Our product line-up is often compared to Sprint’s Nextel devices that were turned off in the United States in 2013. While similar in functions, the underlying technology powering our devices are entirely different.
Nextel devices used the iDEN network. The Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) is a mobile telecommunications technology that provides users the benefits of a cellular telephone and trunked radio system.
Sprint Nextel decommissioned their iDEN network for additional LTE capacity to their network. Sprint Nextel officially shut down their iDEN network on June 30, 2013. Interestingly, the technology had been around and in use as early as 1987, known as FleetCall. FleetCall changed its name to Nextel Communications in 1993.
FleetCall’s name was derived from the 800 MHz designated by the FCC for use in fleet dispatching services. Using the iDEN technology, FleetCall initially wanted to use these frequencies for voice telephone services only, but the FCC required them to include the push to talk feature, as the frequencies were licensed for dispatch use. Who knew that the push to talk part would become so popular among its users.
How does PeakPTT’s Technology Differ?
We leverage existing cellular data wireless network, the Internet, and Internet Protocol (IP) data, for voice communications. The results are a very robust communications platform that works over long distances. Our system allows for communication across the street, state, nation, and even the world. If you liked this, then you might be interested in learning about a brief history of the 2-way radio in regards to push-to-talk.