Wireless ISP GoAmerica has inked a deal to offer VoiceStream's GRPS wireless data network to its corporate customers. Financial terms of the partnership were not released.

The Hackensack, N.J.-based GoAmerica said the General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) service is expected to be available on its Go.Web and Mobile Office products in the second half of this year.

It is a significant client win for GoAmerica, which plans to roll out a combined WAN/LAN service network during the second half of 2002.

VoiceStream, the Deutsche Telekom-owned firm which maintains headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., operates a large-scale GSM/GPRS wireless voice and data network in the United States.

For GoAmerica, the deal was a no-brainer. "VoiceStream impressed industry experts last year by completing an upgrade of its GSM voice network to include GPRS data service as well," said Marty May, GoAmerica's VP of carrier relations.

"(With this deal), we look forward to providing our corporate customers with higher speeds, new devices, and additional coverage through our relationship with VoiceStream." May added.

For GoAmerica, part of VoiceStream appeal is the potential to reach its Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless broadband (WLAN) network, which is available in more than 650 public locations.

Under terms of the agreement, VoiceStream's network would be integrated into GoAmerica's corporate offerings. In addition to improving the rate of data transmission, the selling point for GoAmerica is that higher speed networks allow for data-rich content to be viewed more easily on a wireless device.

"The availability of VoiceStream's combined GSM/GPRS voice and data network means GoAmerica customers will be able to utilize new, 'hybrid' wireless devices which allow for both voice and data transmission. VoiceStream's GPRS network provides average access speeds of 40kbps in 6,500 cities across the U.S.

GoAmerica runs the Network Operations Center, which integrates CDPD, DataTAC and Mobitex, as well as new, 2.5G networks with its services. The company's GPRS service is currently available in Canada.