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3G Killer?
Nextel announces Flash OFDM trial

Other than Verizon's two city EvDO deployment, third generation wireless is effectively in a coma here in the United States. Enter Nextel with their announcement today they'll be launching a FLASH OFDM wireless broadband system, whose makers claim outperforms 3G mobile wireless broadband technology in nearly every way. Nextel's new wireless broadband website now mentions they'll be trialing Flarion's FLASH (Fast Low-latency Access with Seamless Handoff) OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) technology. While Flarion is conducting trials for the technology in South Korea, users in the States can get a taste by signing up for the new Nextel trial in North Carolina.

While Verizon's EvDO network promises downstream speeds between 300 and 500kbps and upstream speeds akin to dial-up, Flarion's OFDM technology should provide speeds around 1.5Mbps/375kbps with much lower latency at a lower deployment cost. You can down Flarion's OFDM whitepaper here (pdf). Flarion argues it dominates third generation tech, with less than 20 milliseconds of latency and full QoS - offering a very wired broadband experience to wireless users. Additional technical specifics are available at the Nextel or Flarion websites.

You can see if you qualify for the North Carolina trial here (needless to say, actually living in North Carolina helps considerably).
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Techie2000
In Vertigo
Premium Member
join:2001-12-05

Techie2000

Premium Member

Interesting

Nextel has always been an interesting player in the cell phone market. I always considered it more of a niche carrier as its phones had the direct connect which was a major plus, but they tended to be more expensive and have phones with less features than some of the other carriers. For a while I considered them almost stagnant but it seems that since the new phones came out, they've been working on becoming more competitive with the "mainstream" carriers.

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH

Premium Member

Re: Interesting

Interesting indeed. If they can maintain the 1.5Mbps/sec they claim.

It will also introduce some competition into the broadband market. I know many people that would be happy with 1.5mbps if it was "go anywhere".

Problem is, I have a Nextel phone, and trust me, it doesn't "go anywhere". Nextel has improved their network, but they've been notorious for dead spots for years and years. I've had a Nextel phone for some time now, and keep it primarily for the direct connect feature. Many of my co workers have it and I've even seen it save a few lives when traditional communications wasn't cutting it. It's a nice back up to people who use radios in conjunction with their jobs.

dogma
XYZ
Premium Member
join:2002-08-15
Boulder City, NV

1 edit

dogma

Premium Member

I will believe it when I can buy it

I have about had it with these announcements. These press releases seem to be a means to pump up the stock prices or better position VC funding for the companies that make these claims.

I have yet to see something better than the Ricochet service I had over 3 years ago. Too bad they ran out of $ before they went belly-up.

As a current customer of Nextel I find that Nextel (as do all of the wireless carriers) has a hard time providing decent cell phone service. I don't imagine any of this pie-in-the-sky (pun intended) broadband wireless service will see the light of day within 5 years.
Estragon
join:2003-06-20
Greenville, NH

Estragon

Member

Re: I will believe it when I can buy it

Ditto. I'll believe it when I can buy it in New Hampshire.

The Nextel website didn't inspire me with confidence. It tries to tell me how much better broadband will be, but takes forever to load over a POTS modem.

odog
Minister of internet doohickies
Premium Member
join:2001-08-05
Atlanta, GA

odog

Premium Member

Nextel | Done.

doing mobile data right.... no surprise it's nextel:)

Jeremy341
Bye
Premium Member
join:2000-01-06
localhost

Jeremy341

Premium Member

Re: Nextel | Done.

said by odog:
doing mobile data right.... no surprise it's nextel:)
Knowing Nextel, the service will be terrible, have no features, and will cost an arm and a leg.
stripes3
join:2002-10-22
Fairfax, VA

stripes3

Member

Re: Nextel | Done.

What features would you look for from broadband IP access? I've never used the "free mail accounts" and "2/10/20M web hosting" that I've gotten for free on those things.

I'm hoping they attempt to compete with VZ on price, or at least are in the ballpark. Past performance does make that more of a hope then a bet, but still...

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

ropeguru to Jeremy341

Premium Member

to Jeremy341
said by Jeremy341:
said by odog:
doing mobile data right.... no surprise it's nextel:)
Knowing Nextel, the service will be terrible, have no features, and will cost an arm and a leg.

What do you mean cost an arm and a leg?? It was by far the cheapest service I found for the number of minutes.

I only pay $55 per month with 1000 anytime minutes and unlimited night and weekends. Yes, their service is in limited areas. But I also do not have to worry about roaming as that $55 per month also allows me to roam anywhere I have service at no extra cost.

SO get your facts straight before you stick you foot in your mouth again.

Jeremy341
Bye
Premium Member
join:2000-01-06
localhost

Jeremy341

Premium Member

Re: Nextel | Done.

said by ropeguru:
I only pay $55 per month with 1000 anytime minutes and unlimited night and weekends.

...SO get your facts straight before you stick you foot in your mouth again.
I do have my facts straight. Would you mind pointing your plan out on Nextel's site, because I don't see it. If your plan includes any kind of bonus minutes or retention stuff, it doesn't count because that's specific to your account.

