Sprint PCS to Debut Wireless Phones With Internet Link
Sprint PCS today will unveil the broadest launch yet of wireless phones and service capable of viewing e-mail and personalized Internet information ranging from weather and travel directions to stock quotes and breaking news.
The company’s new Wireless Web services and phones will be available today in more than 280 cities nationwide, including all of California’s major cities.
Users must have a special Internet-ready phone to access the Web services. Those phones start at $99 and can go much higher. Some older phones sold by the company can be upgraded to work with some of the services if consumers purchase a connection kit for $99.
“Wireless data” for mobile phones has long been touted as the next big advance for travelers and others who need information while on the go. But early attempts have been too expensive, too slow or too limited to catch on with consumers.
Now, fueled by more advanced technology as well as maturing digital wireless networks, Sprint PCS and other carriers are poised to sell a wide range of hand-held phones and devices that will begin to mimic key elements of surfing on the World Wide Web.
Analysts believe such data offerings will grow rapidly worldwide, eventually becoming a common offering on mobile phones.
AT&T; Wireless, which recently took over management of L.A. Cellular, has announced that it is now selling its wireless digital service, PocketNet, to businesses in Los Angeles. AirTouch Cellular recently announced wireless data tests in selected cities.
The service being offered by Sprint PCS includes specially formatted information from a list of partners--such as the financial news site Bloomberg.com, CNN Mobile and the MapQuest.com mapping site--that can be displayed on a mobile phone using a special text-only “mini browser.”
In addition, the Sprint PCS services can include updates from the Internet. That feature enables customers to create a personalized Yahoo Web site using a personal computer and program it to send information to the user’s phone on a customized schedule. The update feature will not be available nationwide until Oct. 3, the company said.
Sprint PCS is initially offering five separate wireless Web plans, ranging from a limited plan for $9.99 a month (in addition to an underlying voice service plan) to a $179.99-per-month plan that includes 1,200 wireless minutes (voice or Web) and 200 updates from Yahoo. Long-distance calling within the United States is included in those plans.
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Elizabeth Douglass can be reached at elizabeth.douglass@latimes.com.
