Earthlink Ending Wireless CDPD Service

Posted By: Ryan Monday, September 1, 2003 3:40:08 PM

Earthlink has informed it wireless CDPD customers that is will soon stop offering the service. The company is moving it's customers to a faster network, but is not offering an option to upgrade for Palm handheld users.

Earthlink has sent out an email to subscribers indicating that the company is currently completeing a total network upgrade. EarthLink Wireless is replacing its current network ("CDPD") with a new state-of-the art network ("CDMA 1x"). The company goes on to state, "Unfortunately, most older generation laptop cards and hand held devices are not compatible with the new technology afforded by the new network."

Earthlink is informing customers they will terminate the current CDPD service effective midnight September 30, 2003. The company offered 19.2k wireless data service for the Palm Vx and m500 series models in combination with the minstrel wireless modem sled.

The company is only offering to upgrade service for laptop users and has another option to purchase a RIM BlackBerry 857 2 handheld. Earthlink is not offering a replacement service or upgrade option for Palm OS handhelds.

CDPD is the abbreviation for Cellular Digital Packet Data, a data transmission technology developed for use on older analogue cellular phone frequencies. CDPD uses unused cellular channels (in the 800- to 900-MHz range) to transmit data in packets at data transfer rates of up to 19.2 Kbps.

CDMA 1x, or cdma2000, is a third-generation (3G) wireless technology that is evolved from existing CDMA 2G technology. Its main features are faster data rates, always-on data service, and improved voice network capacity (more people can use each tower at the same time).

In December 2001, the wireless Internet service provider OmniSky went bankrupt and sold out to EarthLink. As part of the deal, EarthLink transitioned OmniSky’s 32 thousand subscribers to EarthLink with the intention of continuing uninterrupted wireless service.

In October 2002, Earthlink aquired the CDPC networked subscriber base of GoAmerica. Currently, Verizon is the only remaining company to offer a comparable CDPD service called Mobile IP.

Thanks to Brad for the tip.

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?

TTrules @ 9/1/2003 4:25:55 PM #
First comment!

Even if they are updgading, why are they ending teh service?

One palm to rule them all!

-Sniffer

RE: ?
Kodiak @ 9/1/2003 11:43:38 PM #
Earthlink is ending the service because AT&T (which is the carrier) is migrating to CDMA.
RE: ?
binarypc @ 9/3/2003 8:21:02 AM #
Ahh, just another show of customer loyalty and service. Earthlink keeps buying up so many small ISP's they don't think they really need customers anymore.

Goodbye to an old friend

nrosser @ 9/1/2003 5:22:37 PM #
I was one of the beta users for Omnisky, getting on the wireless Palm world very early on - late 99. I loved it when it came out, but later technology quickly rendered CDPD non-relevant.
I still have my Omnisky modem, and I look at it in my desk drawer for a good laugh every now and then.

RE: Goodbye to an old friend
solmssen @ 9/2/2003 4:03:08 AM #
I was also an Omnisky beta tester, and I remember waiting on the porch for the UPS guy with joy in my heart. I pulled an awful lot of bits through that little gizmo, more than I can imagine, and even signed up as a Palm hardware developer to get the Palm V connector so I could make a cable to hook up the sled modem to my VAIO 505. I used PalmVNC to remotely control Windows 2000 servers, TGssh to talk to Linux boxes, EudoraWeb and PQAs galore to talk to web servers, and MultiMail for IMAP. It really worked, and despite a few hiccups here and there was quite reliable. One thing I will miss a lot is the all-you-can-eat pricing plan - it was nice to not have to worry about using up minutes or KB everytime I checked my mail - which I did frequently. I cancelled the service after nearly four years on Aug. 8 - I was given a Tungsten C, and the OS modem wouldn't work with that unit, unfortunately. Time marches on, I guess, but that little deal was all that kept me online a lot of the time and I miss it.

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