You're the first Nextel customer I've ever encountered that has tried to defend them on the basis of cost. Even the most hardcore zealots can admit that they're more expensive than everyone else.

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

1 edit

ropeguru

Premium Member

Re: Nextel | Done.


Looks like 1000 anytime and unlimited night and weekends. But I have to admit. I was wrong. It is $4.99 more than I quoted.

Ok, I cannot get the plan link to come up here. But put in the zip of 33023 and look at the Nextel National Value plans.

Jeremy341
Bye
Premium Member
join:2000-01-06
localhost

1 edit

Jeremy341

Premium Member

Re: Nextel | Done.

I see it. You can get the same number of minutes (including n/w) with T-Mobile, for the same price. BUT, you don't have to pay for caller ID or voicemail. Plus, free GPRS. So it really turns out to be cheaper, especially since T-Mobile adds less fees onto your bill. But I know that T-Mobile's service isn't as great all around the country as it is here. In the Detroit area, Nextel's service is about as low as you can go.

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

ropeguru to odog

Premium Member

to odog
I don't pay for voicemail or caller-id either. It is included in the service.

MIABye
Premium Member
join:2001-10-28
united state

MIABye

Premium Member

Good For Gaming?

quote:
Flarion argues it dominates third generation tech, with less than 20 milliseconds of latency
How many people will sign up for this service just for great ping times for gaming?
Freezone
join:2000-09-29
Southfield, MI

Freezone

Member

Re: Good For Gaming?

i would for sure. Play games on a laptop in the park. And that is just one ap.

tadmaz29
join:2002-05-30
Mount Prospect, IL

tadmaz29

Member

Re: Good For Gaming?

With 375 upload, you could host a nice 8 player server for most games!

FLECOM
Bay Networks Freak
Premium Member
join:2003-03-03
Miami, FL

FLECOM

Premium Member

Re: Good For Gaming?

you can do like 16 if you run a half life server

hell... 384kbps up is more than i get on my DSL line
bigjoesmith
join:2000-11-21
Peoria, IL

bigjoesmith to MIABye

Member

to MIABye
said by MIABye:
quote:
Flarion argues it dominates third generation tech, with less than 20 milliseconds of latency
How many people will sign up for this service just for great ping times for gaming?

That's probably a 20ms latency on the first hop, which is nothing to write home about compared to contemporary cable or DSL connections.

berger279
join:2000-10-20
Denver, CO

berger279

Member

The real deal...

I had a demonstration of this technology at Flarion HQ a couple years ago. We took a laptop streaming video from the web and checking email from their offices (using 802.11b), handed off to the OFDM-based WAN (they set up test cells around their HQ in Bedminster), and they proceeded to drive us around at speeds of 70mph never losing the stream or signal. Granted the test cells were not loaded, but it does work and the speeds are real, as are the latency claims. It is also all IP so there are a seemingly unlimited number of applications for the technology.

Nextel had a private trial going around the DC area for the last 18 months and was pleased with the results, both on laptops and PDAs using the FlashOFDM PC cards the company produces.

Great group of guys -- I hope the test deployment goes well. So much better than anything 3G can deliver at a much lower cost per covered POP.

phriday613
Your Avatar Is Nice... For Me To Poop On
Premium Member
join:2002-02-06
Eastchester, NY

phriday613

Premium Member

Re: The real deal...

just out of curiousity, i hope the data is as encrypted as the cellular service is, otherwise it'll open the proverbial can 'o worms..

rec9140
Provoice just DO it
join:2003-07-29
Mulberry, FL

rec9140

Member

Nexhell

Oh great more pollution from nexhell. Any one who uses a trunked radio system in the 800MHz area which has a nexhell frequency near theirs will atest to just how POOR a neighbor nexhell's TDMA iDEN system and ATT cellulars TDMA areas are. (NOTE: ATT is moving to GSM)

See: »www.apcointl.org/frequen ··· ject_39/

Is this test using their standard 800MHz allocations? I see the cards can use anything from UHF to 1900. It states it uses 1.5MHz so thats alot of space to chew up at 800MHz, even for nexhell.

While I like the idea and the speed, This company has proven its not a good RF neighbor. I am glad Verizon, Alltel and others are bringing to market their own PTT services. Hopefully that will give them a run for their money.

exUser
@attbi.com

exUser

Anon

NextHell

...well, as a Crashtest Dummy for the Nextel "Walkie Talkies", when they first came out, I can say this: it will be incredible until they oversell and over-saturate their equipment capabilities, then it will be like the dialups again, lost, dropped or too busy connections, mark my words...
paulkent
join:2004-02-15
Apex, NC

paulkent

Member

it is sweet!

i was lucky to get accepted into the trial... the nextel card arrived in the post and i was on the air inside 20 minutes of cracking open the box. the signal is string here at SAS (exit 289 US40). i've observed it working all the way to westernwake hospital when going up harrison/down kildaire farms rd.

here at SAS i get about 900kbps download from www.testmy.net; nextel folks are still tweaking the network - currently i get 2 out of 4 bars for both signal strength and quality.

deep in the woods past apex; where the only other broadband seems to be sattelite i get a much weaker signal and around 300kbps downloads. i'm just now starting to ask questions as to how i might use a smarter antenna setup...