Sprint's April WiMAX soft-launch on track, full-scale deployment at risk

Ready for untethered 3Mbps to 5Mbps downloads and 1Mbps to 1.5Mbps upload speeds while on the go? Us too, especially our Chicago-based brethren waiting for Sprint to properly soft-launch their Xohm service onto the nation. Backed by 50 or so WiMax exhibits with product on display at Mobile World Congress, Sprint's VP for technology development, Ali Tabassi, assured us that April would indeed see the fledgling Xohm service soft launch into Chicago, Baltimore, and the DC areas. However, he conceded that the billions required to reach the goal of 100 million subscribers by year end have not been approved. Sprint will at least cooperate with Clearwire -- a former Xohm partner -- on roaming agreements so that the two don't duplicate coverage. Come on Sprint, we know it's been tough for you lately as you bleed subscribers (and profits). But if you build it, we will come back.

[Frank @ Feb 14th 2008 6:53AM]

The problem hasn't been Sprint's technology for a long time, it's when you call their customer care or go to their stores and try to GET their technology is the problem. You may SAY you will go back but their customer service always acts like they don't WANT you.

[MrGutts @ Feb 14th 2008 6:56AM]

This is going to be a epic FAIL. First Sprint is last is every single damn customer satisfaction survey. Second, this has bandwidth caps on it, who the hell wants that? They are going to piece meal this crap out to the customers just like they did cell phone minutes. They need someone to kick them in the nuts hard and give them a freakin reality check.

[thethirdmoose @ Feb 14th 2008 7:35AM]

...my sprint evdo doesnt have bandwidth caps...

[packetsniffer @ Feb 14th 2008 8:16AM]

Who says it's going to have bandwidth caps?

[okayokay @ Feb 14th 2008 7:29AM]

As it is download limits are onerous (and not inexpensive).

[CB17 @ Feb 14th 2008 7:31AM]

Hey think on the bright side: At least we'll still have 3 national carriers left.

[Phineas J. Whoopie @ Feb 14th 2008 9:03AM]

If the whole world basically chooses LTE, and Sprint goes with WiMAX....what kind of phone choices will consumers see from Sprint??? Seriously, isn't that the nail in the coffin right there?

[Jeremy @ Feb 14th 2008 9:10AM]

Who needs WiMAX when you've got EDGE!11!!!!

Seriously though, I just want standardization. If every company has their own 3G/4G standard it just means less coverage regardless which carrier you use.

[Mutiny32 @ Feb 14th 2008 9:26AM]

I'd love to see this launched. If Sprint can launch this nation-wide this year, they will have a heavy advantage in the business user market. While LTE is great and all, people forget that every big player is developing for WiMax, it has already launched in the Asian market, and Intel will be offering this integrated with their upcoming mobile platform.

On the other hand, I'd love to see a word-mode capable Wimax/LTE/HSPA/CDMA capable product come from Sprint or any other carrier. After Verizon goes LTE, Sprint will have a much harder time trying to convince carriers to develop phones strictly for WiMax. I know most Qualcomm chipsets already support both technologies for wither technology and I see Sprint wavering in their strict no-SIM policy. Remember CDMA was developed by Qualcomm with SIM card capability, but Sprint said no and no handset is subsequently developed without that built in. I'm assuming this technology is still useable even with EVDO today and I'm assuming LTE uses it, since it is based off of GSM.

It would only make logical sense for Sprint to switch to a trule world-capble carrier model, as they are a little more business-oriented carrier. It would also enable them to carry a lot of different handsets if chipsets emerge that can handle multiple mobile technologies, like the Qualcomm MSM7200 and MSM7500 chipsets, which can handle either CDMA or GSM radios.

[Asten @ Feb 14th 2008 9:58AM]

WiMAX and LTE share the same basic transmission technology at the physical layer. While it won't happen immediately, there's ample opportunity for devices supporting both.

Also, WiMAX has a lot stronger following than just Sprint worldwide. There are large networks all around the world deploying WiMAX already.

[Fed @ Feb 14th 2008 10:49AM]

WiMAX has been gaining strength for years now..it will be come the new standard. Just wait.

[JuggleNuts @ Feb 14th 2008 12:45PM]

Granted, much smarter people than I have probably run the numbers, done the research, etc. ... BUT, I would sign up for a nationwide wireless broadband network in a second, and I know that I'm not alone.

If Sprint abandons WiMAX, what's their competitive strategy for the future? Cell market is saturated ... they'd have to win customers from AT&T, Verizon, etc. Doesn't seem like that's going to happen.

Throw down, Sprint; build it.

[Allen @ Feb 14th 2008 1:36PM]

Reading the Wiki article on 4G wireless technology, it seems that WiMax is only being considered as a bridge to fourth G, and while it does compete with LTE, realistic expectations for implementation state that they will have roughly similar up and down times.

LTE also is IP based, WiMax is not. Still given that LTE technically DOES have an advantage in up and down times (not by much though),I'd rather wait for AT&T's LTE network.

[michelle @ Feb 14th 2008 2:16PM]

this is a mistake from sprint. i agree all careers should pick a standard format and LTE seem to be the future. sprint don't make the same mistake twice! see what's happening with CDMA...

[Totalfixation @ Feb 14th 2008 2:23PM]

if they build it, they will highly not come. LTE all the way, even if it's behind schedule it's still a better format because it's more adopted in the world market.

[Erwos @ Feb 14th 2008 6:42AM]

The real issue is not whether the market will support two different systems (it will, as we've seen with GSM and CDMA), but rather whether Sprint will build out WiMax enough to make it a serious competitor. Money's out on that one, I think.

[packetsniffer @ Feb 14th 2008 8:10AM]

As Erwos pointed out, if what you said was true, we'd never have had CDMA in the first place. There is always room for other technologies. Sprint just needs to play its cards right and put out the widest network in the shortest amount of time.

[Frankenstein Black @ Feb 14th 2008 8:23AM]

And the lone Wolf starves in the wilderness. Totalfix is dead on! LTE is the GLOBAL future, ask Verizon. They too have seen the LTE (see what I did there ;^). Sprint need to join the pack or risk “starving in the wilderness” (the pittance of MRCs from a small, US only standalone WiMax system is not enough. They need to generate INC/OUT collect roaming revenue!). Hey Dan you're in control now. Move to the LTE (like Verizon), you future depends on it...

[johnzilla @ Feb 14th 2008 9:41AM]

This guy disagrees with you:

http://www.eurocomms.com/features/112044/WIMAX_AND_LTE_-_Either_or_both%3F.html

Also, "more adopted" seems quite a stretch.

[Calvin Klein @ Feb 15th 2008 12:23PM]

Sprint SUCKS! I spent $500 on an HTC Touch smartphone along w/a plan THAT INCLUDES picture messaging and the daym thing and the daym network won't let me do it.

I'm not the only one. There will be a class action lawsuit coming!!