Nextel is rolling out a coast-to-coast version of its popular Push to Talk (PTT) service, which lets users have their cell phones operate like walkie talkies on a dedicated channel.

As described in this article from CNET, the new service will initially be available to customers in Boston, LA, and Florida, with San Francisco, Baltimore, and DC close on their heels.

The feature will be priced per minute or unlimited (at $10/month extra).

Nextel appears to be taking this step preemptively, as other carriers are readying competitive PTT systems for introduction in 2004.