1xEV-DO
Part of a family of CDMA2000 1x digital wireless standards. 1xEV-DO is a "3G" CDMA standard. EV-DO originally stood for "EVolution, Data-Only", but recently
is also referred to as "EVolution, Data-Optimized".
EV-DO provides data rates over 10 times faster than 1xRTT, the previous data technology for CDMA networks.
Unlike some other "1x" standards, EV-DO only addresses data - not voice. It requires a dedicated slice of spectrum, separate from voice networks using
standards such as 1xRTT.
There are currently two main versions of 1xEV-DO: "Release 0" and "Revision A".
Release 0 is the original version, and the first to be widely deployed. Rel. 0 offers data rates up to 2.4 mbps, averaging 300-600 kbps in the real world.
This is much faster than the 50-80 kbps typically offered by 1xRTT technology.
Revision A integrates most of the faster data technology originally designed for the 1xEV-DV Revision D standard, and improves latency. These enhancements
allow features such as VoIP and video calling. The downlink (download) theoretical peak data rate compared to Release 0 is improved from 2.4 mbps to 3.1
mbps.
In terms of data speed and general technology evolution, the closest equivalent to EVDO for GSM/WCDMA networks would be HSDPA.
1xEV-DO is based on a technology initially known as "HDR" (High Data Rate) or "HRPD" (High Rate Packet Data), developed by Qualcomm. The international
standard is known as IS-856.