Sprint fills in a few more WiMAX deets

Ever since Sprint promised to blanket 100 million people with WiMAX by the end of 2008, we've been wondering just who exactly those people would be. Well, in addition to a few other specifics, Sprint is finally coming clean about nineteen of those markets. The promised cities are as follows: Motorola is prepping service for Chicago, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Minneapolis; Samsung will develop Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Washington D.C.; and Nokia will work on Austin, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Antonio and Seattle. There'll be more location info to come, but that should get us started nicely. Sprint is still promising the limited initial launch by the end of 2007, and that 100 million target for the 2008, but also has an April '08 goal for launching a "number" of markets. Today Sprint is also announcing that Samsung, ZTE and ZyXEL will be building WiMAX modems of the PC card, ExpressCard, USB and built-in varieties, and Sprint is also launching a new "WiMAX Device and Chipset Ecosystem" program for getting as many manufacturers on board as possible. Sprint says they'll be showing off Mobile WiMAX at its CTIA booth this week, so we'll be sure and peep what they've got.

[Bobby @ Mar 26th 2007 9:20PM]

Remember this article?
http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/12/swedes-hit-hard-by-wimax-waves/

Did anything ever come of that? Personally I think Wimax networks would be great, but that article is a little scary.

[William @ Mar 26th 2007 9:33PM]

nothing for Houston yet? darn.

[BigD @ Mar 26th 2007 10:52PM]

Yeah. I like how they skipped all the way around Texas while avoiding the fourth largest city in the United States.

[alpha @ Mar 26th 2007 9:34PM]

Wait, did I see NYC? Unbelievable...

[CL @ Mar 26th 2007 9:58PM]

.....and no SF Bay Area or LA either.....what?!

[CTSLICK @ Mar 28th 2007 12:05AM]

Wow, Minneapolis get some love for once. Outstanding.

[Sean @ Mar 26th 2007 10:08PM]

I'm also extremely let down that I didn't see any west coast CA, considering nearly the whole of Texas would have wimax coverage...

[Brian @ Mar 26th 2007 11:05PM]

Now I'm pissed. It's bad enough that FiOS isn't in NYC, but now I can't even get WiMAX?

ARGH! Why?! Don't you remember 9/11?! This is the true heartland! Feel impassioned and LOVE US with wave after wave after wave of ones and zeros!

[Firebird @ Mar 27th 2007 12:16AM]

yeah i dont get how neither miami or especially nyc is getting hit with this. do they not know who is paying for cell service?

[MrGutts @ Mar 27th 2007 6:47AM]

What is really funny is that if your in one of those "supposed WiMax areas" you can't sign up, no plans to be found any place, no hardware to buy any place on their crappy website. It's all Vaporware.

[kinimod @ Mar 27th 2007 10:52AM]

"The company plans initial service launches in several markets by yearend 2007 and expects to make commercial service available in a number of markets by April 2008, ultimately reaching 100 million people across the country by yearend 2008."

Why would there be plans on the Sprint Nextel website if the service hasn't launched yet?

[alex @ Mar 27th 2007 7:14PM]

I second Firebird's disappointment over Miami. It would be nice to be able to connect while boating and maybe that would spur innovative applications for boaters.

[blah @ Apr 30th 2007 3:44PM]

I can't wait!