Las Vegas — Sprint Chairman William T. Esrey opened up the third day of the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show Thursday with a pledge to make the next generation of wireless phone service available nationwide by midyear.
Esrey said Sprint PCS's 3G high-speed wireless phone network would deliver a new generation of phone-based information and entertainment services to both consumers and businesses.
"This is undeniably gee-whiz technology, but it's also technology with the potential to be extremely useful and valuable," Esrey said.
Sprint PCS will be the first wireless company to offer 3G nationwide, starting service "midyear," he said. Other companies also are working to build out 3G networks but most don't plan to offer service in more than a few cities until late this year or sometime next year.
"The promise of 3G is no longer just a promise," Esrey said. "We're going to start delivering not some time in the future but this year. In fact, within the next few months."
Officially, 3G stands for third generation, an upgraded wireless network with always-on Internet service similar to that offered by cable modems and DSL. Sprint PCS will start service at up to 144 kilobits per second this summer, Esrey said.
Within two years, he said, the company will increase top speeds to more than 2 megabits per second 40 times faster than the fastest dialup Internet service.
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