Sprint unveiled a fixed-wireless Internet service Tuesday, giving Salt Lake-area Web users with a penchant for speed a new alternative to DSL and cable modem connections.
Sprint Broadband Direct is claiming transmission speeds of from 512 kbps to 1.5 mbps (1.5 megabits) with burst rates of up to 5 mbps, said general manager David Young.
Having the newest broadband technology does not give Sprint the hands-down record for speed — line the three broadband options up on the starting line and variables among the three services could see each cross the finish line first. Sprint is the latecomer in the broadband market behind cable and DSL but hopes to pass its competition in the number of customers it can claim because of its hardware advantages.
DSL service is offered over traditional copper telephone wires, but customers have to be close to upgraded switching equipment for the service to work. AT&T is aggressively upgrading its cable television network to give it Internet capacity, but cable modem service is only offered in areas where upgrades have been completed. Sprint's wireless service is broadcast from a single transmission station atop Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, giving just about any home or office within sight of the mountain peak for 35 miles immediate access to the service.
"Since Sprint Broadband Direct doesn't depend on wires, we can move quickly into a market and provide coverage to most households and businesses right away," Young said.
Professional installation is required and involves the placement of a pizza-box-sized transceiver that is mounted to the roof or eave of the customer's home or office.
The always-on Sprint Broadband Direct service is offered in partnership with Earthlink, the nation's second-largest Internet service provider. Sprint owns a 20 percent stake in Earthlink, so the union of the two is expected to be long-term. Sprint is waiving the $299 installation fee for residential customers during the service's introduction. Hardware costs for
the installation of the transceiver, an Ethernet card in the computer and a proprietary modem range from $99 to $299, depending on the length of the service agreement.
The Earthlink service includes six e-mail addresses, six megabytes of Web storage for building personal Web pages and five hours per month of remote dial-up Internet access for use when away from the home coverage area.
Dial-up service America Online is still the nation's largest Internet provider. AOL created a special rate plan for cable modem users, who end up paying fees to both AOL and their cable provider for Internet service. AOL customers wanting Sprint's service will also have to pay for both services. Young said Sprint does not have a discounted price for AOL customers but said AOL users who switch to Earthlink can pay AOL a reduced fee if they want to keep AOL e-mail addresses.
Sprint Broadband Direct has already been rolled out in Colorado Springs, Denver, Phoenix, Tuscon, Houston, San Jose and Oakland.
Sprint's Web site, ( www.sprintbroadband.com), not only offers the ability to order service at the site, but also features a locator map that lets potential customers know whether they are within range of the radio-frequency-based Internet service, Young said. "You punch in your address and it'll bring your house up on a map and tell you yes or no."
Young said the FCC-licensed network is currently being used exclusively for Internet service, but Sprint plans to offer other telecommunications services over the network in the future.
E-MAIL: steve@desnews.com