Cingular Wireless has begun offering customers in 16 U.S. cities high-speed Internet access through its cellular network. The company claims the new third-generation network service, BroadbandConnect,
is as fast as a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection. However, it comes at a hefty price: a two-year subscription costs $60 per month. Cell network operators are trying to compete with Wi-Fi
technology, which enables laptop users to access high-speed Internet connections via a wireless signal. Whereas Wi-Fi networks only extend over small areas, Cingular says the BroadbandConnect service
pervades an entire city. The service is initially available in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and other cities. Cingular plans to extend its coverage to most major cities next
year, and 100 metropolitan areas by 2007.
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