Cingular to launch local 3G network
Cingular Wireless plans to launch an advanced new broadband network in the Triad on Thursday, company representatives said at a meeting with the News & Record today.
The 3G network - which stands for third-generation - speaks of an increasing industry interest in giving consumers every possible service in one device. In this case, the device is the LG CU320, a sleek black cell phone whose design looks cribbed from the Motorola Razr. And the services include a series of video and television networks, music, a combined camera and video camera and compatibility with a laptop.
Cingular, the nation's largest wireless carrier, isn't the first to offer high-speed Internet access through its phones and cards for laptops. Competitors including Sprint and Verizon have jumped on the broadband bandwagon, in addition to adding more capabilities to increasingly slimmer phones.
Cingular plans to add more phones to the network during the holiday retail season, said Cingular spokeswoman Laurie Parker. Company representatives also showed off an unreleased Trio-style PDA and another handheld device that will run off the 3G network.
For now, the LG phone is Cingular’s only 3G offering. Customers can pick up the phone for $49.95 after a mail-in-rebate and with a two-year service contract. Subscribers can choose from Cingular’s traditional voice plans and pay an addition $20 each month for unlimited data access. The phone, which went on sale here Sunday, can be used as a modem, or customers can purchase a 3G data card for $49.95 after a rebate.
The average download speed on the network is between 400 and 700 kilobits per second, though Parker claims her phone picks up bursts of quicker speeds. Cingular currently offers the upgraded network in 110 cities and towns near more than 55 metropolitan markets, including Raleigh and Charlotte. 3G customers who travel outside the network will still be able to use all their data services - at slower speeds - on Cingular's lower-level, 2G network.