Alltel today said it would begin to upgrade its 3G EV-DO network from revision 0 to revision A, adding upstream capacity and lower latency to the broadband network in select markets

Over the next six months, Alltel will add the enhancement to 18 markets, including Little Rock, Ark.; Charlotte, NC; New Orleans; Phoenix; and Tampa, Fla. The upgraded networks will support 3.1 Mb/s on the downlink and 1.8 Mb/s on the uplink. Coupled with revision A’s low latency and quality of service (QoS) capabilities, Alltel can launch symmetrical real-time communications applications over the upgraded radios such as VoIP and video conferencing.

The enhancements also bring the Alltel network in line with that of Verizon Wireless, which has announced plans to purchase the now-private company for $27 million. Verizon Wireless has upgraded its EV-DO network to revision A throughout its nationwide footprint, though it hasn’t launched any services specifically targeting revision A’s unique capabilities, aside from offering much faster upload speeds to its broadband subscribers. Verizon, however, is expected to follow in Sprint’s footsteps with VoIP-powered push-to-talk service this summer, which could only be supported on a robust two-way broadband network.

Alltel’s revision A expansion will likely provide crucial coverage for roaming partners like Sprint and Verizon when they expand their push-to-talk services nationwide as well as provide a larger footprint for their laptop broadband coverage -- that is, until the Verizon-Alltel deal closes. When Alltel becomes part of Verizon Wireless, its roaming relationships with VZW’s key competitors may fizzle.

Alltel currently has EV-DO coverage in 76% of its wireless footprint but will expand to 82% by the end of 2008. While investing in the 3G network, Alltel is also weighing its 4G future. Last month, Alltel announced it would deploy a 4G network using Long Term Evolution technology, but it did not identify what spectrum it would use. In the US, 700 MHz has become the de facto LTE band due to AT&T and Verizon Wireless tapping that frequency for their future 4G rollouts. Alltel, however, has no 700 MHz licenses. The acquisition by Verizon would solve that problem, though. VZW’s nationwide C-block licenses would more than cover Alltel’s territories.