Sprint PCS Subscribers Take the Web on the Road

When Sprint PCS went live with its pioneering Wireless Web service in September 1999, millions of subscribers across the U.S. were suddenly able to connect to the Internet through their wireless phones — in as little as three seconds. With the largest, 100 percent digital wireless network in the country, this fast-growing carrier covers nearly 75 percent of the U.S. population.

“Sprint PCS has set itself apart from other wireless service providers and added a new revenue source, effectively becoming a wireless ISP,” notes Oliver Valente, chief technology officer of Sprint PCS.

The 3Com technology residing inside Total Control platforms lets mobile subscribers connect to the Internet using mobile phone links, bypassing the circuit-switched telephone network entirely. 3Com’s solution functions as a gateway between the CDMA network and the wireless network, providing the internetworking and protocol conversion necessary to deliver direct data connections to users.

Besides fast Internet connections, the system also offers users select Internet content in real time and automatic customized content updates from portal partners such as Yahoo!

3Com equipment is used by virtually every major CDMA cellular and PCS carrier worldwide. 3Com is now partnering with Samsung Electronics to develop a high-speed packet data and voice wireless network based on breakthrough third-generation cdma2000 1x technology.