SF Chronicle: Verizon Wireless' Express Network "Not that Great"
Henry Norr writes about the Verizon Express Network in today's San Francisco Chronicle. The Express Network is the first widely-deployed 3G mobile data network in the United States, currently operating in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Northeastern United States, and the Greater Salt Lake City Area.
Norr points out that the service will not be confused with broadband, regularly producing throughput of "only" 30 to 35 kbps in the San Francisco Bay area. But, then he relates the comments of a Verizon engineer: "...Ricochet is gone, and {an} 802.11b network works only within a radius of about 150 feet {of the base station}. The Verizon network is up and running today, and it encompasses most of the Bay Area from Gilroy to Petaluma."
In the East, the network basically works along the coast from Norfolk, VA, to Hartford, CT, and inland for a distance of 75-100 miles. It also works in the Providence-Boston-Nashua metroplex and the Portland, ME metro area. See the service maps at verizonwireless.com.
We believe that the Verizon Express Network is a significant step forward in wireless networking capability, and we will continue to seek out reviews and first-hand accounts of user experiences. We are trying to determine if this technology is good enough to make us choose to purchase devices compatible with Verizon's CDMA network instead of the GSM networks deployed or under construction from VoiceStream, AT&T Wireless, and Cingular.