web pages (if the network lives up to the speed claims), but it won't be very cost effective for staying online at the cafe with AIM running. I think I'll wait till then. Update: This article has some more info on the rollout and idicates that eventually Verizon wil offer data-only plans and the kilobyte based billing.
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Bah. They're ruining it.
As expected, they're ruining 3G. They're claiming it's 3G when it is not what people have been touting as 3G for years. They claim speeds "up to 144kbps" which no one will ever experience. Talk about overpromising and underdelivering...
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Those wankers are at it again!
They did the same with "PCS." They rolled out a digital service not in the PCS frequencies and without any of the PCS services...but called it PCS and whacked the market.
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Verizon is NOT 3G by any shape of the imagination
144kbps over a CDMA network ( throughput 30 to 40kbps after error correction ) WILL NOT SUPPORT streaming media! Any attempts to market these speeds as 3G fall significantly short of what I expect from the future of Wireless....
GPRS max speed is 173.4kbps and we don't hear VoiceStream and Cingular trying to spin the 3G pitch because they BOTH are aware that this in NOT 3G...
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