Verizon Wireless Hits Higher Speeds

Verizon Wireless on Wednesday will launch a commercial data service in two U.S. metropolitan areas that typically will deliver several times the speed of a dial-up connection, a spokesperson for the carrier confirmed.

The service, which will be available throughout Verizon's Washington, D.C., and San Diego metropolitan coverage areas, will offer typical rates of 300 kilobits per second to 500 kbps, with burst rates up to 2 mbps, according to Andrea Linskey, a spokesperson for Verizon, in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Those speeds will be available to customers whether they are sitting in one place or moving in a vehicle, she said.

Customers will pay $79.99 per month for unlimited use, she said. The PC5220 access card from Sierra Wireless, for use in the PC Card slot of a notebook PC, will cost $149 after a $100 mail-in rebate, she said.

Service Options

The service uses CDMA2000 (Code Division Multiple Access) 1xEV-DO (Evolution-Data Only). Outside the EV-DO coverage areas, customers will be able to use the same card to access Verizon's CDMA2000 1x service, which offers typical speeds of 70 kbps to 80 kbps, according to the carrier.

Verizon offers that slower service in all its service areas in the U.S., also for $79.99 per month for unlimited use.

Verizon Wireless will consider rolling out EV-DO in other metropolitan areas depending on response to the service in Washington and San Diego.