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story category 3G in Alaska
Alaska gets EV-DO before New York City
(old news - 02:07PM Thursday Jun 17 2004)
tags: wireless
Alaska Communications Systems Group has announced they'll be the latest US carrier to launch an EV-DO wireless broadband service in the US. While this press release claims speeds "up to" 2.4Mbps, true speeds of these networks usually run around 300-500kbps downstream, with occasional bursts. Upstream is generally considered the technology's weakness, with users of Verizon's existing service reporting speeds comparable to ISDN (128kbps or so). Alaska Communication's service will go for $100 a month, while Verizon offers the service in DC and San Diego for $80. Users also need to purchase an EV-DO card for around $400.

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Forums » 3G in Alaska
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Anonuser

join:2003-01-03
Milwaukee, WI

I like that

I like that, would switch my come connection to something like that, since i am always on the go, and always have my laptop, would love those speeds.

But for now, will stick with my free 128kbps that i pull by connecting through my Sprint PCS phone.

Later,
GlobalDC.com
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SaBo7Ge

join:2003-03-12
US


3 edits

Re: I like that

Yeah we got it, but we still can't get 1.5mbps dsl from ACS .. go figure.. Up until last december Anchorage residents were paying almost $100/mo for 960/320kbps dsl from ACS which after overhead is really 768/270kbps...

The competition from the CLEC Cable ISP is a joke..
»gci.com/promos/hypernet/hypernet_yhn6.htm

Wireless sounds great but paying $100/mo for it on top of purchasing a $400 network card is a little rich for most people here.. ACS should spend more money deploying RT's on their loops and increasing speed to their DSL offerings before working on wireless... Here's hoping this reaches someone out there..

pcscdma
Chocobo Chocobo Random Battle
Premium
join:2004-01-14
Winterset, IA
clubs:

said by Anonuser See Profile:
... free 128kbps that i pull by connecting through my Sprint PCS phone.

Whoa. Now careful there. You don't wanna get hotlined for violating your ToS.
--
Be patriotic or I'm reporting you to Ashcroft.
Zunger

join:2003-08-24
Fayetteville, AR
how the hell did you accomplish this? I cant find anything about it on google :-(

4557547M

@charter.com

Re: I like that

Just get the data cable for your phone from FutureDial, connect it to your phone/USB port, load the USB drivers, and then create a dial-up networking entry with any username and password using the telephone number #777. Bam! You got full access. The person I did this setup for usually gets about 80Kbps in the area, but surfing the web seems faster as images and web pages are compressed on the PCS network.

tcp1
Premium
join:2000-04-17
Herndon, VA
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
·ViaTalk
·T-Mobile US
·Bandwidth.com

Re: I like that

Not to hijack a thread -- but I'd make sure to preface this (Zunger; this info is for YOU) with the fact that Sprint, by definition, does NOT allow this. You don't want to go around simply encouraging this to everyone.. The more people do this, the more Sprint will probably crack down!

By simply giving this "tip" to someone who doesn't know about Sprint's handling of the whole thing, you're likely to get him into hot water..

So, the basic gist of it is.. Sprint does NOT allow you to use your phone as a modem on their 3G 1xRTT services. It is explicitly forbidden in their TOS. They do offer connection cards, which come with separate (expensive) plans.

HOWEVER. As shown above, it is *technically* possible.. And generally, as a rule, using it for OCCASIONAL use (and I'm not talking downloading divx's here.. Maybe a few dozen megabytes a month) won't get you hotlined.

Keep in mind, though, according to Sprint's TOS, that they can cancel your Vision (3G 1xRTT) service for this, and can charge you. You don't have to look far.. Over at sprintusers.com there was a woman who was charged $2800 by Sprint when she returned a phone to Best Buy that still had her Vision username in it.. [Did you know you can use Vision on a non-activated phone, with a valid Vision login? It's true!] Someone bought it, used it not-all-that-heavily; and Sprint socked her with the default $0.02/kb rate.

(1mb = 1024kb. Only 100mb = 102400 kb = $2048 @ $0.02/kb. Ouch!)

Granted, this is anectdotal, and apparently doesn't happen too often.. I'm not saying don't do it -- I do, now and then.. But keep in mind that when you're operating outside their TOS, a company like Sprint has rather wide leeway with how they can react to that.

tcp1
Premium
join:2000-04-17
Herndon, VA
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·Verizon FIOS
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Re: I like that

Oh.. And one more thing.. I belive without a Vision pack/plan on your line, the rate is as high as $0.39/kb! Be careful! Data rates everywhere are outrageously out-of-line expensive.. (Sprint charges $0.002/kb on their connection cards, but $0.02 on a phone? Huh? ATT is even worse!)

