Verizon Wireless has framed the debate for the last several months that wireless service is all about the network and we've been bombarded with armies of technicians following families around. Features and phones are important, but "The only reason to pick a wireless company is the network." This works nicely with Verizon's overall reputation of crappy customer service, but the best overall coverage.

Cingular responded, betting that research claiming it has the fewest dropped calls would resonate. The specify this both nationally and at the local level. ("Fewest Dropped Calls in the SF Bay Area"). Depending on user experience, this could tip the scales in the direction of Cingular using Verizon's own toolbox.

Sprint has stayed out of the voice debate in this area (although in the Bay Area, my experience is that Sprint will work where nothing else will). Instead, they have upped the ante, going after higher value and earlier adopter users with mobile internet.

In SF Sprint claims to have the "Strongest Wireless Broadband Signal in SF" which is a claim that's probably more important to more people in this market than elsewhere. Separate, but part of the same campaign, they use print and TV to slam Cingular's EDGE as slow and outdated.

Verizon and Cingular are unusually quiet on the subject, which is especially odd given how they are pushing their EDGE and EVDO Smart Phones and PC-Cards.

Is Sprint poised to take over this emerging market? Are the others willing to stay as peripheral players given that they know WiMax is just around the corner and their networks won't be able to handle it without huge capital outlay whereas Sprint is good to go?

I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if we start to see more focus on wireless broadband in the next month or so, and for a Christmas-season firesale on EVDO, EDGE, and other Wireless Broadband devices.

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