Sprint to launch dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX devices this year?

Assuming Sprint can make it -- and that's starting to seem like kind of a big if these days -- CEO Dan Hesse made some comments about the coming 4G revolution, including one auspicious hint about dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX devices this later year for XOHM. It's almost an exciting enough concept for us to forget that even if these devices were forthcoming in 2008, they'd still only be for one of the soft launch markets, and would probably start as a data cards -- not phones. But hey, we're happy to be proven wrong, Sprint.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Feb 29th 2008 7:35AM]

I don't see whats wrong with sprint. I've had them for 5 years, and I get service everywhere, no dropped calls ever and customer service is actually good. Then again, I live in Chicago and Sprint has pretty much blanketed that city more than any of their other coverage cities.

[Izzy @ Feb 29th 2008 1:58PM]

They are horrible in Phoenix, especially if you get anywhere out of downtown. And everywhere is out of downtown in Phoenix.

[Joel @ Mar 2nd 2008 2:32AM]

That's weird, because I have had Sprint service for the last 7 years. I have lived in North Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa & now in Maricopa & I have dropped about 3 calls in the 7 years. My only beef with Sprint is their lack of newer handsets.

[DzNutz @ Mar 1st 2008 11:14AM]

@Izzy: Odd - I have had sprint for 8 years here in PHX and haven't had any problems except out on the edges of the valley, and that has gotten alot better.

[Anton @ Feb 29th 2008 7:35AM]

I like all this talk about 4G, when most of today's phones barely even support 3G...

[turn_self_off @ Feb 29th 2008 9:01AM]

faster, stronger, better lock-in...

[Nathan @ Feb 29th 2008 12:16PM]

we can rebuild him...

[echachi81 @ Feb 29th 2008 8:08AM]

I would have to agree. Sprint service is great. I never had any problems and with the upcoming Wimax, mobile internet speed would be even faster than any other company. I am curiously how much the wimax plans would be. I heard they will have tiers starting with free service equivalent to 384kps (EDGE Network Speed) and different price ranges for higher speeds of 4mbps or higher. I also heard that the cost of the highest tier speed will still be cheaper than any current monthly mobile internet plan from any company.

I'm very excited yet can't wait till its release in New York. Looking to purchase a possible Nokia N830 with skype support.

[Temple @ Feb 29th 2008 8:16AM]

I'm less interested in having WiMax in a phone then getting it in my laptop, PSP, DS, E-reader, iPod, and other portable devices. I think that's what they plan on Xohm, if they can do deliver this economically (and better them my shoddy/slow ATT Edge wireless card for my laptop); I'm in.

[echachi81 @ Feb 29th 2008 9:58AM]

To answer Temple, I believe the wimax chip will be installed in cell phones, laptops, placed in usb adapters, laptop cards, digital camera. If the new psp has it that would be a great device cause high speed internet and built in skype. Just remove the UMD drive add a few gigs of rams and a touch screen. Mid this year great into next year there will be alot of interesting devices.

As for the comment by Sprint Mole. That idea sounds great with google buying the 700mhz spectrum and affiliating with sprint or even buying them. As long at the end, I could get wimax at a very good price a month I'll be happy. I also heard that THERE IS NO CONTRACT ASSOCIATED WITH WIMAX SO YOU CAN CANCEL AT ANY TIME.

[Sprint Mole @ Feb 29th 2008 8:34AM]

Where is Google ???

Please buy the 700mhz Spectrum or whats left and Buy Sprint
Sprints stock is dirt cheap and in the Toilet

Quote

"Chief Executive Dan Hesse, who took over in December, said business is worse than he expected and is deteriorating."


a $29.5 Billion dollar Loss yup its deteriorating alright. For dramatic value Sprint lost more than the ENTIRE COMPANY IS WORTH!!!

Yeah and "moving" the entire Headquarters to Kansas from Virginia is gonna help save money. Heres a tip consolodate the HQ's


Google buys the 700mhz Spectrum and Sprint and all of a sudden becomes the best Wireless service Provider ever.

Also with ANDROID phones come on Google I know I saw a couple Billion in the sofa cushions.



Oh well the great thing about Sprint's depair is that you call retentions threaten to cancel and you get whatever you want.

I got 5p.m. nightes yesterday just by asking nicely no threat to cancel needed. Yes 5p.m. nights


No more Landline for me. Verizon FIOS here I come.

[Econ @ Feb 29th 2008 12:58PM]

Unfortunately, you lack the financial acumen to support the statement you just made. In fact, you're missing the point about the goodwill writedown entirely. Their loss has to be bigger than the market cap (which is not the entire value of the company) because they're writing down the assets. It's called an impairment. It means that the asset isn't worth what they booked it at.

Furthermore, the actual value of the company is enterprise value, which is calculated by adding the market cap and net debt (total gross debt less cash and equivalents). $20B in net debt, $21B in market cap (as of 2/29 mid-day) nets a $41B enterprise value.

