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Sprint drops Qualcomm's QChat
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Sprint Nextel said it will no longer offer new devices running Qualcomm's QChat technology, and will instead refocus on push-to-talk phones operating on its iDEN network.
Sprint spokesman Scott Sloat told FierceWireless the move stems from the carrier's announcement last year that it would keep and reinvigorate its iDEN network. The carrier has since launched new iDEN devices and services and improved the network's quality.
"As a result of this progress, Sprint is committed to continuing to offer innovative push-to-talk products and services on the gold standard iDEN network," he said. "Sprint will continue to support its existing QChat customer base to ensure their needs are met. However, at this time there are no new QChat handsets on the product development roadmap."
Sprint first launched QChat devices in 2008, a move that allowed it to offer push-to-talk services over its EV-DO Rev. A network. The Qchat phones included a range of new features, including a repeating alert and group chat function that connected up to 20 users at once.
Qualcomm said in a statement that it continues to support Sprint's QChat customers and is also working to expand its QChat business domestically and internationally to work with "multiple 3G operators moving forward."
"Qualcomm continues to innovate and invest in QChat, an air interface agnostic platform currently optimized for both WCDMA and EV-DO Rev. A," Vishal Gupta, Qualcomm's vice president of North American sales, said in a statement. "We expect to launch QChat internationally in the coming year but cannot yet disclose which operators."
For more:
- see this PhoneNews.com post
Related Articles:
Sprint to keep iDEN network
Sprint adds 4 new PTT phones
Will QChat Save Sprint?
Qualcomm-Broadcom spat slows Sprint's QChat
QChat exec talks next-gen PTT
Article updated Nov. 30 to add comment from Qualcomm.
Comments
Posted by Anonymous | November 30, 2009 - 11:56am
This reads like an advertisement. What exactly has Sprint done to improve its iDEN network?
Posted by Anonymous | November 30, 2009 - 12:33pm
I am so disappointed in this decision, they never got group or international working properly on those
Posted by Anonymous | November 30, 2009 - 2:08pm
About time. QChat was a disaster. It never worked properly, had latency issues that were unsolvable, and it should have never launched. It was so late to market that by the time it arrived, the iDEN network had been allowed to deteriorate. Sprint should have invested in iDEN and kept them separate, with separate brands.
Posted by Anonymous | November 30, 2009 - 6:45pm
I have used both iDEN and QChat PTT in the past. The PTT service was nearly identicial between the two, but I liked the QChat phone much better. I was able to use Sprint Navigation and other data services. On iDEN, it look nearly 10 seconds just to download a text message-- certainly not a technology to be investing anymore resources in if you ask me. By the way, does anyone know whatever happened with Sprint trying to sell the iDEN network? http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sprint-selling-its-iden-business/2008-08-07
Posted by Anonymous | November 30, 2009 - 9:08pm
Nobody with any money wanted to buy the iden network. Only ones interested in it was some group out of Mexico, but they couldn't gather up the capital. No forward thinking telecom company is doing two-way radio anymore.
Posted by Anonymous | December 5, 2009 - 8:10pm
DO YOU BELIEVE IN THAT LAST REMARK? IT SOUNDS LIKE THE "PERCEPTION" PEOPLE ARE AT IT AGAIN. WHY DOESN'T THIS PERSON COME OUT AND SAY THAT HE IS A VERIZON OR AT&T CUSTOMER. THEY LOST 9 MILLIONS SUBS BECAUSE OF QCHAT. WHERE DOES THIS PERSON GET THEIR INFORMATION FROM?
Posted by Anonymous | December 5, 2009 - 8:20pm
WHAT DOES IDEN HAVE TO DO WITH TEXT MESSAGES OR GPS? SOME OF THE PHONES WERE BUDGET PHONES. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM A "BUDGET PHONE? OR FROM ANY CARRIER THAT OFFERS THOSE TYPES OF PHONES. I GUESS YOU WOULD EXPECT IT TO WORK LIKE A 300 HUNDRED UP TO 900 HUNDRED DOLLAR ONE. THE MAJORITY OF "IDEN" PHONES ARE BUDGET PHONES. TELL ME - IF I'M MISSING SOMETHING. THIS IS OLD NEWS BEING SAID BY THE SAME OLD COMPLAINERS...LISTEN TO THE OTHER COMMENT - No forward thinking telecom company is doing two-way radio anymore.
