Sprint will revamp and deploy a new Direct Connect push-to-talk service on October 2nd, SprintFeed reports. According to a purported leaked internal screen shot, the new service will support international push-to-talk direct connect, an option that isn’t available from competing services offered by Verizon Wireless and AT&T. In addition, the service will support Land Mobile Radio interoperability (LMR), which is typically used by the military or emergency services and is also offered by Verizon Wireless. Other features will include support for simultaneous data and push-to-talk functionality, support for up to 200 people on a push-to-talk group session, per-second push-to-talk billing and notifications alerting you when other contacts are available for Direct Connect. Sprint has yet to officially announce details surrounding the revamped service.

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Expedia, Nextag and Yelp are in Washington, D.C. to participate in a Senate judiciary antitrust subcommittee hearing about whether or not Google has acted anti-competitively in the market. Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman is one of the executives who has been asked to provide testimony during the hearing and he has posted his written testimony on Yelp’s website. “Google is no longer in the business of sending people to the best sources of information on the web,” Stoppelman said. “It now hopes to be a destination site itself for one vertical market after another, including news, shopping, travel and now, local business reviews. It would be one thing if these efforts were conducted on a level playing field, but the reality is they are not.” Read on for more.

Stoppleman explained that Google once agreed to license Yelp’s content, but never did, and still uses Yelp’s results to “prop up its own, less effective product.” Google said it would “cease the practice only if [Yelp] agreed to be removed from Google’s web search index, thereby preventing Yelp from appearing anywhere in Google search results,” Stoppleman’s testimony explained. “Allowing a search engine with monopoly market share to exploit and extend its dominance hampers entrepreneurial activity,” Stoppleman concluded. “They prefer to send consumers to the most profitable sites on the Web: their own,” he added on Wednesday.

Nextag CEO Jeff Ketz’ opinion is similar to Jeremy Stoppelman’s. Katz explained that Google, which he says views Nextag as a threat, only allows his company to purchase and bid on ads that are lower down on the results page than the more prominent top results. “Google is the dominant digital advertising resource in the world, and Nextag is restricted from marketing itself to shoppers about the services we can provide,” he told The Wall Street Journal. “Google rigs its results,” Katz argued on Wednesday. “[It] doesn’t play fair,” he said, according to CNET.

A Google spokesperson explained that Nextag can’t purchase the more prominent ads because it points buyers to other sellers and does not actually sell the products itself. The Federal Trade Commission announced in late July that it would review Google’s business practices and one watchdog group, Fairsearch.org, has accused the search engine of anti-competitive practices.

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In a press release today, Sprint announced the successor for its push-to-talk (PTT) iDEN network, Sprint Direct Connect. Running on the company’s nationwide CDMA network, Direct Connect will offer users a larger coverage footprint, improved in-building coverage, and increased voice and data capacity. The new protocol will also add several new features, including 200 participant Direct Connect sessions, Land Mobile Radio (LMR) interoperability, and availability notifications. The company expects the move to increase the number of devices that incorporate the Direct Connect service — the press release specifies that an “Android smartphone” along with sets from Motorola and Kyocera are due in the near future. “During the nationwide implementation of Network Vision, Sprint expects to continue operating the iDEN network at current best-ever performance levels,” reads the press release. “As the customer base shifts to more broadband-centric push-to-talk applications on the CDMA network and Sprint launches Sprint Direct Connect, iDEN cell sites are expected to be phased out in 2013.” The Direct Connect service will launch later this year. The full press release is after the break.

Sprint Unveils New Gold Standard in Push-to-Talk

Planned 4Q launch of Sprint Direct Connect will offer increased push-to-talk coverage, more broadband data capabilities, new features – and more enhancements to come as Sprint Network Vision deploys

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), March 16, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced plans to expand its gold-standard push-to-talk leadership, unveiling fourth-quarter launch plans for next-generation push-to-talk capabilities powered by Sprint’s broadband CDMA network. As part of the launch, Sprint will offer an initial set of handsets packed with features designed for workgroups that rely on push-to-talk and establish a new push-to-talk brand – Sprint® Direct Connect®.

Sprint Direct Connect service is being built to deliver higher bandwidth capacity to keep up with customers’ demand for data. Sprint also is working to deliver enhanced applications on Sprint Direct Connect, best-ever in-building coverage and is planning to provide triple the square-mile reach of Sprint’s current push-to-talk service.

