A little URL hacking by
Engadget fan Leo, has revealed Sprint's new My Xohm site and loads of service information. The site is clearly in a preparatory state with plenty of dead links and Latin dummy-text holding the pre-launch site format together. Nevertheless, there is quite a bit of detail here, some of which is certainly more than just idle filler. For example, based on the current text, we can expect the following at service launch in September:
- Nokia's N810 WiMAX Edition -- looks like a lock based on the liberal use of its image (above) across the pages.
- XOHM USB (ZTE's TU25) modem.
- XOHM Express Card (Samsung's SWC-E100) modem with optional PCMCIA adapter.
- XOHM Modem (ZyXel's MAX-206M2) Ethernet hub / router with optional 4-hour battery -- unfortunately, XOHM will not offer static IP addresses at this time.
- The XOHM portal (whatever that is) supports both Windows and OS X. However, the modems listed above and Sprint's XOHM Connection Manager software are PC-only, sorry Mac owners.
Unfortunately, we can't find any specific pricing information but the site does tell us that access will be sold by the day or by the month without binding contracts or cancellation fees. It also promises speeds between 2-4Mbps for downloads and 1-3Mbps for uploads. Not sure that's worth the move to Baltimore but it's certainly given us cause to pause at the thought. See the modems pictured after the break.
[Thanks, Leo S.]
Read -- General Support FAQ
Read -- Pricing and Speed
Read -- My Xohm
Read -- Devices
posted Sep 1st 2008 at 5:04AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
L @ Sep 1st 2008 5:18AM
Nice to see that it is finally coming.
Anyone else surpised that the mentioned transfer rates hardly even compete with HSPA? Wasn't WiMAX supposed to be "4G"?
loosely_coupled @ Sep 1st 2008 6:01AM
well, people always confuse Wimax with MOBILE Wimax, which have completely different performance specifications. But yes, it is generally considered "4G" and it uses the more advanced OFDMA versus W-CDMA/CDMA2000/TDMA.
It's disappointing to see speeds hardly above the Verizon EV-DO 3G card I've had for years. Hopefully when they have this launched in more than a handful of cities it will bring down the prices of Verizon and AT&T broadband cards. Unless the technology can scale in the future with upgrades, I don't see how it will eventually complete with Verizon/AT&Ts "4G" LTE 700mhz networks when they come online in 2010-2011
Aaron Richard @ Sep 1st 2008 5:19AM
Maybe it will even come with Sprint's new, "After 5GB we terminate your service and charge you $200" policy! Now with 3Mbps speeds, you can go through your entire month's bandwidth allocation in less than 4 hours! Sign up now for the low price of something completely ridiculous!
Vcize @ Sep 1st 2008 2:29PM
Huh? I thought that of all the cell companies, Spring was the most lenient about enforcing this kind of stuff (with Verizon being the most strict)?
Has this changed lately? I use the sh*t outta my sprint data network with streaming, etc, and have never had a word said to me about.
Vcize @ Sep 1st 2008 2:29PM
Sprint*
Aaron Richard @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:15AM
Yes, it's changed. As of July. After going over the 5GB limit for two months in a row, you will be terminated and charged a $200 ETF. Since it's over 30 days since the new ToS took effect, you can no longer cancel your plan without paying the $200 ETF. There is a note on your bill about all of this. If you recieve an electronic bill, then you've probably been notified and didn't even realize it. If you haven't been paying attention, but know that you go over 5GB/mo, then expect to get cut off at the end of this month.
Aaron Richard @ Sep 1st 2008 5:20AM
Maybe it will even come with Sprint's new, "After 5GB we terminate your service and charge you $200" policy! Now with 3Mbps speeds, you can go through your entire month's bandwidth allocation in less than 4 hours! Sign up now for the low price of something completely ridiculous!
neodorian @ Sep 23rd 2008 7:48PM
That is odd because I regularly go over 5gb. My current usage is over 9gb as of today and I have no $200 charge or termination notice. This is straight-up FUD.
Russell @ Sep 1st 2008 5:25AM
barely faster than evdo rev.a ?
what gives?
kevinm @ Sep 1st 2008 5:45AM
Barely? It's about twice as fast. EVDO rev A is up to 1.4 Mbps down and 800 Kbps up.
jindc248 @ Sep 1st 2008 5:34AM
Change Password
Pumping_Iron @ Sep 1st 2008 6:27AM
no support for linux ????
JerkfacedFed @ Sep 1st 2008 11:11AM
the nokia n810 runs linux u fool
rita hainsworth @ Sep 1st 2008 6:33AM
And since their customer service reps are so smart I cant wait to call about a problem with this device.
contreras @ Sep 1st 2008 6:40AM
WiMAX has a good chance to be included as an accepted standard in 4G specification in the future. However, WiMAX is not 4G yet. And with these services specifications, It won't be. It still needs to evolve, and hopefully get some compatibility with other networks. As far as I know, you can't do a handover to any network.
MC7447A @ Sep 1st 2008 8:12AM
Face it, after years of hype, WiMAX is completely DOA. It's barely faster than the current HSPA or EDVO, and by the time both speeds and coverage have improved sufficiently it's competing against LTE, which have all the telco's behind it.
