Sprint to Expand Its EV-DO Revision A-Capable Device Portfolio

Sprint plans to expand its EV-DO Revision A-capable device portfolio with two new mobile broadband cards by the end of the year. The new Pantech PX-500 and Sierra Wireless Aircard 595 will extend Sprint's product line, which currently includes the Sprint Mobile Broadband Card by Novatel Wireless.

All three cards are compatible with the Sprint Power Vision Network, and ensure average download speeds of 400-700 Kpbs. The transfer speeds will become even higher in certain coverage areas that are supposed to be upgraded later this year, reaching 450 - 850 kbps for download and 300 kbps - 400 kbps for upload. These data rates are well suited for video telephony, video messaging and music-on-demand, which require a larger bandwidth.

"Sprint is at a competitive advantage with the nation's largest mobile broadband network, our accelerated EV-DO Revision A deployment strategy and the nation's first commercially available EV-DO Revision A-capable card we began selling last month," said Danny Bowman, vice president of product marketing for Sprint. "By further expanding the number of devices that can be used to access Sprint Mobile Broadband services, we are giving customers even more choices to meet their mobility needs today and well into the future."

The Pantech PX-500 has a retail price of $199.99 or is available for free with a 2-year subscription and mail-in-rebate, while the Sierra Wireless AirCard 595 carries a price tag of $249.99 or $99.99 with a 2-year subscription.