Sprint Direct Connect will launch with an initial portfolio of rugged devices from Motorola Mobility and Kyocera. The devices will feature most of the capabilities available on current Sprint push-to-talk phones, plus next-generation push-to-talk applications and functionality including high-speed data access, high-resolution cameras and Bluetooth®. The planned portfolio will include an ultra-rugged camera flip phone and an Android™ Smartphone with a touch screen and a QWERTY keyboard. In 2012, Sprint expects to deepen its push-to-talk portfolio, adding more devices with new form factors and features.

The devices are expected to enable group push-to-talk for up to 200 participants, Land Mobile Radio (LMR) interoperability, and availability notification. In early 2012, Sprint Direct Connect is expected to add more capabilities, including international push-to-talk.

Network Vision

Sprint Direct Connect service is a tangible benefit of Network Vision, Sprint’s blueprint to deploy a cost-effective and innovative network. Announced in December, Network Vision is expected to consolidate multiple network technologies into one seamless network resulting in enhanced coverage, quality and speed; better network flexibility; reduced operating costs; and improved environmental sustainability. The plan includes a complete upgrade of Sprint’s current wireless networks accompanied by changes in device chipsets and network infrastructure.

The benefits of Network Vision to Sprint’s PTT customers will be wide-ranging:

Better coverage and capacity

• Push-to-talk coverage footprint is planned to increase to nearly 2.7 million square miles and is expected to cover a population of 309 million (with the addition of 1xrtt and roaming coverage) – an increase from the iDEN network’s 908,370 square miles covering a population 278 million.
• In-building coverage is expected to improve significantly through investment in the most advanced CDMA technology and radio equipment.
• Voice and data capacity is expected to increase significantly as Sprint will be able to fully leverage its industry leading spectrum holdings in 800 MHz, 1.9 GHz, and – through its partnership with Clearwire – 2.5 GHz.

• More push-to-talk enabled devices including handsets, rugged devices, and PDAs that combine industry leading push-to-talk and mobile broadband data services over a larger coverage area.
• Enhanced features for push-to-talk users on the new CDMA platform.
• Interoperability with all existing Sprint push-to-talk devices.
• During the nationwide implementation of Network Vision, Sprint expects to continue operating the iDEN network at current best-ever performance levels. As the customer base shifts to more broadband-centric push-to-talk applications on the CDMA network and Sprint launches Sprint Direct Connect, iDEN cell sites are expected to be phased out in 2013.

“Our customers are asking for broadband push-to-talk now,” said Paget Alves, president-Sprint Business. “We’ve seen steadily increasing demand for faster data speeds, better and broader coverage, and more applications on push-to-talk devices. Sprint Direct Connect is designed to solve for all three, and is expected to come with sub-second push-to-talk call set-up time initially in Sprint CDMA RevA coverage areas. Sub-second call set up is expected to expand across the U.S. with the implementation of Network Vision.”

Alves added, “We believe the new push-to-talk service powered by a broadband network and featuring competitively priced rugged handsets and smart phones will represent an unmatched offering in the market.”

Sprint plans to identify customers who require custom push-to-talk solutions and assist with their migration to the CDMA network. The company also plans to engage partners in developing a robust portfolio of push-to-talk accessories and involve developers in the creation of new applications through its Sprint Gets Rugged application developers program. The program will provide information, support and tools needed to port developers’ applications to Sprint Direct Connect devices. More information on the Sprint Gets Rugged application developers program can be found at http://developer.sprint.com/SprintGetsRugged. Sprint will hold a conference on March 22 at the International CTIA WIRELESS® meeting in Orlando for developers who are interested.

With Sprint Direct Connect, Sprint expects:

Sprint CEO, Dan Hesse, was speaking with FierceWireless when he noted that his company would eventually shut down their iDEN network. The move isn’t really all that surprising, especially when you take into account that Hesse asserted that there was “no timeline” and it would be a “gradual process.” The shuttering of Nextel’s iDEN network would, as the CEO put it, “free up some channels to put CDMA services onto Sprint’s 800 MHz iDEN spectrum.” One thing is certain, when Sprint does decide to drop the ax on their iDEN network, there will be plenty of local and state municipalities looking for another wireless provider.

