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Wireless Carriers compare for 3G Technology

excerpts from America's Network November 15, 2000
Wireless Carriers - Compared for 3G Technology
Verizon Given some of the advantages of CDMA technology in the near term, Verizon may be able to grow its share of data customers mainly because of its increasingly aggressive marketing campaigns and far-reaching networks. Verizon taps into 49 of the top 50 US markets, claiming to reach about 90% of Americans. Unlike many of the other major carriers who are mired in a sea of red, Verizon has been able to demonstrate profitability. The product of the Bell-Atlantic/GTE merger is also simplifying its fee structure to make for easier customer acceptance. Verizon is seen, along with Sprint PCS, to be in a decent position to capture a solid share of consumers wanting data access.	Cingular The wireless giant emerging from the BellSouth-SBC merger uses a mix of TDMA and GSM technology. It joins AT&T wireless in anticipating the arrival of EDGE technology, which is expected to hit the market the end of next year. As the second largest wireless carrier, Cingular has over 19 million subscribers in 40 markets. It is expected the newly created behemoth will exert plenty of pricing pressure for voice and data, making the landscape especially perilous for some of the smaller wireless players.	AT&T Wireless For all the criticism of AT&T's "low-tech" TDMA network, the fact remains that its CDPD network boasts the fastest data speeds and most mature rollout of any US cellular operator. But CDPD's maximum throughput of 19.2 kbps lags behind the 100 kbps speeds available for GSM and CDMA 2.5G upgrades. Hence, it plans to upgrade to EDGE next year, which can support speeds of up to 384 kbps on a 1MHz carrier. AT&T has secured agreements with manufacturers to provide two handsets by next year to coincide with the EDGE upgrade, one combining EDGE with current TDMA handsets, and the other utilizing EDGE and UMTS
Nextel The only operator to use iDEN technology is also not afraid to express its distinctiveness in other ways. The carrier not long ago announced its intention to allow subscribers to decide where they want to go on the Internet. It utilizes 9.6 Kbps packet and circuit-switch data access with iDEN. The recent AT&T Wireless flirtation with Nextel is a reflection in part of Nextel's uniquely positioned, and highly valued, services-including its two-way radio technology.	Sprint PCS Sprint PCS boasts that it offers the only nationwide all-digital network, and has gone with a "wireless internet" ad campaign. The result: A 50% increase in wireless web users, totaling 320,000 subscribers by the end of Sept. 2000. In keeping with the CDMA migration path, Sprint PCS is positioning itself to implement 64 kbps-144 kbps packet data speeds well before the TDMA fraternity transfers to EDGE. Its move to 2.5G is expected sometime this year.	VoiceStream The only significant pure-play GSM provider in the US may be the smallest national competitor out there, but its standard, favored by most of the world, still brings the carrier plenty of attention. VoiceStream has plans to introduce GPRS, which will give it up to 157 kbps capacity.

US Congress Passes New Legislation!

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act
United States Code Annotated
Title 15 Commerce and Trade
Chapter 50 Consumer Product Warranties 15 Section 2302

"(c)No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the commission if:

1) The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and

2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest."

What this means to printer users!

This means that the manufacturer of the printer you are using cannot void the warranty on your printer because you use a cartridge or refill kit manufactured by someone other than the printer manufacturer. This prohibition includes the use of compatible cartridges, clip-ons, continuous feeding mechanisms, refill kits, ink, etc. For more information on the act, please contact the Federal Trade Commission at (202) 326-3128.