Verizon Wireless plans to embed its EV-DO technology in laptops made by Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo. The embedded chip will eliminate the need for a separate wireless card that subscribers currently use to access the service. The card costs about $100. Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess service is available in 60 markets nationwide and averages download speeds between 400kbps and 700kbps.
The plan is part of Verizon Wireless' larger strategy for attracting subscribers to its broadband service. Insiders say once the Intel chips for WiFi were embedded in laptops, wireless LAN's started to see high demand. The company hopes the same holds true for EV-DO. Verizon Wireless recently cut subscription costs from $80 to $60 a month for its broadband service in an attempt to compete with the rapidly growing WiFi market. San Francisco, Philadelphia, and others plan to blanket their cities with WiFi hotspots and provide free Internet service. EV-DO provides a signal even while the user is in a moving vehicle, while WiFi is a fixed wireless service.
For more on Verizon Wireless' plans for EV-DO in laptops:
- take a look at this story from CNet
Plus: A recent In-Stat study finds Hotspot usage to keep growing. Article