"First" US WiMAX deployment goes live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Bet you didn't see this one coming. With everyone's eyes fixed firmly on Sprint's supposedly forthcoming US WiMAX deployment in Baltimore, Chicago and Washington, DC, DigitalBridge Communications has snuck in to steal a little of the spotlight. As we speak, America's "first" (um, really?) mobile WiMAX deployment has gone live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming courtesy of Alvarion's BreezeMAX gear. The firms are hoping that high-brow tourists that come to tackle the black diamonds of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will also bring their WiMAX-enabled device and / or WiMAX card to send enviable photos back home, but only time will tell if folks find value in the offering. DBC is expected to expand the network's reach in the area (which currently hits 3,000 homes and businesses), and then "add mobile capabilities throughout its 200,000-household footprint."

[Image courtesy of TerryDreams]

[darkstar @ Jul 1st 2008 11:52AM]

ok. this was a total surprise!
never even heard of them

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 1st 2008 11:52AM]

LOL...

[Blackstar @ Jul 1st 2008 3:41PM]

So, does this mean we have to stop them so SkyNet can't take over their network in the future?

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 1st 2008 7:18PM]

@blackstar,

oddly enough, I have internet access via a long-range fixed wireless connection, and the company is actually named "SkyNet". lol.


On a different note, the title of this article is misleading. It should say first MOBILE Wimax deployment goes live, seeing as clearwire has been providing regular fixed WiMax service for years in different cities...

[Gingerbread Man @ Jul 1st 2008 11:57AM]

Wow, there must be nothing to do there! "Hey Dale! Wanna go over the mountain again? Yeah sure!"

[Hamidxa @ Jul 1st 2008 12:37PM]

:D

[OneLove @ Jul 1st 2008 3:12PM]

now they have wimax in the hole

[MaX PL and the 360 r4pe Tr4iN @ Jul 1st 2008 11:58AM]

WTF is Wyoming? lolz.

[Alareth @ Jul 1st 2008 1:18PM]

Wyoming is an old Indian word for "No state here"

[JAmerican @ Jul 1st 2008 12:00PM]

I thought Engadget made a funny but its an actual place.

[TVGenius @ Jul 1st 2008 2:15PM]

Makes more sense to roll out services like that in smaller areas than in large cities. It gives them a smaller footprint to cover, plus they don't have the competition. Where I live, I can't get DSL (in the middle of the city) and cable internet is RIDICULOUS, but I and thousands of others in our city use an indoor wireless modem that has a 20 mile range and works great.

[train @ Jul 1st 2008 12:04PM]

this is like reporting that someone got wifi in their house.

[kjb434 @ Jul 1st 2008 12:09PM]

Possibly one of the best ski areas in the country and next door to Yellowstone National park. This is a tourist mecca.

Some engadget posters may need to get out of the house or office.....

[JerryA @ Jul 1st 2008 2:12PM]

I will be there in a couple of weeks. Doing a trip through CO, into Cheyenne, up into Jackson, and then to Yellowstone. Should be a good vacation.

[kjb434 @ Jul 1st 2008 2:14PM]

Have fun! I did there. And i guess if you have a WiMax device, you can take full advantage of it too!

[haX0r @ Jul 1st 2008 12:13PM]

They should have done like N.Y., S.F. or in L.A.

Another lame move on Sprint's part!

[Teetdogs @ Jul 1st 2008 12:43PM]

you do realize that sprint had nothing to do with this right? Its a local carrier why would a carrier in wyoming care about NY?

[crispy @ Jul 1st 2008 12:44PM]

Sprint didn't do this, DigitalBridge Communications did dumbass.

Read->Comprehend->Post.

[Chad @ Jul 1st 2008 12:14PM]

I suspect it's more of a "last mile" where the telcos fear to tread kind of deployment. We can't get DSL or broadband cable here in Jackson Hole but the kind folk at DigitalBridge Communications have done us a solid and given us high speed wireless. If Sprint were really smart they would be doing the same thing with their WiMax.

[VoIPDoug @ Jul 1st 2008 8:42PM]

Actually Digita Bridge has rolled out the WiMAX d product in Idaho region before Jackson Hole. THier e Nomadic Mobility WiMAX is to be deployes soon, but yes this is a Last mile solution in highly under-served rural areas. the price points are good. The Cable MSO's or RBOC's in these areas have in many instances chose not to deploy Broadband Internet in these locale's.

Anyone wanting to know more, ping me.

[Todd @ Jul 1st 2008 12:17PM]

And all 11 people there who have gadgets that support it are really happy - WTFBBQ??1?!

[Chris Macdonald @ Jul 1st 2008 12:38PM]

why bbq??

[Ken @ Jul 1st 2008 2:41PM]

welcome to the internet

[Zach @ Jul 1st 2008 2:48PM]

because it's tasty.

[retro77 @ Jul 1st 2008 12:19PM]

Good for Wyoming!!