I don't get where all the hype came from anyway. I guess people were thinking that it would combine the high bandwidth and DIY access point with no recurring fees from Wifi with the long range and ubiquitousness of the cell phone 3G / EDVO standards. But it was always going to be either one or the other. And since WiMAX on unlicensed spectrum is even deader than whatever Sprint has been cooking in the past years, it's only going up against the cell phone standards.
And squarely going to lose. The speed is not much higher (if at all). The coverage is far lower. The only thing that may save them at this point is much lower montly fees. Which, mark my words, is not going to happen,. At this point I bet they'll just try to recover some of their huge investments from early adopters before they cut their losses.
theflew @ Sep 1st 2008 9:26AM
Everyone keeps saying this is just alittle faster than HSPA or EDVO. What you keep missing is how it's accessed. No contracts or long term commitments. Can't do that with any HSPA or EDVO account I know of. Speed can always increase, but what XOHM is doing is a game changer as far as data plans go. It's basically pay as you go, pay when you need it.
Dorville @ Sep 1st 2008 9:35AM
Why you talk that LTE will be better than Wimax, time and real life test is the main ingredient this days. Can you please show me a real test with LTE or devices? (they only show 1 BS and 1 LTE test demo, not real one)
We will going to hear LTE working until 2011, so come on, read more news. Try to look for WImax Rev M, it will double the LTE speeds. (Look for 802.16m)
contreras @ Sep 1st 2008 11:35AM
@theflew
that's called pre-paid data. Exists for many years...
@dorville
LTE is evolution to GSM, UMTS, HSPA. It is standarized to be compatible with them. WiMAX is here but can't co-exist with any other technology. Time to market is good, but can also kill you.
@MC7447A
WiMAX will survive, but I am afraid I am not much more optimistic than you about it.
Vic @ Sep 1st 2008 10:51AM
Sprint's EVDO is ~200kbs to me and att's HSDPA is ~200 also, so how about and waiting to see where WIMAX(and it's backhaul)shakes out to be?
Darkflight @ Sep 1st 2008 12:27PM
One thing to keep in mind, is we are ASSUMING that what we see on those pages are 100% accurate. From what I see, perusing the links and everything in between, is majority of the pages are still work in progress with lots of spaceholder/fill space. With that being said, we assume the prices and figures are correct wheras they could change or be used as 'decoy' information till the actual launch date. A little bit of deception goes a long way in throwing off the competition.
IG @ Sep 1st 2008 3:06PM
I really like the Nokia N810 WiMax. I need an excuse to buy it, and if this network works around my neighborhood, then I will definitely purchase it.
Grey Hodge @ Sep 1st 2008 6:05PM
the N810 WiMax edtion is not only a lock, it comes ready to use with Xohm, and there are even Xohm graphics in the latest edition of the Maemo OS, Diablo. Here's a copy of the image right from the OS. http://burntelectrons.org/img/qgn_conn_operator_logo.png
JerryA @ Sep 1st 2008 7:02PM
Might have to check this out. I live in Baltimore and while I am in the market for internet service at the moment (dumped shitty Comcast) I already get great speeds on EVDO Rev. A and it's only $15/mo unlimited. I use it all the time and have never had any complaints from Sprint so it's a tossup. I guess if the speed is really much faster and it's not too expensive. If the prices are comparable to cable/DSL and I can take it with me, then I may have found a winner.
Matt @ Sep 2nd 2008 1:57AM
WiMax is starting out with 2-4 mbps ... that's real world speed ( Ars technica Chicago boat test).
Sprint can't make it faster quite yet because the backhaul would cost too much. When more people sign up, WiMax will get faster. The ceiling on the tech is supposed to be 70+ Mbps, there's a huge future for it.
Again, Sprint is going to be the first company to say "Our new network gives you 2-4 mbps" for WiMax and actually have that be true 98% of the time.
Unlike the iPhone 3G... *scoff*
MasterCKO @ Sep 2nd 2008 3:16AM
Thank you for showing some intelligence Matt.
Seriously stupid comments.
MasterCKO @ Sep 2nd 2008 3:30AM
I meant that there are some seriously stupid comments in the thread, not that yours is stupid, btw. Sorry if I wasn't clear.
bigazzknocks @ Sep 2nd 2008 7:15PM
omxohmz
bigapples2020 @ Sep 2nd 2008 3:22PM
omxohmz
Knives_Out @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:37PM
baltimore?
.. i thought chicago would be one of the first cities as well
kaimkazeAce @ Sep 11th 2008 1:24AM
What I have been looking for is something stable. I have had Evdo sprint for over 3 years. This thing is not stable. At times the speed slows down to a halt. Sometimes so slow that it needs to be shut down. At my work place it runs fast. Someone told me it was close to a tower but, then, a few days later it slowed down. Latency or no latency. Whatever you want to call it. It is not reliable. I have seen you tube videos about wimax for years. Always dreaming about that perfact fast stable speed. Something that let me see nfl.com games live on the go. I was hoping for wimax to be the answer but now everything is sketchy. It might still be years away.