Sprint Nextel said on Thursday it will launch a walkie-talkie style mobile phone service in 40 U.S.markets on June 15.
Like Nextel’s Direct Connect, the new service enables people on Sprint’s CDMA network to chat with each other at the touch of a button. It’s based on Qualcomm’s QChat technology, sending digitized voice over their EVDO data network, and is aimed at helping Sprint hold on to high-value customers.
Nextel, which runs a different network based on Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) technology, also offers a walkie-talkie style service. But since the two companies merged, problems on the Nextel network have depleted its subscriber numbers.
Sprint claims the connection speeds for QChat’s Push-to-Talk are under a second using their EVDO data network. It also provides interoperability, enabling calls between older Nextel phones and the new (CDMA) PTT phones [which must have involved some fancy engineering]. That one second connect speed brings Sprint in line with the nearly instantaneous Nextel system, based on Motorola’s iDEN, which Sprint would like to phase out.
Sprint was forced to write a faster, but proprietary protocol to manage the QChat sessions, says Telephony Magazine. In addition, Qualcomm’s ongoing court battles over their intellectual property, cast doubt on the availability of Qualcomm QChat chips. Starting June 15, it will finally be available in 40+ markets such as Boston, Chicago, New York City, Orlando, Florida, Philadelphia and Houston.
It will work on four phones, including Sanyo’s PRO-200 and PRO-700; the LX400 from LG Electronics and the Z400 from Samsung. The phones range in price from $49.99 to $99.99 for customers who sign up for two-year contracts. QChat service fees start at $49.99 a month, Sprint said.
Sprint and Verizon (later this summer) are both using Qualcomm chips for their CDMA-based push-to-talk service, but the other major PTT platform, supplied by Kodiak Networks, is incompatible between carriers. Kodiak supplies its PTT server to AT&T, Alltel, MetroPCS and half a dozen other regional providers in the US, none of which interoperate with one another. However, with the Kodiak Clientless PTT application, PTT subscribers can contact non-subscribers, by sending an invitation to join the call and instructions to press any key to begin speaking.
Sprint had to move some of their 800 MHz Nextel frequencies because they were causing interference with police and fire radios, which share interleaved frequencies. When the FCC allowed Nextel to provide cellular service, Nextel’s cellular radios began to cause problems with nearby police radios.
The “Consensus Plan” moved Nextel’s frequencies to a dedicated band on 800 MHz and a dedicated band at 1.9 GHz. In exchange, Nextel gave up their original 800 Mhz frequencies which will now be used for public service users. Sprint also agreed to pay for new tv truck microwave gear, which required news vans to move to a new slot in order to make room for the 1.9 GHz band.
.gif)
