With Sprint’s Nextel network meeting its maker, C Spire has emerged with a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service offering that could snatch up some of the Nextel customers set adrift.
C Spire Business Solutions today announced the IP-based service—that’s leveraging Ericsson and Kodiak Networks technology—and is gearing it toward enterprise customers. C Spire has bundled up a suite of devices for its PTT service, including the Samsung Galaxy S2 and S3 as well as Unimax 680 Android smartphones, the BlackBerry Curve 9360 and the BlackBerry Bold Touch.
C Spire’s PTT will enable contact lists of up to 1,300 and 250-member talk groups that can be administrated via the web. The service is available for $6 per month on top of an existing plan or for $30 at a standalone PTT offering.
The call features and rates bare many similarities to AT&T’s PTT service. AT&T’s main differentiator is making the iPhone compatible with its PTT.
Though Sprint officially shutdown its Nextel iDEN network at the end of last month—to free up its 800 MHz spectrum for LTE—the carrier has continued to offer PTT services. Sprint’s service, rechristened Direct Connect and moved over to its CDMA and LTE networks, features more standard smartphones like the LG Optimus Elite as well as fully ruggedized handsets like the Kyocera Torque.
