Sprint to Sell Sierra High-Speed Wireless Card

Sprint said the card would support services based on EV-DO, a technology that it is building into its network to deliver the Internet to laptop computers at speeds similar to home computers with broadband on copper phone lines. But it does not plan to launch EV-DO services until mid-year and aims to have service in about 60 metropolitan areas covering 150 million potential customers by early 2006. Sprint said it would sell the Sierra Wireless AirCard 580 to business customers for $299.99 with service plans ranging from $40 a month to $80 a month for unlimited usage. It plans to announce more pricing details in the near future. The card will support data rates of 300 kilobits per second (kbps) to 500 kbps after the EV-DO upgrade. Today Sprints network supports average speeds of 50 kbps to 70 kbps. Sprints second biggest rival Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc already provides such services in about 30 U.S. markets and plans to expand nationwide by the end of 2005.