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Telecommunications industry

Sprint Broadband Direct Delivers High-Speed Internet to 85% of Greater Phoenix Area

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Sprint's new Sprint Broadband Direct(SM) service has launched in Phoenix, Arizona, providing two-way, high-speed Internet access to 85% of the metropolitan area. This revolutionary service, using fixed wireless technology and the EarthLink Sprint Internet service, offers multi-megabit download speeds and does not require a second phone line to hook up a computer to the Internet. Customers can experience "always-on" connections, bypassing the need to dial into a modem bank multiple times to get a good connection.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sprint Broadband Direct is available to 85% of homes in the metropolitan Phoenix area.
  • The service provides downstream burst rates of up to 5 Mbps, typical downstream rates of up to 1-2 Mbps, and an "always-on" connection.
  • Customers can connect one computer, with the option to add more for an additional charge, and receive six e-mail accounts, six personal start pages, six megabytes of Web storage, and five hours of remote dialup Internet access per month.
  • Sprint's fixed wireless network is more secure than cable modems and provides service not distance sensitive, unlike Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) services.
  • "We intend to end what we characterize as 'Broadband Envy'," said Tim Sutton, president of Sprint's Broadband Wireless Group. "Our service doesn't depend on wires, allowing us to rapidly roll out two-way, high-speed Internet access for the masses."
  • Sprint's fixed wireless network is managed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing optimal performance and eliminating the need for customers to wait for wired broadband connections.
  • The service does not require a second phone line, eliminating the need for customers to choose between Internet access and phone use.
  • The technology uses a stationary digital transceiver at the home or business receiving the service, which is pointed towards a radio transmission tower that can send and receive high-speed Internet data to customers up to 35 miles away.
  • Service is available to both residential and business customers, with pricing starting at $39.95 for residential and $89.95 for business.

Statistics:

  • 85% of homes in the metropolitan Phoenix area are eligible for Sprint Broadband Direct.
  • The service provides downstream burst rates of up to 5 Mbps.
  • Typical downstream rates are up to 1-2 Mbps.
  • The digital transceiver for the service is a small, 13.5"x 13.5" diamond-shaped device.
  • The radio transmission tower can send and receive high-speed Internet data to customers up to 35 miles away.
  • Sprint's fixed wireless network is managed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sources:

  • Sprint press release, "Sprint Launches First Broadband Wireless Market in Phoenix," May 8, 2000.
  • Sprint Web site, www.sprintbroadband.com.
  • Sprint press release, "Sprint and WorldCom to Merge, Creating a Leader in Broadband Services," June 2000.
  • United States Census Bureau, "Phoenix, AZ Metropolitan Division," 1999.

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