Verizon Express Hits Snags

The Verizon Express Network, the carrier's fledgling, next-generation wireless network, often times-out after five minutes, solution providers said. As a result, mobile workers constantly have to log back into the network, and in some cases, they must repeat work when accessing a back-end system via the wireless WAN.

Customers also can inadvertently log into Verizon's slower IS-95 network in areas where Express isn't available, solution providers said. In addition to slowing down data transfers to an average of 14.4 Kbps, the IS-95 network can be costly to use, solution providers said.

That's what one Verizon partner discovered after workers testing a wireless data pilot inadvertently accessed the IS-95 network instead of Express, which is available for a flat fee of $99 per month. "We racked up about $1,000 of charges over a three-day period," said the solution provider, who requested anonymity.

Ultimately, the solution provider found out that a dial-up box can be altered to prevent automatic login to IS-95 in areas where Express is inaccessible.

A Verizon spokesman said users can't roam outside the Express coverage area or they'll be disconnected and forced to log in again. Users are timed-out after five minutes of inactivity to ensure that network resources are available for active users, he said, adding that the time-out rule is adjustable.

"We have some flexibility working with the marketplace to see what is going to be needed and demanded," thespokesman said.

Still, such problems must be addressed to readily provide the level of mobile services that enterprise customers are now demanding, solution providers said.

"This underscores a real issue in the market," said Paul Giobbi, president of ZumaSys, a solution provider based in San Clemente, Calif. "The cellular [service providers just don't understand data."