Sprint announced plans today to unveil its own 3G EV-DO network by 2006. The high-speed network is expected to be available to about 150 million people in 60 metro areas across the country. Download speeds are promised to be up to 10 times faster than 1xRTT, with 400Kbps to 700Kbps on average and a peak rate of 2Mbps. The carrier says initial service will begin this month in airports and central business districts in 34 markets, with broader coverage in 14 of the cities following in the third quarter.

With the announcement, Sprint joins rival Verizon in providing an EV-DO network. And while it's good news all around, we'll have to wait and see how Sprint will complement the service beyond Wi-Fi cards for PC users. Zippy data speeds and downloads are great, but we're more curious to see how Sprint will compete with Verizon's V Cast service and if the carrier can roll out a good selection of quality 3G handsets, which are promised by the end of the year.

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