HELLO - AT&T AND VERIZON HAS PUSH-TO-TALK. THEIR COMPARABLE SERVICE ISN'T ANY BETTER AND A COUPLE OF SMALLER CARRIERS HAVE IT AND SO DOES CANADA.
Posted by Anonymous | December 5, 2009 - 8:25pm
I DIDN'T KNOW THE IDEN NETWORK DETERIORATED - IS THAT THE VERY SAME NETWORK THAT I USE TO TWO-WAY RADIO TODAY? IF IT IS - THEN MY SERVICE IS UP AND RUNNING WITH NO ISSUES. MUST BE THOSE PERCEPTION PEOPLE AGAIN. WHY CAN'T TELECOMMUNICATIONS REVENUE BE SPREAD AMONGST ALL THE CARRIERS IN THE U.S. FAIRLY AND NOT JUST THE TOP FOUR. CAN ANY BODY ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR ME?
Posted by Anonymous | December 6, 2009 - 2:29pm
I CANCELLED MY ACCOUNT WITH SPRINT BECAUSE THEY DROPPED QCHAT PPT SERVICE ! THEY LOST A VERY VALUABLE CUSTOMER WITH A GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT.
VERIZON WILL NOW BE MY PREFERRED PROVIDER!
Posted by Anonymous | December 6, 2009 - 4:29pm
I have a qchat phone now and it doesn't do anything BETTER than a regular IDEN push-to-talk phone. NO DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER. P.S. TO THE LAST COMMENT ABOVE - VERIZON'S PUSH-TO-TALK ISN'T ANY BETTER. WHY TRAVEL TO THAT HIGH PRICED COMPANY - I KNOW - A GAURANTEED HIGH CELLULAR BILL! TSK! TSK!
Posted by Anonymous | December 6, 2009 - 4:33pm
GOOD BYE - SO LONG! HAVE FUN WITH ALL THEIR CLAIMS AND CONFUSING OFFERS AND WHATEVER THEY COME UP WITH DAY, NIGHT, WEEK, MONTH AND YEAR. NEVER ENDS WITH "BIG" RED!
Posted by Anonymous | December 6, 2009 - 5:07pm
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEY NEED ALL THE SUSCRIBERS THEY CAN GET TO PAY FOR THAT FANCY NEW TV SERVICE AND ALL THAT EQUIPMENT. HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE MOTOROLA BOXES ON THE OUTSIDE OF PEOPLES HOUSES AND THE DVR BOXES AND DON'T FORGET THAT GARGANTUAN BACKUP BATTERY BOX IN THE UTILITY CLOSET. THEN THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO GIVE EACH RESIDENT THAT BOX ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING. SOMETIMES THEY INSTALL THAT THING IN PEOPLES LIVING ROOMS. GUESS WHO PAYS FOR ALL THAT. BINGO -YOU DO.
Posted by Anonymous | December 6, 2009 - 5:29pm
WELL - WE FALL FOR THAT CAMPAIGN CALLED - "THE QUEST FOR THE LATEST AND THE GREATEST DEVICE." THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE ALL THESE CLAIMS, CARRIERS LOSING SUSCRIBERS, BEHEMOTH NO#1 SUING BEHEMOTH NO#2, THE RACE TO OUTDO WHATEVER IT IS THEY ARE TRYING TO OUTDO, ACQUISITION AFTER ACQUISITION, UNCONTROLLED GIMICKRY, FALSE CLAIMS, PERCEPTIONS AND EXPENSIVE CELL PHONE BILLS. YOU NAME IT THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. YES - COMPETITION IS FIERCE AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL OF THIS!!!
THOSE HIGH END DEVICES ARE EXPENSIVE. IF YOU DROP IT - YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK. MOST PEOPLE WALK OUT OF THE STORE WITH OUT A CASE OR SOME KIND OF PROTECTIVE COVER. THEN YOU HAVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT EXPECT MIRACLES FROM THESE TOUCHSCREEN AND SMARTPHONES.
THE SHAKIN MY DAMN HEAD AWARD DEFINATELY GOES TO THE CELLULAR TELEPHONE INDUSTRY. IT REALLY DESERVES IT!!!
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