I know it's kinda off topic I just don't want someone ending up with a $39,936 Sprint bill for playing around and downloading 100mb worth of stuff over a month!

pcscdma
Chocobo Chocobo Random Battle
Premium
join:2004-01-14
Winterset, IA
clubs:

Re: I like that

It's $.002/kB for the connection card and $.01/kB for the phone without a Vision plan.

For the old 2G 14.4kbps circuit switched phones it is $.39/minute + airtime without the Wireless Web plan. With the Wireless Web plan it is just airtime. Night and weekend minutes can count for your minutes. 3G phones seem to not be able to get provisioned for this. I've already tried.

Unlimited data is available from Business Solution partners like »www.dreampages.com/sprint3g/conn···ards.htm
--
Be patriotic or I'm reporting you to Ashcroft.

koolman2
Premium
join:2002-10-01
Anchorage, AK
·GCI.net
·Clearwire Wireless

Nice, but still expensive

I'd really rather see an increase of bandwidth for my DSL with ACS (Alaska Communications Systems). Currently, I have a 320/240kbps plan with them for $39/month. I'd much rather have 640/320, or even 960/320 that they offer for that price. Oh well, my day will come.

I think this is actually a push to compete with the cable company (GCI) up here to get broadband into the smaller communities. At the moment, GCI cable is all they can get in terms of broadband.
SaBo7Ge

join:2003-03-12
US

Re: Nice, but still expensive

Agreed on the rural community assessment

DaveNJ
No Fear

join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

Makes sense in rural areas

In unwired areas, where cellular is more economical upgrading to 3G makes most sense. Usually cable and telcos dont care about rural areas. Unlike NYC metro, where cable and telco are available almost everywhere.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Re: Makes sense in rural areas

Well, I'd have to think these EV-DO, EV-DV, or FLASH OFDM technologies are pretty attractive to businessmen on the go in major cities, who would consider $80 a month a good deal for mobile broadband....
JJV
Premium
join:2001-04-25
Seattle, WA
clubs:

Re: Makes sense in rural areas

Hope they bring it to Ketchikan.
SaBo7Ge

join:2003-03-12
US


1 edit

Re: Makes sense in rural areas

They'll probably bring it to the larger communities within range of the mountains like Anchorage, Seward, Soldotna, kenai, McKinley park, Fairbanks, and Juneau... Nome and barrow might be a different story.. Ketchikan might be too far out for good line of sight.. who knows?
JJV
Premium
join:2001-04-25
Seattle, WA
clubs:

Re: Makes sense in rural areas

The mosquitos will block the signal.


bigdaddy17

join:2003-05-08
Miami, FL

Re: Makes sense in rural areas

Wow of all places Alaska? Nice to know somewhere else gets a new technology first than New York City as usual.
evoxfan
Waiting On Dsl Or Cable

join:2004-02-12
Daleville, AL

Verizon Wireless will be launching EV-DO in every tower they own over the next 2 years. This will bring hope to people in rural areas like me. $80 a month is still high, although I'd pay it for BB. Rural areas are the red-headed step children of BB. Telco's and Cable companies just do not care at all. I am 2 1/2 miles away from a RT that they can upgrade to DSL ready anytime they wanted, but will not.
--
WinXP_Home, 1.8GHz P4, 512DDR, DAK421_P11, DW4000 Two-Way, SRS, SatMex5, 1270MHz, Proxy on, DrTCP.

Owlbet
Night Owl of the Arctic
Premium,MVM
join:2002-09-24
Palmer, AK
clubs:
·MTA Online

Fly-In Fishing!

Just imagine your favorite fly-in fishing hole, you've hooked a trophy sized Dolly Varden, or king salmon. In seconds....you've emailed a picture of your trophy catch to all your friends...LOL!
--
Rocky is, was, and always will be Dawg E. Dawg. Miss you, pal.

Brat75
Cats rule

join:2003-02-05
Auburn, WA

Re: Fly-In Fishing!

But, of course, us wired ppl are still waiting impatiently for the 3MB speeds of the Lower 48..at the prices of the Lower 48.

I'm not holding my breath tho.

Brat
--
I sometimes feel that I'm playing hockey, and God wants to throw me a curveball.

koolman2
Premium
join:2002-10-01
Anchorage, AK

Re: Fly-In Fishing!

It was nice when ACS lowered their price of the DSL to reasonable prices (or Alaska, of course). For now, I'm just happy that to get out of Alaska, we don't have to go through a satellite! But like you said, I'm not holding my breath for 3Mbps...
Forums » 3G in Alaska


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