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Sprint EVDO Required Firmware 4/30/2007

If you have any of the following EVDO Rev A Cards:

• Pantech PX-500
• Merlin S720
• Ovation U720
• Sierra AirCard 595

Sprint will soon be notifying you via postcard that you MUST upgrade your mobile broadband card by 4/30/2007 or you may not be able to connect.

This issue only affects 12 markets, which include:  Chicago, Charlette, Knoxville, Hawaii and others.  These markets are using Motorola base stations at the towers and there is a required upgrade that requires new firmware.  A new setting called MFPA is in the new firmware and required for operation after that day.

Perhaps this is related to the problem that first showed up in Chicago on October 23, 2006 (S720 Connection Manager 3.7.5 - ISSUE After Firmware Upgrade).  Sprint quickly fixed that problem (good job Sprint).

We need to get the word out on this required firmware upgrade.  Just imagine how many Sprint Mobile Broadband customers traveling through Chicago Ohare on 5/1/2007, and their Sprint Mobile Broadband cards are not working, yet when they finally get home, they will work fine.  Or someone going on vacation to Hawaii and their only connection is their Sprint card.

Sprint initally planned to do this upgrade on 2/28/2007, but they recently pushed it back to 4/30/2007.

This notice is especially important to Mac or Router only Sprint customers.  These users have no Sprint Connection Manager and no way to do a firmware upgrade to their Sprint Card.  Please note, if you purchase your Sprint Card from us, just select the option called "Pre-Activate for Mac/Router Use", and we will upgrade the firmware (and activate and download the latest PRL) of your card BEFORE we ship it to you. 

Related Articles:

• Upgrade Sprint Connection Manager by 4/30/2007 - EVDOforum
• Sprint Rev A Required Firmware Upgrade 4.30.2007 - EVDO Blog