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The Washington Post is reporting that eight Republican U.S. senators are trying to block the sale of telecommunications equipment from Chinese manufacturer Huawei to U.S. wireless provider Sprint Nextel. The group, led by Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, is asking the Obama administration to investigate if the country’s national security will be compromised by the equipment. In a statement, the group said, “A Chinese company with such a leading role in Iran’s economy and close relationship with the IRGC should not be able to do business in the U.S.” Pretty interesting language out of a group that heralds the wonders of the “free market.” The senators also note that Huawei sells equipment to the Chinese Military, Afghanistan, and Iraq. “At worst, Huawei’s becoming a major supplier of Sprint Nextel could present a case of a company, acting at the direction of and funded by the Chinese military, taking a critical place in the supply chain of the U.S. military, law enforcement and private sector,” said the eight senators. You get the idea… what do you think? Is Huawei equipment in the U.S. a national security risk or is this just more political gamesmanship?

Thanks, Q!

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After launching on Boost Mobile last month, the Motorola i1 is hitting Sprint on July 25th. The touchscreen offering will be the first Android handset with Nextel Direct Connect and the first Direct Connect handset with a 5 megapixel camera and video recording. This rugged handset is sure to please the construction crowd with its: 3.1″ HVGA display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, a 2.5mm headphone jack, military ruggedness for dust, shock, vibration and rain, and Android 1.5 — not to mention the suite of available business tracking and job workflow applications including Xora mobile workforce management tools, TeleNavTrack, and Sprint Mobile Locator. The i1 will launch through direct ship, business sales, telesales, and web sales next Sunday and will hit the remaining channels on August 8th for a reasonable $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and two-year commitment.

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Remember the Opus One, the Android-powered iDEN handset from Motorola we scooped and then spec’d just before Christmas? Well apparently it’s going to be made official sometime in the next few weeks (hello, CTIA!) and will feature one added but obvious goodie: MOTOBLUR. Since we know most of you don’t have encyclopedic memories, here’s a bit of a refresher on what we’ve been told this phone is all about:

• 3.1″ hVGA 320×480 capacitive touchscreen display
• 3 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• Accelerometer
• Proximity sensor
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth
• microSD card slot
• 2.5mm headset jack
• Home, Menu, Back, Speaker buttons are capacitive buttons with haptic feedback
• iDEN PTT & PTX
• Android LBS which is integrated into the iDEN GPS engine
• “Enterprise email”
• Plastic-molded housing with some rubberized texture finishes
• 58mm in width, 118mm in length
• 100g weight
• 512MB Flash / 256MB of RAM
• 64k and 128k iDEN SIM card support
• A-GPS
• Motorola dual-mic technology noise-canceling for noisy environments
• Flash Lite v3.1.x
• Some of the preloaded apps include: corporate email client with ActiveSync support, MOTONAV navigation app, barcode scanner, and document viewer.

Obviously without being official it’s not possible to confirm carriers, but naturally Sprint’s Nextel and Boost are going to get on board while TELUS’s Mike is said to be getting it in Q3.

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We get the feeling that early 2010 is going to be big for Sprint’s WiMax. We came by one of these training slides for a new 3G/4G mobile hotspot, precisely like the Mi-Fi, for Sprint. Like many of Sprint’s wireless data cards, this one is also going to be made by Sierra Wireless. What we’re hearing is that this new device will be able to support up to five users via Wi-Fi and its range is being increased to 100 feet. In addition to the added range and power, it will also support SD card storage; while that doesn’t sound like a big deal, the data can be shared by every user who is connected to the data card. No official pricing or release date just yet, but we’re looking at a possibly February launch for this dual 3G-4G wireless hotspot in your pocket.

Shortly after the rumors surrounding the Sprint and LG event at CES just days away, we were greeted with this little screen shot in our inbox this morning. It looks like Sprint will be getting a LG Android handset pretty soon (though we’re not ruling out the possibility of a WiMax WinMo phone being announced there, too). We’re not sure what the LS680 is just yet, but given the OS we know that it will have a large touchscreen and possibly a QWERTY keyboard as LG likes to do with its LX series. Details are scant for now but we’ll be sure to give you guys all the goods as soon as it comes our way.

Thanks, Javy!

