"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]

[Arkenklo Posted Jul 2nd 2008 3:11AM]

So what? Here in Sävsjö, Sweden there have been WiMAX available for like a year :S.

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

haha what the shit i just got back from there yesterday-i was mountain biking and kayaking. Kick ass place.

[kastonie Posted Jul 1st 2008 1:21PM]

did you use teh wimax?

[bjsguess Posted Jul 1st 2008 2:12PM]

Jackson Hole is awesome. If you are ripping on the place you obviously haven't been there.

[HumongousBlunt Posted Jul 1st 2008 2:32PM]

You're referring to Janet Jackson, right?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 1:45PM]

first off why, jackson hole.....Aspen, Co would of been much better, Wyoming sucks ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 3rd 2008 8:56PM]

I live in a small town in central Massachusetts....we've had Wimax for a while now provided by Alvarion. Long story short...it pretty much sucks, very slow, not to mention the ginormous poles they set up along the roads to get the antennas up high.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 2:27PM]

This isn't the first deployment, I've been using WiMAX in Pocatello Idaho for 3 months now from DBC. They currently have access in Pocatello, Idaho Falls and are working on setting up their network to connect the cities (about 50 miles).

[HumongousBlunt Posted Jul 1st 2008 2:29PM]

Indians use smoke signals for communication in Wyoming. On a clear day it works far better than WIMAX with less energy consumption.

[creativepart Posted Jul 1st 2008 2:44PM]

I lived in JH (Or Jhole as we liked to call it) from 2000 until 2005. It was a great place to live and full of billionaires and millionaires. You wouldn't believe the folks that live there -- you just don't know it.

Anyway, in 2000 there was very little broadband and over the 5 years it was pushed out all around the area. Cell phone service was lousy due to two reasons... the mountains and 98% of the land there is owned by the US Government (blm, forest service and national parks service mostly) and they don't allow cell towers on Govt land. Not even in the National Parks (Teton and Yellowstone are there).

Only 8,000 live "in town" and 25,000 in Teton Co. But during the Summer months there are 50,000+ in town every day.

This is an unusual thing to happen in JH, that's for sure, but it's great!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 2:55PM]

Lived there for a year, and I still have friends there. One of my friends works for a company that rolls out network solutions for other companies, and were approached by DigitalBridge, and given 2 pcmcia cards to try out the Wi-Max. It's apparently pretty sweet. Sorta wish I was still living there now.

[ethanwc Posted Jul 1st 2008 2:58PM]

I've been to Jackson Hole. It's actually a pocket western city where millionaires and billionaires spend a lot of time. This doesn't surprise me at all. The funniest thing is, I worked for Best Buy in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and we were the closest Best Buy to Jackson Hole. (Two hour drive.)

I hope they enjoy wimax. Rich peoples.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 3:06PM]

Why are they rolling wimax out first in an obscure town in Wyoming instead of a major metropolitan area? Doesn't any1 follow the status quo anymore?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 6:49PM]

Well, I would had understood Sprint doing this - to try to test their network with a small town but Digital Bridge Communications? I don't know how big they are but they are counting on this town to succeed.

I've seen how many companies and experts talk about WiMax as a 3.5G technology and that LTE will be the real 4G. You can read this article on why "LTE will rule but WiMax survives": http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=526&doc_id=150821&f_src=flffour

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 2nd 2008 2:16PM]

Jackson appreciates this technology... we will have to see what our Executive Protection clients think of it! Shepard Humphries

[ntw1103 Posted Jul 1st 2008 4:58PM]

The school I go to has had WiMAX setup and working for a couple months now.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 5:06PM]

This so called "First" time isn't a real first. Unless you're counting the first time the company rolled out WiMAX on any given place.

http://www.wimaxday.net/site/2006/10/25/wimax-launch-in-puerto-rico/
Are you sure it's the first?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 5:12PM]

whats really funny, is I just got out of a meeting with digital bridge since they want to licence part of our spectrum to bring this same service here to Billings Montana, I used this article as an ice breaker... the first time engadget has helped me with my job. thanks engadget.!!!!

[WBonner Posted Jul 1st 2008 7:01PM]

Doesn't Clearwire use WiMaxx? They've been in the seattle area for some time now.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 7:05PM]

Hello from Wyoming. I'm not sure why WiMAX is going into Jackson Hole but the town has the wealthiest popluation of any town in the USA by an extreme margin. With a few thousand residents most are millionaires and a few are billionaires. I bet the average net worth in Beverly Hills isn't in the hundreds of millions ;) Oh, and there are three ski resorts in Jackson Hole. There is one on that hill right next to the town. There is also Jackson Hole ski resort that is within minutes and Grand Targhee which is a bit more of a drive. BTW - last time I went to Jackson Hole my hotel room was $69 a night so you can afford to visit and ski.

[psyclotron Posted Jul 1st 2008 7:54PM]

Brokeback WiFi

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 8:22PM]

It is the first US Mobile WiMAX launched, and not just for testing purposes.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 21st 2008 2:36PM]

If you are in Jackson Hole using WiMax

How is the performance? and What is the price?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2008 4:01PM]

Not Jackson Hole, but pocatello Idaho. I pay $14 a month for 1.5 down and 512kb up. It is quite reliable, and I get between 1-2mbits a second down.