Novatel’s USB MCD3000 EVDO Modem brings EVDO to desktops (or laptops) without a PCMCIA card slot. A USB EVDO dongle card may also improve performance. A $6 vegetable strainer can even act a passive reflector.
Sprint’s version of this modem will be called the Sprint USB720. It will have the following features:
- USB 2.0 Device
- Windows and Mac OS X Drivers
- EVDO Rev A Device
- Can attach directly to USB port or via USB cable
Novatel is also developing ExpressCards for both EV-DO and GSM-based HSDPA. Novatel is developing the Merlin X620 card for both Verizon’s and Sprint’s networks, according to Novatel President Brad Wienert.
Roughly half the size of standard PC Cards, ExpressCards are a compact, high-speed replacement of the old PCMCIA card. It’s now available on 50 platforms from major laptop manufacturers and can also be used on desktops.
Sprint and Verizon Wireless are expected to start rolling out faster EV-D0 (EV-DO Revision A), with 3 Mbits down and 1.8 Mbps upload, late this year. Rev A is a linecard update to a carrier’s existing EV-DO networks. Operators will roll out the faster EV-DO service in metropolitan areas in 2007.
Handset availablity could be the bottleneck, says Unstrung. Standard EV-DO handsets will work with the faster networks, but they won’t be any faster. Rev A laptop cards are starting to appear on the horizon, but upgraded handsets are not yet available.
Sprint expects to start making EV-DO-Rev. A Connection Cards commercially available in the third quarter of 2006. Sprint will feature two models - the Novatel Merlin S720 and the Sierra AirCard 595. No doubt they will eventually be available in USB and ExpressCard form factors, too.
Meanwhile, the next speed jump (EV-DO Revision B), was being talked up at last week’s CTIA Wireless show. Qualcomm says that it will start delivering EV-DO Revision B, which offer data transfer speeds up to 14 Mbit/s, by late 2007.
Combined with a Linksys Wireless Router ($200), you might unwire taxis, buses or trains. Of course you could wait for a USB Mobile WiMAX card (above) and mobilize a bike (below) like Intel demonstrated at their Developer’s Forum earlier this year.
EVDO Rev A and mobile WiMAX make uploading live video possible. All manner of community media may follow. More at Sprint, Novatel Wireless, EVDOInfo, Everything USB, MobileTechNews, and BB Exchange.
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