Sprint turning on WiMAX in Baltimore in September, Chicago and DC by end of year

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse spoke at NXTcomm08 today, and he let it slip that Sprint is planning on launching its first commercially-available WiMAX network in Baltimore in September, and expanding the trial service currently operating in Chicago and DC by the end of the year. We're assuming that means Clearwire and not Sprint itself, of course, but Hesse also touched on the carrier's WiMAX-based 4G strategy, saying that consumers "can't seem to get enough data" and that devices like digital cameras and GPS systems will eventually connect to WiMAX directly -- allowing Sprint to "break free of wireless cellphone group think." Sure, whatever -- but let's get that network lit up before we start counting chickens, shall we?

[Via Phone Scoop]

[thedesolate1 @ Jun 18th 2008 9:55PM]

What about New York City and Cali??

[Turcu Ciprian @ Jun 18th 2008 9:58PM]

what about it?... new york city ...maybe... one day.. but Cali? Why Cali?
we(the world) barely have 3G....

[ethana2 @ Jun 18th 2008 10:10PM]

I look forward to the internet replacing pathetic limited cell phone systems entirely.

I can finally use my laptop as a phone with the software of my choice.

[Big Al @ Jun 18th 2008 10:49PM]

Does this mean that you want to carry your notebook with you wherever you go?

What if you went on a date? A bar? A movie theater? (Ok, bad example, but I'd imagine it'd be 10x more obnoxious if you had a notebook on while talking on the phone.)

[ethana2 @ Jun 18th 2008 10:52PM]

Theaters are a no-go.

If it's not free enough for that little red light next to my eye, it's not free enough for my mind.

[Alex @ Jun 18th 2008 10:47PM]

This won't happen.

If they can't even do phones, then why attempt this?

[Andr3w @ Jun 18th 2008 10:48PM]

Sprints still in business?

[RC @ Jun 19th 2008 12:16AM]

Unfortunately

[John @ Jun 18th 2008 11:22PM]

Hmm.. i wonder why they are going with the WiMAX approach rather than the continuation of EV-DO or UMB. What are the benefits of WiMAX over those?

[WiMAXguy @ Jun 18th 2008 11:40PM]

UMB is dead. The choice is between WiMAX (available now) and LTE (need to wait atleast another 3 to 4 years).

[RC @ Jun 19th 2008 12:17AM]

So this is why I've been seeing so many Sprint trucks on the Baltimore beltway the past couple weeks.

[irdepesca @ Jul 1st 2008 4:12PM]

Finally Baltimore gets something first!

[marlboro @ Jun 19th 2008 7:51AM]

don't know y every keeps saying sprint is dead there far from it

sprint see to be the only company that see the future to be honest a cell phone as much as we love them r going to die out and where not talking in 20 or 30 years

as more people r going to smart phone and tones of ultra portale on market it make scene
if i have my computer y do i need a cell phone i would much rather have have some kinda viop service


sprint is trying to separate it self from just being a cell phone carrier and become a main stream mobile broadband carrier

thats were the future is

if u have a nokia 810 wimax edition for example running on wiwax think about it all the things u wouldn't need your current smart phone for or cell u could easily just yahoo ami msn messenger send texts google maps just about every thing a curent cell does plus run any software u wanted no locked in contract no min plans

viop such as skype could easily have one number that could work on any device
i could be working at home on laptop using a skype for phone calls oh dammit got to go pick up the kids grab the nokia and log on to skype and all the same number so any calls i get home i now get on the go

forgot your nokia at home hey no problem borrow your friends computer log on to skype oh look now i can get my phone calls at my friends house

i don't know if any u understand what i am saying but this is the future

weather its wimax or some other service i don't know but this is how thing r going to be and i can not wait

it the whole reason y i have not renewed my cell contract and have no intress s in a cell phone like the iphone or any other phone there pumping out right now at all any
looking at getting a good mid or ultra portable my self



i hope sprint pull this seeing how i am already a sprint customer

[Shahryar @ Jun 19th 2008 10:33AM]

Sort of with you marlboro.

I recently called Sprint's customer care and complained about my text message overage because I couldn't see the detailed text messages that were sent on my bill (bad). When the lady couldn't pull it up herself (also bad), she just credited me back all the money (good). She added on a little, "This is a one-time courtesy credit" (stupid), but overall I was happy.

I've always heard Sprint's customer service is terrible, but they've never really bothered me. I just don't think there's anything special about them though. Standard 2 year contract, prices are pretty normal (though I hear good things about SERO). The killer for me is that I don't like their phones really and because with CDMA (in America at least), you can't just get the phone you want and put it on w/ ease, that just kills your selection so much.

