Verizon Continues High-Speed Wireless Data Rollout

Verizon Wireless announced Tuesday that it is upgrading its network to support faster BroadbandAccess wireless data services to customers in cities in a handful of additional states and the District of Columbia.

The wireless service provider is upgrading its network with gear based on CDMA 1x EV-DO Revision A technology to support faster transmission speeds. Verizon Wireless says Rev. A supports downstream speeds of 450K to 800Kbps and upstream speeds of 300K to 400Kbps.

Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel separately announced plans to upgrade to the faster EV-DO Rev. A last year. Sprint got a head start announcing upgrades in cities as early as October. Verizon announced its first cities earlier this month, which included Boston, Richmond, Hampton Roads, Va., Chicago and Salt Lake City .

Verizon Wireless now offers its faster EV-DO Rev. A BroadbandAccess service in these cities:

Illinois: Springfield, Decatur area

Iowa: Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo, Cedar Falls

Idaho: Boise, Nampa, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Pocatello, Rexburg

Maryland: Montgomery, Howard, Prince Georges, Anne Arundel, Baltimore Counties

Okalahoma: Tulsa and surrounding areas

Oregon: Portland, Salem

Virginia: Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun Counties

Vermont: Burlington, South Burlington, Williston, Essex and Burlington International Airport

Washington: Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Spokane, Vancouver

Washington, D.C.

Verizon Wireless also previously announced that it is offering customers two Rev. A compatible devices -- the USB720 wireless modem or the AirCard 595 PC card.

Verizon Wireless charges US$60 to $80 per month for its BroadbandAccess service. The lesser rate is for customers that also have a wireless voice plan of at least $40 per month.

Sprint Power Vision wireless data service costs $60 per month for customers who sign a two-year contract. Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A service is available in 24 markets. The wireless service provider offers four compatible Rev. A devices which are the Sprint Mobile Broadband USB Modem from Novatel Wireless, and wireless modem cards Novatel S270, Sierra AC595 and Pantech PX-500.

Handheld devices that support EV-DO Rev 0, current EV-DO technology deployed by both Sprint and Verizon Wireless, work with Rev. A services, but the older devices will not support the faster speeds.