y SPEND MONEY to upgrade 1x advance, when you can just upgrade to LTE. it' makes no sense!
if you going to get a new car, get a new car!
y waste your money fixing your old car and get new car next year? makes no sense!
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probably just a software upgrade, and not very expensive
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Plus, you have to remember that not every phone is going to go to LTE or WiMAX. Initially (I'm guessing), those 4G phones are going to cost a good deal more than CDMA/GSM phones. So as the transition is made, these improvements could help customers who are not ready fincially or mentally for the switch...
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There are some who cannot manage three way calls. The guy who called upset because his Startac was searching for service comes to mind. Me(After general troubleshooting): "Sir, you have had this phone since 2002. You ARE eligible to upgrade or you can activate a previously owned handset you acquire from a friend or family member or the internet." Customer: "You did this on purpose. You're trying to make me sign a new contract." *Sigh*
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Does he have to sign a new contract if he were to buy a handset on ebay and bring it into a store to get it activated?
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It requires a new channel card at the tower. It should be fairly inexpensive to implement on the tower end. One good reason to upgrade is that those with dumb phones really don't need the speed LTE offers. EVDO many times is limited by the processor speed in those phones and generally less data intensive apps are run. Verizon has stated the first thing they are going to try to move to LTE is the data card traffic. I imagine next would be the smart phones but who knows when that will be, maybe a year later. I see it being gradual anyways due to upgrade cycles and everything being built out and optimized.
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The new channel card is a secondary stage to 1X Advanced that doubles the voice capacity of the initial software enhancements, which double the CURRENT network capacity of 1X - the sum total is a quadrupling of today's 1X network voice capacity. Many of the software upgrades are already being implemented by operators and on chipsets...
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It is a bit late, yes, but better late then never.
It will be quite a while before LTE phones are remotely common; perhaps longer than many people realize. And for Sprint... God knows when they'll have 4G phones. They doesn't seem to be coming all that soon.
This could be a really nice extra capability for both Verizon and Sprint for at least a couple of years.
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I'm not saying you're incorrect Rich, but while it maybe rumor, there is much talk of an Android/WiMAX phone by the middle of 2010. If you could clarify this, I would like to know. The last I heard, was that they were trying to smooth out some rough edges of Android's OS to be able to run on WiMAX. Again, just word.
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It's possible, but that's:
a. a rumor
b. far enough out that NO ONE knows for sure if it will happen when they want (if that is indeed the plan, and I haven't heard that.)
It will also remain to be seen how that will work, how plans will work, and whether that device will allow simultaneous voice and data. Also keep in mind that WiMAX coverage is growing slowly; only fours cities with Sprint at the moment.
CDMA will be Sprint's primary network for both data and voice for at least several years to come (probably longer than for Verizon). Therefore simultaneous CDMA 1x voice and EVDO data could be a very useful addition to the network, for a meaningful amount of time.
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Thanks for the speedy response. The rumor sure feels strong though. The device supposedly is an HTC based off of the Leo design. Given the close relationship of all parties involved, it only makes sense. Seeing how close the Nokia N810 was to manufacture, It would seem to show some aggressive behavior for implementing a device for this purpose. But then I totally recognize your logic as well. Thanks.
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All CDMA network operators - Verizon or otherwise - are going to use 1X for voice well into the future. Verizon has consistently said so ever since announcing its LTE plans.
Same for EV-DO. Verizon has said that it will need its nationwide 3G network running while it builds out the LTE network. With only having 30 markets launched by the end of 2010, that means EV-DO has a LOT of life left to it before LTE gets nationwide coverage.
To Rich's point, this is probably even more exaggerated for Sprint.
The bigger picture, however, is what this new development will mean for smaller, spectrum-constrained operators. They can not only quadruple the amount of voice calls per channel, but they can also free up channels formerly used fo...
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