(ME)ID Required
Although the TIA claims they have enough ESNs to last roughly until 2007, different manufacturers have varying supplies left. While Kyocera is confident it will not need to switch from ESN to MEID until 2007, Nokia is looking to switch by the start of 2006.
Whether handset manufacturers wait until 2007 to make the switch or do it earlier, the networks want to be ready for MEID-equipped handsets before ESNs run out. Sprint is already prepared to accommodate MEID phones with the use of pseudoESNs, and is waiting for the CDMA Development Group (CDG) to ratify MEID for CDMA2000 so they can upgrade their equipment "as soon as the CDG gives us something to hang our hat on." Verizon, meanwhile, has internal systems that still rely on ESNs. They are on an aggressive timeline to ensure their systems are MEID-compatible by the time their hardware partners need to switch.
According to Lucent, which manufacturers CDMA base station hardware and is helping to develop the MEID for CDMA2000 standard, once the standard is ratified customers will need to install a software upgrade on their base stations in order to support MEID. They expect this upgrade to be ready by early 2006.
Once this system is in place, the CDG can devote its efforts to changing its development plans and coming up with a new revision of CDMA. A new revision will need to support both MEID and EV-DO natively.
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