3G EVDO is the abbreviation for 3rd Generation Evolution-Date Optimized. It refers to high-speed Internet access via a wireless network. Leading providers of 3G EVDO within the United States, as of 2009, include Sprint Nextel, Alltel and Verizon Wireless.

Wireless communication generally has become essential to modern businesses and for the modern way of life. People go online to chat or send e-mails to family, friends, and colleagues. Not everyone, however, has DSL or a broadband service outside of the office or school, and not every location offers WiFi. 3G EVDO addresses these concerns because as a mobile broadband service, it offers totally wireless, always-present Internet service to its users.

EVDO works similarly to mobile phones. For it to operate, it relies on a signal from a cell site, as opposed to a wired line or DSL cable. The EVDO modem comes in the form of an air card which functions as the receiver of signals that allow its users to gain access to the Internet. Other EVDO modem formats include USB dongle modems, which are similar to a USB memory stick, PCMCIA cards, ExpressCards, which can be used directly in the computer or laptop, and 3G routers.

Download speeds for EVDO fall in between the range of 400 to 700 kbps, and the network can burst up to a 2MBps speed. 3G EVDO aims to provide wireless solutions to transform the Internet into a wireless, mobile, and convenient system by completely eradicating the need for lines and cables. Access to the Internet is ubiquitous on 3G EVDO. All members can be connected anytime, anywhere.

Installing a modem isn’t enough to provide access to the Internet. Consumers must also subscribe to a plan or package to use the 3G EVDO service. Verizon Wireless pioneered 3G EVDO’s commercial release in 2003 and expanded to over 125 million users in the United States by the end of 2005. As of 2009, more and more 3G companies are employing the innovative concept to meet the demands of consumers worldwide.

EVDO claims to have advantages over WiFi. One notable strength includes 24/7 seamless roaming. Because the EVDO signal can travel on the same cell sites as mobile phones, customers can easily access their corporate virtual private network (VPN) from any location just as long as they can receive a secure and encrypted cellular signal. Customers can also download and run video clips in real-time, and EVDO provides service to customers that live outside of cable-modem or DSL areas.