Stick to what you know, or ask questions about what you don't. But please stop adding garbage to the Internet by making uninformed assumptions. It's going to take years to clean this landfill up already.

[Golferal @ Feb 29th 2008 1:52PM]

ECON FTW!

[Joe @ Feb 29th 2008 8:35AM]

Uhh guys... you can't point out that it's a big if when you don't actually use the word if to precede it. Just saying...

[JayMonster @ Feb 29th 2008 8:52AM]

A corporate account I once had used Sprint once, and now I would rather pay for the service myself and stay away than ever to ever use Sprint again, and this goes back to the days when Sprint was considered a "leader." I stopped believing anything Sprint has promised a long, long time ago, and I suspect so have many others.

Maybe, if they can convince Jobs to make a WiMax iPhone, they could generate enough buzz to remain viable and maybe even gain some traction. Maybe.

[CassilineKnight @ Feb 29th 2008 8:56AM]

I can't wait to jump from the horrible leaking piece of sh*t ship that is Sprint...together with Nextel.

3G iPhone please come to me! I need you!

[Sam @ Feb 29th 2008 9:31AM]

Dear Qwest,
I hear you need cellular service. Instead of leasing service from Sprint, why don't you just buy the damn company? This would solve all your problems.
Sincerely,
Me

[RoseGold @ Feb 29th 2008 9:57AM]

sprint ahead of the competition i see

[dizilbdog @ Feb 29th 2008 10:23AM]

Wimax will make the other networks have real problems. Wimax is cheaper to build and costs less money to use. Sprint will become number one i'm sure. Iphone or not. When you can have a Wimax laptop cellphone by your side... iPhone what?? 3G would be a ancient speed compared to Wimax.

[Genjinaro @ Feb 29th 2008 10:47AM]

4G FTW!!!

Really, this is also going to make Skype look 10x more appealing.

[Robert Linderman @ Feb 29th 2008 11:03AM]

According to what I have been reading, it looks like Sprint is going to spin off its XOHM Wimax division and merge it with Clearwire. I have also read that Intel is going to put $2 Billion into this new company. I really like that deal since Sprint already owns most of the 2.5Ghz (since 1986) spectrum across the country and Clearwire owns a lot of it also...if this happens, they really do not need the 700Mhz spectrum from the auction and they are already to go with the existing technology once a merger is consummated. I think a merger like this can only be great for the industry and for consumers and especially, for the technology!

[Nathan @ Feb 29th 2008 12:22PM]

Clearwire is THE SINGLE largest pile of feces that I have ever encountered in my entire life. I was duped into signing up for their "low-cost" broadband plan when I moved to my current locale, and within DAYS my speeds went from an acceptable 2.5 MB/s to SLOWER THAN DIAL-UP speeds. It took me 3 service calls and 14 hours on the phone with their CS to get out of my 1 year contract without the ETF.

They oversold their bandwidth in this region and refused to admit it or deal with it and were charging people ETFs like crazy and not only that, they packet shape and block any VoIP providers that they don't contract with explicitly.

Complete garbage, I would rather make a tape of BME Pain Olympics myself than EVER work with that company again.

[Andrew @ Feb 29th 2008 11:57AM]

So will LTE be interoperable with WiMax? The idea of another fractured landscape of mobile standards distresses me.

[Andrew @ Feb 29th 2008 2:10PM]

To answer my own question, I was digging around on the internet and found this article: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=38750 . It explains that the technical differences between the two technologies are very minor and likely to be reconciled. Both use an OFDM air interface and IP structure. What differs mainly is the business models of the companies pushing each technology.

I dream of the day when mobile phones, tablets, and laptops come with broadband radio circuits that use a single, unified, IP-based interface on a set number of frequency bands, that work on any provider, anywhere in the world. Just pop in your SIM (or similar such thing) and GO!

[Robert Linderman @ Mar 1st 2008 1:02AM]

LTE and Wimax are two completely different technologies. LTE is a GSM-based technology and you should not count on it for at least two years from what I heard. If you want Wimax in the USA, your best bet will be from Sprint and Clearwire or the new company they form if Sprint spins off the company to merge with Clearwire. I had the opportunity to use Wimax while I was in Las Vegas for CES and it was incredible. I understand Sprint is soft launching it now in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. with their employees. I have heard the official soft launch will be sometime early this spring in those markets. Whether it will be Sprint, Clearwire or both, I think those lucky enough to experience Wimax will really enjoy the technology, it promises to be quite incredible!

[Allen @ Feb 29th 2008 12:53PM]

I think most of America is going to skip the Third Generation of wireless devices and head straight to Fourth Gen. Wireless providers were unsure of the viability of downloads for phones and hence 3G was (and still is) late in coming. However, with Sprint launching the first 4G network THIS YEAR, even if its losing consumer base now it won't be soon. Device support would pick up and I'm certain business class users would be thrilled.