[jasonwoerly @ Jul 1st 2008 12:19PM]

You guys have obviously never been to Jackson, Wyoming. It's one of the most beautiful and affluent (average home price is well over $1million) places in the country to live. Nothing to do? Jackson Hole is one of the top ski resorts in North America and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks are at their doorstep where around 3 million people a year visit.

[dustandechoes91 @ Jul 1st 2008 1:16PM]

harrison ford and dick cheney live there too

[mapi @ Jul 1st 2008 3:07PM]

They don't actually live in Jackson, they just own vacation homes there. Tiger Woods, too.

[teej @ Jul 1st 2008 3:36PM]

dick cheney lives there...

he probably brings a gun w/ him to the slopes. you never know when he feels like shooting someone in the face.

[Gingerbread Man @ Jul 1st 2008 12:22PM]

No one is denying it's not a beautiful place but, just very small. Im down in Miami and if I was going skiing I would sooner go to Colorado then Jackson Hole, Wyoming or Big Sky, Montana etc. Again that's all preference but you know how it goes....opinions are like @$$holes and everyone walks around thinking theirs doesnt stink.

@ Chad: Good for you guys! No more dial up I suppose.

[ethan @ Jul 1st 2008 2:58PM]

you probably wouldn't go to Jackson Hole cause you're poor.

[Mr. Fax Sender @ Jul 1st 2008 12:25PM]

Mountain folk and their Wi-fi.

[DerekKramer @ Jul 1st 2008 12:28PM]

Hey we're getting it in south dakota too.

[Brian @ Jul 1st 2008 12:28PM]

I wonder which Sprint exec has their lodge there... :->

[Glancing Aft @ Jul 1st 2008 12:35PM]

One more reason for me to want to move there....

That and it having the best ski area EVER

[fashionista @ Jul 1st 2008 12:36PM]

Wow, this makes no sense. Does Jackson Hole even have full time residents?

[onebluehaze @ Jul 1st 2008 12:39PM]

The First? Juneau Alaska has had WiMAX for almost a year now via AT&T. Alaska gets some of the faster wireless technologies sooner than you lower 48 people :P We were one of the first to have EVDO too, about 4 years ago.

[onebluehaze @ Jul 1st 2008 12:44PM]

http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/ATT-WiMax-in-Alaska-86403

[bdewong @ Jul 1st 2008 1:17PM]

Hawaii has had WiMax from clearwire as well. Probably about the same timeframe.

[waterwagen @ Jul 1st 2008 1:37PM]

Sorry, sometimes we just forget about you guys up there. Sort of like Canada and Puerto Rico, we don't remember you're there till we need fishing guides or rum...or grizzly bears, respectively.

[thedesolate1 @ Jul 1st 2008 3:13PM]

Yeah I know those manly woodsmen living out in a cabin in the middle of the forest are always on the bleeding edge of technology. It makes sense to roll wimax out in Alaska before anywhere else. But I think the oil tycoons are the ones behind it all.

[Dana @ Jul 1st 2008 12:49PM]

An important omission is that the actual ski area, Jackson Hole, is about a 20 minute's drive from the pictured town of Jackson.

[rcappo @ Jul 1st 2008 12:50PM]

Is it free, local business financed WiMax run by a non-profit organization of Linux like tech volunteers who won't sell your data, shape packets, remove anonymity, or monitor traffic? If not, I'll just use my neighbors WiFi that works for the little Internet time I use.

[LloydChiro @ Jul 1st 2008 12:53PM]

That's a nice looking town. It looks like someone built it with SimCity!

[TEG @ Jul 1st 2008 1:09PM]

This is not the first US deployment. WiMAX has been in Seattle since 2004, using the Space Needle as the antenna. Someone needs to do a little research.

[CL @ Jul 1st 2008 1:09PM]

Slightly off topic, but I went there a few years ago (beautiful place, great slopes), I remember the tour guide said Harrison Ford lives in the area and one time (him being an aircraft nut) actually flew his private helicopter to rescue some stranded hikers on the mountain. How bad ass is that! Imagine the shock of the hikers when you see Harrison Ford in the cockpit picking you up, makes you think he's filming Indiana Jones or something.

[Josiah @ Jul 1st 2008 1:10PM]

I've had WiMax in Rexburg, Idaho from the same company since last fall...

[Matt @ Jul 1st 2008 2:49PM]

Yeah, me too. Digital Bridge has WiMax in Twin Falls and Idaho Falls as well. Maybe more. I guess Jackson Hole was just the "first" for places people care about.

[ethan @ Jul 1st 2008 3:05PM]

yeah, but that had NOTHING to do with Sprint. That was just citywide wifi, if I'm not mistaken.

I used to sell phones in Idaho Falls.

[Josiah @ Jul 1st 2008 3:30PM]

No, no - this was genuine 802.16 W-i-M-a-x.

Neither I, nor this article, attributes this WiMax launch to Sprint.

Here's a link to Digital Bridge Communication's list of town's that they administer WiMax to:

http://www.digitalbridgecommunications.com/OurTowns/tabid/69/Default.aspx