I remember when they used to be pretty innovative. Back in Summer, 1999 I used to work at Circuit City and we would sell Sprint phones w/ no contract needed, no activation fee, good prices for phones. They even had the best phones (at least out of our selection) at some times with the Nokia 6185, Startac, Timeport, etc. I first hand saw Customers really comfortable with Sprint. Now, they are just standard.

I'm mainly a T-mobile user (Sprint's my secondary phone) and have always felt that T-mobile goes out of their way for exceptional customer service. I like their prices, I like that I can get a 1 year option. I like that they are GSM and that I can get whatever phones I want (I got a N76, wife's got a N82).

It seems they are trying to genuinely change now. After my call, I got an automated call to take a survey and I took it and left positive marks. In retrospect, I Wish I had taken the time to give them the verbal message to be shared with Sprint management (I was at work so I stayed quite and found out after the fact where this call was heading).

I hope with this announcement for WiMAX, this is a positive step in that direction. I'll give the iPhone credit for really getting people to start using data functionality more in the U.S. with its ease of use. Now that data's on people's mind, seeing WiMAX will probably be a factor in decisions.

I believe Sprint and Verizon are talking about opening their networks up so the phone selection problems could be gone soon. And I hope the industry itself changes. I'm sick of contracts. Stop making customers have to stay, instead, get them to stay.

[John @ Jun 19th 2008 8:38AM]

Hah! Like anyone in Baltimore could afford WiMAX.

[Shahryar @ Jun 19th 2008 10:14AM]

Excellent news. I live in between Baltimore and DC, and I also spend a lot of time in Chicago (where my wife's family).

So I've got my Mogul now for Sprint (Secondary phone w/ Sprint mainly for work - My main phone is a N76 w/ T-mobile).

What should I be looking to replace my Mogul with in the upcoming months? How much more than the $15 I pay for EV-DO a month on my Mogul will this cost? I don't want to get an extra data card or something for my laptop on top of what I pay for my cell so I hope I can (continue to) get away with tethering or at least have a an option to pay a little more.

I remember posting back in Jan 2007 about this (quick search helped me find the specific post here: http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/sprint-announces-large-scale-wimax-rollout-starts-with-chicago/1#c3098876 )

I'm glad they stuck with the main cities they committed to.

[marlboro @ Jun 19th 2008 11:15AM]

last i saw i think intel is coming out a wifi/wiwax internal card for laptops

i wouldn't buy another phone type of device if u all ready have tmobile get a decent mid or ultra portable and some from what i been reading r coming out already wimax enable

as for how much it coast i am not for sure but last i read some where it was like 50 bucks for wimaxs but when considering u r ditching your cell service and that what i would do if i was u it not bad and would be worth to me as i would have nokia n810 and a laptop both running on wimax

but seing how they also partnering up with some other many stream carries like comcast who most likely make it like and add on service of some sort i cant say for sure what it would coast


if this goes over well and has realy good connection
home and on the go i probable just get rid my home internet and get this as my man service



but thats alot if for me and where i live but sounds like thats what u should think about considering it being deployed every where u r


and yes i am jealous

[Shahryar @ Jun 19th 2008 12:33PM]

don't get too jealous. This is one of the first times I've seen us get something first. I wish we here in DC/Baltimore were getting the T-mobile 3G bands first (but then again, I'm not sure if there's a T-mobile 3G compatible phone out there that I want anyways). NY can enjoy that for now...

Hmm.. at $50 a month, I'll have to think this through.

My main phone's my T-mobile/N76 phone and I care more about my phone needs out of that (small, ease of texting, etc.). My secondary phone is my Sprint Mogul, my data intensive/PDA phone and that's what I keep handy on my for all my data needs (word documents, internet, etc). Because it's my secondary phone, I don't make too many calls on it and stick to using it for mainly non-personal needs (I have an insanely cheap plan back from the old days so that's why I can keep the 2nd phone around).

I would love if Sprint had a larger, Nokia portable like tablet w/ phone functionality too. It'd be really ideal for those like me, and I think more and more people are starting to carry 2 phones. If I Got something like the Nokia WiMAX tablet as it is, that would mean I'm keeping 3 gadgets on me at all times and that's just too much.

As fast as this would be, I doubt this could replace my FIOS at home which I Believe is either 15mbps down or maybe even higher (I pay $50 a month for it). So I don't think I'll be replacing that anytime soon.

Thanks for taking the time for the feedback marlboro - you see my thoughts above on Sprint as a company? After writing it, I thought what the heck, and just fired off an email to [e-mail] with a summary of thoughts. Let's see if he or at least someone else with some say reads it and agrees. The cell phone industry's always been a passion of mine. I'm working in IT and also on my MBA so maybe one day I'll have an opportunity to get more involved with cell phones.