3G comes to Sprint

First it was music, and now it's TV. This week, Sprint announced the launch of the Sprint Power Vision network. Running on Sprint's new EV-DO network, Power Vision promises data speeds of 400Kbps to 700Kbps, which--if the speeds hold up--are marginally faster than those of Verizon's V Cast network. Besides the Sprint Music Store, the service promises access to streaming video content from customized news, sports, traffic, and entertainment channels, and the faster data rates will speed up picture messaging and downloads of large files. Three different plans will be available for $15, $20, and $25. Of course, you'll need a phone that supports EV-DO, so Sprint has also announced its first 3G phones. The Samsung MM-A940 has a swivel-screen design along with Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, and a TransFlash card slot. Alternatively, the Sanyo MM-9000 flip phone has a speakerphone, a 1.3-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, and a Mini SD slot. And unlike Verizon's EV-DO phones, these handsets support analog roaming. Sprint Power Vision is now available for 130 million people in 75 markets nationwide. By early 2006, Sprint says it will cover more than 150 million customers in 200 markets. For a complete list, see Sprint's Web site.