Sprint Cuts Commissions Paid To Dealers 6/1/2008

If you are looking to purchase a Sprint EVDO device (or Phone) and you are on the fence about it, we recommend purchasing before 6/1/2008.

Why?

In an effort to cut costs, Sprint has slashed the commissions that they pay dealers for selling devices with service. We expect to see many Sprint Authorized Dealers to raise prices after June 1st, 2008 (including 3Gstore.com)

So, if you are on the fence and you are thinking about purchasing a Sprint device, we recommend you do it BEFORE 6/1/2008, as prices will probably go up after that time.

Rumor Confirmed: Sprint EVDO Capped at 5GB per month

Many online sources followed a rumor that Sprint was going to enforce a monthly cap of 5GB on their EVDO data plans and we chose not to write up about it until now, when we have actual facts to report.

As a Sprint Master Agent, we've been chasing down our official contacts at Sprint and have managed to get someone to CONFIRM that terms and conditions affecting consumer and 'individual-liable' accounts will change within the next thirty (30) days.

The new terms and conditions will include the following (of course, also subject to change):

Sprint reserves the right to limit throughput speeds or amount of data transferred and to deny, terminate, modify, or suspend service if usage exceeds 5gb per month in total or 300mb/month while off-network roaming. check your subscriber agreement rights on sprint.com.

This 'material change' in the terms and conditions of existing contracts will allow affected customers the ability to opt out of their service contracts if they are not pleased with the new policy. It is extremely important to note that:

Customers will only have 60 days from receipt of the message they receive with their monthly bill, to opt out of their contract.

For more info, check out http://www.EVDOinfo.com/Sprint5GB

Join the EVDOforums discussion on Sprint's 5GB cap

Cradlepoint CTR500 Router

UPDATE: CTR500's are NOW SHIPPING. Get yours at 3GStore.com

While meeting with Cradlepoint at the CTIA show last April, we were privileged to be given one of the few pre-production units that were available, for our testing and review.

Now that Cradlepoint has announced the CTR500, you can enjoy our 'sneak peek' of the not-yet-released Cradlepoint CTR500 cellular router!

UPDATE! Our full CTR500 Router Review is online at http://www.EVDOinfo.com/CTR500

Related Links:

• Buy Cradlepoint routers from 3Gstore.com
• Discuss the Cradlepoint CTR500 on EVDOforums.com

Sprint Compass 597 USB EVDO Modem Video Review

UPDATE: Sprint Compass 597 USB EVDO modem is now FREE with 2year contract

Check out our 'video review' of the Sprint Compass 597 USB EVDO modem:

For more information, be sure to check out our Sierra Wireless Compass 597U Review on EVDOinfo.com!

Related Links:

• Order Compass 597 with Sprint service from 3Gstore.com
• Discuss the Compass 597 on EVDOforums.com
• Read our full Compass 597 Review on EVDOinfo.com

3Gstore offers Free Booster Antenna

3Gstore.com is now offering a FREE EVDO booster antenna ($57.95 value) with every Sprint EVDO device purchase WITH 2 year activation. This promotion is available only through May 31, 2008.

Related Links

• More Details on Free Antenna Offer
• Purchase a Sprint EVDO Card Securely from 3Gstore.com

Sprint/Clearwire WiMax: Coming Soon?

Sprint and Clearwire have finally announced a joint venture that will establish a new company to deploy WiMax. This announcement is bound to play on the minds of customers contemplating EVDO broadband cellular service, causing them to think twice and decide it may be better to wait on WiMax than to lock themselves into a 2-year contract with EVDO.

Overall, we feel that WiMax is not likely to be a "major player" in the broadband wireless arena for more than two years, and this blogpost is to explain our opinion.

Let's start with this quote from the official press release:

"Clearwire is targeting a network deployment that will cover between 120 million and 140 million people in the U.S. by the end of 2010"

Everyone following the industry knows how often the WiMax plans have started, stopped and restarted... over the next two years, who wants to bet that there will be more news about delayed progress, new or dropped partners... etc, etc.

Even the main players are already hedging their bets. Sprint's Chief Technology Officer said this about the deployment plan:

"...our target of 120 million pops is aggressive by any standards..."

