Oh Noes: Sprint delays commercial Xohm WiMax service

It's April, do you know where your WiMax service is? Unfortunately, S.Korea as Sprint backtracks on the planned April launch of its commercial Xohm service in the US. This according to an official company spokesman. Sprint says that the launch has been delayed to "later in the year" which many expect to be as early as summer. Even then we're likely only talking about Chicago, Baltimore, and D.C. areas. Time to start making room for LTE in our sad, jaded hearts.

[CB17 @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:58AM]

Shocker... Especially since I know one of the people in charge of the Baltimore rollout and guess what? They're still building.

[contreras @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:26AM]

"later this year" sounds very scary. I hope they can make WiMAX happen, but I start to lose the faith.

[Jimmy @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:49AM]

the whole wimax project in America was so poorly organized. it is a great idea but the tech and financial aspects were so terribly screwed up that I, for one, will be surprised if it ever does establish itself as a leader in the data marketplace. for the next two years, 3g and 3.5g are not going anywhere. except into the iphone.

[Benson @ Apr 3rd 2008 10:21AM]

Sure, for the next two years; the most optimistic (while remaining rational) WiMAX booster woulda said that. Give it some time; this delay won't, IMHO, seriously affect its longterm success. I think it does have a decent shot; and I don't see any 5G technologies coming sooner than it would get adopted, so it won't get pwned by its successor before it gets off the ground.

[David @ Apr 3rd 2008 10:58AM]

I live in the backyard of Sprint's headquarters. This company has no idea what it's doing or where it's headed. They lay off people only to hire them back in 3 or 4 months. They are constantly canceling projects and initiatives while starting up new ones that are just as wasteful or bone-headed. They waste 50 cents on every dollar they make in my opinion. The only thing you can expect with Sprint is delays and shoddy infrastructure. Heck the Verizon signal is stronger on their main campus than Sprint's own most of the time.

[rv @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:57AM]

Baltimore? WHY???
So drug dealers can access their myspaces instantly???

[PhilR8 @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:54PM]

Other people live here too, you racist.

Ever hear of BRAC? Base Realignment and Closure? Ft. Meade (located equidistant between Baltimore and DC) and Aberdeen Proving Grounds (north of Baltimore) are both getting a lot of new jobs from other base closures. Read about it here:

http://www.choosemaryland.org/Resources/pdffiles/brac/DOL%20Grant%20Executive%20Summary%20DRAFT.pdf

Also, the DC/Baltimore area is rapidly becoming a single market as infill development consumes every inch of open space between the two cities. So usually, the two cities are covered by the same infrastructure. The WIMAX rollout is no exception.

[JerryA @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:59PM]

Ugh...BRAC. Still, I agree with Phil. There are many people living in this city. Just because the drug dealers get a TV show doesn't mean it's all we've got. Not a bad city at all if you are not living in a crap area. I could say the same for a lot of cities.

[JerryA @ Apr 3rd 2008 1:02PM]

Although...why play the race card? He said drug dealers. Unless you are implying that all drug dealers are one race or another. Living in Baltimore I can tell you that is not the case. I believe he was implying that Baltimore is trashy and full of drug dealers (which is only half true), not being racist.

[Ubuntu 7.10 WindowsXP @ Apr 3rd 2008 1:15PM]

What Jerry said. And he should stop downing Baltimore as it is not even close to the drug capital or crime capital of the nation.

[inventor @ Apr 4th 2008 1:56PM]

B-MORE IS A DUMP..... I NEVER SEEN A CITY WITH SO MANY BOARDED UP CRACK HOUSES AND DRUG DEALERS ON THE STREETS.... THIS IS LIKE RIGHT OUTSIDE JOHN HOPKINS HOSPITAL! SURE INNER HARBOR IS NICE AND THERE ARE SOME NICE SUBURBS IF YOU LIKE PAYING EXTREME TAXES TO SUPPORT THE LAZY.
WIMAX IS WORTH THE WAIT. I HAD 3G AND IT WAS LAME. MOST PLACES DONT EVEN HAVE 3G SERVICE. SPRINTS EVDO IS THE BEST WIRELESS INTERNET RIGHT NOW. WHEN WIMAX LAUNCHES SPRINT WILL OWN THE WIRELESS INTERNET! THIS IS NOT EVEN AN ARGUEMENT. GOOGLE WIMAX AND READ THE SPEEDS. ATT PHONES USSUALLY DONT LAST THROUGH THYE CONTRACT PERIOD! I LEARNED THE HARD WAY. TMOBILE HAS NO COVERAGE MOST PLACES I GO AND IF YOU HAVE BETTER VERIZON COVERAGE THAN SPRINT, THEN JUST SWITCH YOUR PHONE TO ROAM ONLY. ALL THE NEWER SPRINT PLANS GIVE YOU FREE ROAMING.

[AlfaMike @ Apr 6th 2008 11:47AM]

Hey "inventor" you make some good points, but howsa about you "invent" yourself a username that contains an ounce of creativity and learn how to use the freakin caps lock button. Thanks toolbag.

[RC @ Apr 6th 2008 1:32PM]

Maybe you should get a new keyboard since it seems that your caps lock key is broken.

And Sprint isn't going to win with WiMAX. Verizon and AT&T will win with LTE.