From The Naked PC issue #5.07...

No More Waiting for Next Year

by Al Gordon
March 28, 2002

"3G" (Third Generation) Wireless has been one of those things like a World Series championship for the Red Sox, "Wait 'til next year." But suddenly, Next Year has arrived. There is a 3G network available to users in major markets on the East Coast and San Francisco/Silicon Valley--Express Network from Verizon Wireless.
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/507/tr.cgi?al1

That's right, Verizon. Not some flashy Internet startup, but The Phone Company. Verizon Wireless--the #1 U.S. cellular provider-- is a joint venture of Verizon Communications, the Baby Bell in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, and Vodafone, the European cellular giant which acquired the wireless assets that once belonged to the Baby Bells on the West Coast.

What all this means to you: these folks mean business. This is not just faster, more efficient wireless data communications for road warriors, but faster, more efficient data transport from companies that are likely to be around for a few years.

ALPHABET SOUP TIME: Verizon voice network uses Qualcomm's CDMA standard, so accordingly, Express Network uses Qualcomm's 1XRTT ("1X") high speed data protocol. Data can be sent over CDMA, and Verizon has had a "Quick 2 Net" service for some time operating at 14.4 kbps. Quick 2 Net, in fact, is available to ExNet customers when they are outside 1X coverage. Both services are different from CDPD, also 14.4 but using different cellular frequencies. CDPD is sold by Verizon as "Mobile IP," and here in the Boston area the Verizon CDPD network also handles the traffic of wireless data specialty providers such as GoAmerica and OmniSky:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/507/tr.cgi?al2

While 14.4 is adequate for plain-text emails and limited browsing on sites especially designed for mobile users, it is frustratingly slow when used for heavy-duty online work. ExNet 1X, in contrast, can run up to 10 times as fast, with Verizon claiming sustained speeds in the 40 to 60 kbps range. Speeds also are boosted by Fourelle's Venturi data compression software, which is part of the Verizon "Mobile Office" software bundle. This does not bode well for the CDPD carriers. Indeed, OmniSky already has folded and has been sold off to EarthLink.

In testing with accessing an assortment of online benchmarking utilities, ExNet typically clocked in at 60-90 kbps--not broadband but faster than a dial-up connection, which is the appropriate comparison as dial-ups are what the road warrior likely would be using without ExNet.

I put little stock in benchmark testing, though, preferring to see real world results. I used ExNet to go to the Windows XP Update site and download a package of four XP updates totaling 4.5 MB. The download took about 8 minutes, which translates to roughly 75 kbps. Note that text-based data will consistently move faster because it is easier to compress and Venturi, thus, will give a bigger performance boost.

Users have two equipment options. The Sierra AirCard 555 PC card ($299.99) or a Kyocera 2235 1X-capable cell phone ($79.99 plus $79.99 for the Mobile Office software and a cable to connect the phone to a notebook's USB port). I have tested AirCards in the past and found them solid units, with easy to install drivers and software. An added feature in the 555 is a headset jack so you can use it for voice calls with bundled software.

For this test, I wanted to try the cell-phone-and-cable package. My theory being that it's a heck of a lot easier to take out your cell phone and hook it up to your notebook than to take out your notebook and use it as a cell phone. The Kyocera is a nicely designed mid-sized phone with good sound quality, decent battery life, simple menu structure, and a really cool ice blue backlight.

Installation of Mobile Office is simple. However, as Verizon spokespeople warn, you need to actually look at the Quick Start instructions and follow the steps in the outlined order. (First install the USB drivers, then connect the phone with the included USB cable, and then run the Mobile Office setup program.) The end result is a straightforward connection applet. Launch Mobile Office, click on the "connect" button, and a few seconds later your phone and laptop are running 1X. No muss, no fuss. Windows 98, ME, 2000, and XP are supported, but not yet Mac.

At the moment, Mobile Office is available only for notebooks. However, with the assistance of the SupplyNet cable company (see this issue's Featured Product) and Verizon technicians, I hooked the 2235 up to my HP Jornada 560 Pocket PC. It worked fine and is a good email/browsing-on-the-run solution. I had to manually set numerous configuration settings on both the Jornada and phone, which is too clunky to be practical. However, a Pocket PC version of Mobile Office is under development, and Verizon will offer it later this year.

Under Verizon's initial pricing scheme for Express Network, you must subscribe to a voice airtime plan of at least $35/month and then pay a $30/month surcharge for ExNet--plus the airtime minutes you consume. Remember, the meter is running when you are reading your email, so Verizon advises customers to disconnect once you have downloaded your data and then reconnect to send. ExNet is not intended to be an "always on" service.

However, the company has just announced a pricing option based on amount of data transferred rather than online time. It will start at $35 per month for 10 MB of data (going up to 150 MB at price not yet announced). Which price plan is best will depend on your precise usage patterns. I did several calculations on both options, and neither had a decisive advantage. Data-based pricing means you don't have to worry about signing on and off lest you eat up all your airtime minutes. On the other hand, data blocks can be used only for data transmission while a time-based plan gives you the flexibility to use your minutes for voice or data.

Verizon Wireless also announced it will expand Express Network next week, making it available in several more Northeast cities, plus a number of metropolitan areas in the Midwest and South. Verizon says that with the expansion one-third of its overall network will have 1XRTT.

For the future, higher speed, broadband-level wireless data technology is under development. After all, there always has to be a "wait 'til next year" option.

You can reach Al Gordon at:
mailto:al@TheNakedPC.com

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