When we say we have specifications, boy, do we mean it. One of our connects has sent us the full rundown on Motorla’s Opus One (their first iDEN Android handset) that we revealed a little while back. The features on the device are actually pretty reasonable, and we’d imagine it to sell for a reasonable attractive price-point at release. The Motorola Opus One will run Android 1.5 with iDEN service enhancements, make use of a “Zeus” CPU, and will feature a 3 megapixel autofocus camera.

Detailed list of full specs after the breakage!

• 3.1″ hVGA 320×480 capacitative touchscreen display
• 3 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• Accelerometer
• Proximity sensor
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth
• microSD card slot
• 2.5mm headset jack
• Home, Menu, Back, Speaker buttons are capacitive buttons with haptic feedback
• iDEN PTT & PTX
• Android LBS which is integrated into the iDEN GPS engine
• “Enterprise email”
• Plastic-molded housing with some rubberized texture finishes
• 58mm in width, 118mm in length
• 100g weight
• 512MB Flash / 256MB of RAM
• 64k and 128k iDEN SIM card support
• A-GPS
• Motorola dual-mic technology noise-canceling for noisy enviroments
• Flash Lite v3.1.x
• Some of the preloaded apps include: corporate email client with ActiveSync support, MOTONAV navigation app, barcode scanner, and document viewer.

That’s what we have for you on the Motorola Opus One at this time. Not the most mind-blowing Android device, but with it being an iDEN device and all, we’ll cut it some slack and even say that it could do reasonably well at launch.

Sprint has just added a new device to its BlackBerry family — the Curve 8530. Though this is on the low-end for BlackBerry devices, that doesn’t mean it skimps out on any features. The BlackBerry 8530 for Sprint comes with Wi-Fi, 256MB of on-board memory, support for 32GB of expandable memory and a host of social networking applications already built in. Best of all, for those of you who want a smartphone but are on a budget, the Curve 8530 is only $49.99 after two-year contract and MIR. If you’re wondering where you can grab yours, it’s available through every Sprint sales channel: telesales, online, their business channel and of course, Sprint’s retail stores.

UPDATE: Well, maybe not retail stores just yet.

[Product page]

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We’re a little light on details at the moment, but we’ve just received a couple photographs of what we’re told is Motorola’s first Android iDEN handset, codenamed the Opus One. Original, huh? While these images come from a new connect, we’ve heard mumblings about this sort of thing for a little bit and the phone in the pictures mostly fits the description. We’re waiting for confirmed specifications, but in the meantime, enjoy the rest of the photos after the break!

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This certainly doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but Sprint has finally made the Samsung Instinct HD official this morning. Best Buy first spilled the beans back in August and a steady flow of information has been trickling in ever since. When Sprint mentioned the handset in a newsletter to Premier customers two weeks ago however, it became painfully obvious the Instinct HD would get official soon enough. So feast your eyes, Sprint fans — the 3.2-inch touchscreen touting Instinct HD features a 5 megapixel camera, “HD” video playback via a TV-out port, “HD” video recording, the full Opera Mobile 9.7 browser, Wi-Fi, a proximity sensor, haptic feedback, an Ambient Light Sensor and an accelerometer. The handset will become available on September 27th through Best Buy and then on October 11th through Sprint channels. Pricing is set at $249.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate on a 2-year contract (rebate is instant at Best Buy). Anyone planning to dive right in or will you try to hold off until Sammy’s new Instinct sheds the early adopter tax?

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On one end of the mobile spectrum, you have smartphone OSes that are feature packed, diverse and almost endlessly enhanceable. On the other end of the spectrum, you have dumb phone OSes that are limited in function but typically well-suited for the average consumer. Somewhere in the middle lies Qualcomm’s BREW Mobile Platform. Some may have been under the impression that BREW was going the way of the dinosaur but the truth is that it’s still managing to garner attention from manufacturers and carriers alike. Back in July, HTC reportedly let it be known that it has plans to release a BREW-powered handset some time in 2009. Now Sprint has jumped on board with this morning’s announcement that “it is planning to offer its customers additional device options by launching devices running Qualcomm’s Brew Mobile Platform™ (Brew MP).” No word yet on who might manufacture said phones, though HTC could certainly be among the companies currently working on a BREW-based Sprint handset. Whether or not the addition of BREW MP will be welcomed by Sprint subscribers remains to be seen but more options are never a bad thing, we suppose.

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