Clearwire's CEO Ben Wolff added:

"We have the capability to do it, but it's a massive under taking."

Combine these statements about WiMax coverage near end of 2010, with the fact that broadband cellular already covers more than 90% of the nation's population, and its easy to see why our opinion is that it will be 2012 or later before WiMax has anywhere near the coverage that broadband cellular has... and that presumes that the current plans, can hold together!

Of course, as a Sprint Master Agent we have a financial interest in continued EVDO sales, and we expect to offer the new WiMax service just as soon as we are able to.

When we do start selling Sprint WiMax, we promise the same high level of customer and technical support for WiMax service, that our EVDO customers have grown to expect.

Related Links:

• Full press release on Sprint/Clearwire JV
• Discuss Xohm/WiMax on EVDOforums.com
• Order Sprint EVDO from 3Gstore.com

CTIA/CostQuest Study: less than 10% outside of cellular broadband coverage

3Gstore answers hundreds of calls/emails/chats/forumposts each week, and many are from people who start off by saying something like:

"We live in an area where there is no hope for cable or DSL, but miraculously there is EVDO where we live, and now we need the best setup possible for high speed internet..."

Its amazing to think just how widespread broadband cellular is nowadays, and a recent 3-month study by CTIA and CostQuest now provides us with numbers we can quote.

The study concluded that only about 23 million Americans live in areas without access to mobile broadband access.

When you compare that to the 300m people the Census site says there are, it means less than 10% of the nation is outside of the reach of broadband cellular.

It won't be long before wireless broadband cellular will be as commonplace as traditional 'public utilities'...

If you've discovered that EVDO is available in your area, count on the EVDO Experts at 3Gstore.com to help you choose the right gear for your situation.

Related links:

• Full Article on Wireless Week website
• Discuss this subject on EVDOforums.com
• What is EVDO?
• Get the best broadband cellular gear from 3Gstore.com
• Why Buy From 3Gstore.com?
  

KR2 Firmware ZE1002 enables HSDPA and more EVDO devices

Kyocera has released Firmware ZE1002 for their KR2 router that enables support for many more EVDO devices, as well as HSDPA phones and devices from AT&T...

We discovered the new firmware late last week, but the official announcement and changes to the Kyocera site happened this morning. You can find product compatibility matrix and a firmware update guide by clicking here, and you can download the ZE1002 firmware itself, here.

This new firmware is two weeks behind the similar Firmware 1.2 released by Cradlepoint for their very similar MBR1000 router... Two weeks is much better than we expected, and we hope that future KR2 firmware will be released in as timely a manner... if not even sooner.

Related Links:

• Read our full KR2 Router review
• Discuss KR2 Firmware ZE1002 on EVDOforums.com
• Purchase a Kyocera KR2 securely from 3Gstore.com
• Kyocera KR2 Compatibility Matrix PDF
  
• Kyocera guide on how to update KR2 firmware
• Download ZE1002 firmware from Kyocera

Cradlepoint Makes Both The MBR1000 and KR2 EVDO Routers

Ever since the Kyocera KR2 began shipping, we've been telling our customers that it is made by Cradlepoint and is very similar to the Cradlepoint MBR1000 except that it has a PCMCIA slot.

A few callers have doubted us so we've decided to take the routers apart and offer photographic evidence that supports our claim.

That animated GIF should make it really easy to see that the Cradlepoint MBR1000 and the Kyocera KR2 share an identical motherboard. All that really differs between them is the presence of the PCMCIA slot underneath the board.

Aside from that extra card slot, these routers share EXACTLY the same hardware features: same number of LED lights, same number of ethernet ports, same WiFi on/off switch, same SGNL and WPS buttons, same non-removeable antennas, same power adapter.

Even the admin functionality is the same, down to and including the way the SGNL function lights up the signal LED lights.

It couldn't be any clearer to us: these routers are nearly identical twins.

Related links:

• Read our full Cradlepoint MBR1000 Router Review
• Read our full Kyocera KR2 Router Review
• Buy EVDO Routers from 3Gstore.com