The reason that CDMA phones are unpopular though is that more and more, business users must travel internationally, and only GSM really helps there. Still, AT&T would need to launch a 4G service to compete with Sprint if they want to keep the American market, which is still the biggest homogeneous market by capitalization in the world. LTE, here I come!

[Golferal @ Feb 29th 2008 1:49PM]

It doesn't surprise me that Sprint is losing a lot of money as of late. The costs associated with building out infrastructure for a new network are substantial, but I'm sure they'll be just fine in the long run.

As far as service goes, I've been with Sprint for 7 years and and completely happy. They're always willing to hook me up with the latest and greatest devices at the "new line of service" discount rate. I pay less for 3 lines including 3200 minutes, unlimited Sprint to Sprint calling, nights & weekends @ 7pm, and unlimited data & texts, than my friend does for 1 line with Verizon for about the same features. And the call quality is as good (if not better) as any in my area.

Sprint 4G FTW!

[beq @ Feb 29th 2008 8:16PM]

Silly question. Do Sprint's unlimited-data handset plans (PCS Vision/Power Vision) include usage on WiMax XOHM, or only 1X/EVDO? What I mean is, will XOHM cost more to use than EVDO?

Same question for the laptop unlimited data plan ($50-59/month), will it work on both XOHM and EVDO?

[usedHONDA @ Feb 29th 2008 10:13PM]

XOHM + Nokia N800/N810 successor + Skype = the best deal in wireless imaginable.

[Robert Linderman @ Mar 1st 2008 1:16AM]

I have been a Clearwire subscriber for over 3 years now and it has been fantastic! I use their Internet service, VoIP and I sell the product in my store. Currently, I have over 3,000 clients who are still my customers and are all Clearwire subscribers and we have the lowest churn in the company. The difference is that I took the time in each customer's home to personally set up their service in the best possible place and if they have any issues whatsoever, I am over there doing a house call (does not happen very often). I would recommend if you are in a city with Clearwire, get a person to come to your home and work with you. I have "oversold" towers in my region and I have never had problems with them nor have my customers because I can work directly with my local market and they have been incredibly responsive to both my customers and my inquiries. Clearwire has a great support staff here where I live and our service is really great. I use it over 10 hours a day, seven days a week in my retail operation and it is one of several different mobile broadband solutions we sell (Verizon and Sprint are others). Nathan, tt is really a shame you had such a bad experience with Clearwire.

Also, I am confident that when Clearwire introduces their Wimax solution with our without Sprint, it will be absolutely incredible! I have seen it in action and used it and we all have a lot to look forward to. I just hope it can be deployed in current Clearwire cities and new cities can be deployed in a short period of time. Perhaps if Sprint spins off XOHM and Clearwire merges with it, with Intel's capital, they will all build a great company with a great technology. I just cannot wait to use it, sell it and really make some good money with it. If it is as good as what I experienced in Las Vegas at CES, we are all in for quite an exciting experience!

[inventor @ Apr 4th 2008 2:08PM]

SPRINT WILL OWN THE INTERNET WITH WIMAX! ATT 3G HAS THE SMALLEST COVERAGE AREAS. WHEN I COULD GET IT IT WAS OK BUT THAT ONLY HAPPENED WHEN I WAS IN SOUTH FLORIDA! EDGE IS A JOKE (OOPS SORRY IPHONE USERS) I THINK PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO ADMITT THEY MADE A BAD DECISION AFTER SPENDING SO MUCH ON AN IPHONE. NOTICE ALL THE NEWER IPHONES? WHY? BECAUSE THEY KEEP FINDING OUT THEY PALE IN COMPARISION TO THE SPRINT HTC 6900 TOUCH PHONE. IT IS WHAT THE IPHONE WANTS TO BE AT A FRACTION OF THE COST AND DOES HANDWRITING RECOGNITION! SPRINT HAS BEEN SPRINT LONGER THAN THE CROOKS AT ATT AND TMOBILE WHO RIP OFF THEIR DEALERS BY NOT PAYING COMISSIONS TO THEM. NOTICE ANY ATT STORES OPENING UP? NOPE... ANY TMOBILES? NOPE...WONDER WHY? BECAUSE ATT TMOBILE HELIO AND CINGULAR ARE ALL CROOKS! TRUST ME I DEALT WITH THESE MORONS FOR YEARS AND FINALLY HAD ENOUGH AND NOTHING COMPARES TO THE QUALITY PHONES PLANS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OF SPRINT!

[ChrisB009 @ May 14th 2008 9:12AM]

Several people have complained about Sprint's service and lack of features. I deal in cellular communications each and every day....and....no...I don't work for either of the "Big" two. Take Verizon for a ride and see how you get treated and features that are lost. By treatment...Verizon could care less and they carry this all mightier than God attitude at the current moment. By features...Verizon cripples devices and forces the user to pay for those services. Sprint does neither of the two. I'm not saying Sprint is the better carrier....just stating what I have seen over the past several years. Hopefully Verizon will change as this is the type of attitude that has caused many companies to fail over the long haul.