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Sprint Pushes Its New PCS Ready Link Walkie-Talkie Service

Posted on: Monday, 17 November 2003, 06:00 CST

Nov. 18--Cellphone provider Sprint launched a walkie-talkie service Monday, becoming the third major wireless carrier to offer the feature made popular by rival Nextel.

Sprint's service, dubbed PCS Ready Link, lets customers push one button on a specially equipped phone to connect with other Ready Link customers. As with walkie-talkies, only one person can talk at a time.

In August, Bedminster-based Verizon Wireless introduced its version, called Push To Talk, which it is marketing to business customers. The company reported recently that it has about 100,000 customers using the service, a fraction of its total 35 million.

Cellphone companies are hustling to get products and services to the marketplace in anticipation of an upcoming rule change.

In less than a week, on Monday, consumers will be able to keep their cellphone numbers when changing companies. Millions of wireless users are expected to take advantage of the new rule, and the companies are trying both to retain existing customers and win new customers looking to leave their existing wireless carrier.

Nextel introduced Direct Connect, its walkie-talkie service, about seven years ago and subsequently became the envy of its competitors. The Reston, Va.-based carrier has been able to attract and retain high-paying business customers, in part because it was the only carrier to offer a walkie-talkie feature. Corporate customers can set up groups of users who communicate with each other by pushing a button instead of dialing 10 digits.

For now, Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint is focusing on luring business customers away from Nextel, although Sprint will do some advertising to consumers.

"There's always some overlap between business and consumer, but I would say that absolutely the initial heavy-hitting push is toward the business community, a customer base that is very loyal to Nextel," said Sprint spokeswoman Kathleen Dunleavy.

Sprint's service will cost existing Sprint customers an additional $15 a month for unlimited use, the company said.

Jeff Kagan, an independent telecommunications analyst who road-tested the Sprint service, called the performance "very good."

"It is somewhere between Nextel and Verizon," said Kagan, who reported a delay -- referred to in the industry as "latency" -- of roughly three to six seconds before a connection was established with another person. After connecting with another Sprint user, latency during the conversation is "perhaps a second, similar to Nextel," Kagan said.

Dunleavy agreed with Kagan's assessment, adding that the company would "work to eliminate the initial latency." So far, the companies all limit the walkie-talkie service to their own customers. Analysts say widespread use will take place only if customers can connect with people using a different company.

Sprint said it is working to provide the ability for a Sprint customer to connect with another carrier's customer using Ready Link, but won't commit to a timetable.

Sprint is selling Ready Link-equipped phones for $300, with special rebate offers of up to $150 depending in the service agreement.

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(c) 2003, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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