The
XOHM label may be gone, but the potency of Sprint's
WiMAX network is still kickin'
in and around Baltimore. For those itching for wicked fast mobile broadband outside of The Charm City, Sprint has just unveiled a slew of expansion areas that'll get gifted in 2009 and 2010. As for the rest of this year, folks in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle can expect Sprint 4G rollouts, while residents of Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. can be on the lookout in 2010. In related news, the carrier is also taking this opportunity to reveal that it has "several new 4G devices planned for 2009 and 2010, including a single-mode 4G data card, embedded laptops, a small-office-home-office broadband modem and a tri-mode phone." Lovely.
posted Mar 25th 2009 11:49AM
no minneapolis?
Let me get this straight, Sprint, based in Overland Park Kansas,m a suburb of Kansas City, doesn't have Kansas City on the roadmap for the next 2 years for their newest service? I guess they are looking for government bailout funds...
Kansas City isn't has big a market at the others. And market sized isn't necessarily based on population. It's more likely based on potential business users (which is much higher than personal use WiMAX will be).
Ok, so can they come out with a 4G handset already
@kjb434
While I agree with you, I really wonder why they didn't at least use it as a test site. They have how many people in the area that they could give the hardware and get a lot of feedback on the service from their employees. Hell they basically give it away to employees so why not have them test the latest thing. I know a few people that work there that use laptop connect cards all the time, why not give them some 4G love and report back to their employer.
My thoughts exactly. Sprint has always been very kind to the Kansas City metro and Kansas as a whole! Just take a look at the coverage map, Kansas is probably one of the only places in America you can be just about anywhere and get Native Sprint 3G speeds. Because of that, I would imagine there is quite a few Sprint subs in Kansas and the KC area. And by living in Kansas, I can back that claim up with the number of people I see with Sprint phones. However, this is kinda a dick move, I mean, I expected it to be in KC from the very start, and then normally Topeka and Wichita get upgrades not long after. Its how it was for 3G. Very disappointing indeed.
I'm pretty sure chicago was supposed to get this like 5 years ago already...
Are they going anywhere with this ?
Wireless broadband will connect rural customers to the 'net? Hardly. I live in rural Missouri and have a hard time believing that any carrier will care to deploy a 4G (or even 3G) network to rurual communities. The cost is just too high in exchange for the modest number of subscribers which a carrier could pick up by doing so. Also, unless carriers move to remove download caps, the point of a 5GB/month wireless internet connection is limited. You can browse, but don't even think about becoming a light/moderate streamer.
On the other hand, an enterprising radio tower manager has managed to install wireless radios around the area and provides a very reasonable 1.5Mb connection for
Uhhh...you should provide a character counter if you're going to cut of comments mid-sentence...poor form Engadget.
Finally something Hawaii can get first.
hell yeah, PHILLY! now thats some brotherly love right there
why would i get this when i get 5.3 mbps for $20 on att dsl????why ?i do online gaming with 2 xbox, 1 ps3 n wii. PLus use wifi for my 3 laptops n wifi for 4 iphones. give me a reason to switch to this........exactly ,silenced all..
Wimax is wireless, you can leave your house with it. Your dsl is not, your wifi is not going to reach far away. If you want home broadband only and have something better available, this isn't for you.
hay shank, you comment like you golf. this is MOBILE broadband. Not the crappy dsl you have in your house.
This is more targeted to the average business user who is mobile, hence the term "mobile broadband". It isnt targeted for the sit on his ass and do nothing gamer who has a steady home internet connection.
Shank,
How is it that you are getting 5.3 MBPS from ATT.net for just $20 per month? I just joined them & am getting 6 MBPS for $35 per month, which supposedly is the fastest they offer right now. They also told me that for $20 a month the download speed is 768 KBPS, for $25 a month it is 1.5 MBPS, & for $30 it's 3 MBPS. That's why I'm wondering how you managed to get 5.3 MBPS for $20?
They have WiMax booths at just about every mall in the Baltimore Area....All you have to do is buy the Data Cards and they have a another one that Is Like the Airwave But its Designed for Wimax. The Coverage In Baltimore is Blazin Fast....Especially in the Inner Harbor, Camden Yards/Ravens Stadium area..theres some areas in the city where lets just say.."You wouldnt sit around with a laptop" where the signal isnt as strong but overall its Great. Originally D.C was supposed to get it by now considering theyre 45 min down the Highway but i guess later this year....
Im intrested in the Tri-Mode Devices tho... but ill be getting a 3G/4G Card for my laptop so ill have access in cities that do and Dont have WiMax yet
At&T DSL? Sucks for you.....Verizons Maybe. Your Wireless Signal wouldnt go past your Mailbox. With Wimax u can use your laptop with a WiMax Card anywhere in the City and Get Access. Otherwise your Prayin and hopin you get 3G Signal with At&t on that IPhone......"More Bars in Less Places"
FYI, DSL is not wireless, it uses your phone's landline.
FYI.......Most people use Wireless Routers or their DSL Router from the Provider has Wireless Capability....No shit it uses the Landline.
Why no love for LA Sprint?
It's not enough that you manage to regularly drop my calls in one of the most populated and skyscraper free metropolitan areas of the states - now you have to deny me 4G? Damn you.
i feel the same way Drew you would have though LA would have been one of the major cities to get this if it wasn't for the crap 5gb limit i would be interested in this but if your goin to offer something like this i'd like to replace my roadrunner and have a portable solution for my carputer with no limit on downloads that 5gb limit could be ate up pretty fast
Sticking with carrier pigeon for my messaging - It is a constant, cheaper and can't mislead me with promises of performance.
test
I'm all for Sprint increasing data speed but I think I'd like them to add better data phones first (especially since Los Angeles isn't mentioned for 4G - if only I lived in a big city).
Why can't Sprint add phones like the Toshiba TG01 to the line up of all those antiquated HTC phones they throw at us?
I'd like something nice and slim like the Toshiba TG01 with a huge screen like the TG01 - http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/17/toshiba-tg01-hands-on-and-video-walkthrough/
Best of all since it isn't made by HTC - it probably doesn't have the hummingbird 19 minute battery life
The BT on it probably works at least as well as free phones (better than the Bluetooth on HTC phones)
It might actually get firmware updates in a timely manner instead of getting hacked ones cobbled together by people desperate to make a usable one since HTC and Sprint can't provide one.
It is half the thickness of the bricks laid by HTC
Portland OR, already has WiMax. In fact, I'm using it right now! Works great pretty much everywhere I've tried to use it. Downtown, West Hills even out in Hillsboro.
Any transfer limits?
what kind of pricing and speeds are available?
My Sprint contract ends in 2010 and they are now going to pull me back in? They better have a good phone this time or I am walking..
About time Seattle got some WiMAX love. I'm really looking forward to this for my netbook.
Seattle has had a WIMAX network since early 2005.
Speakeasy launched one of the worlds first wimax nextwork using the top of the Spaceneedle as the antenna mount. We also were one of the early markets for Clearwire (since renamed Clear). I don't understand why Seattle is listed as part of the expansion, we already have it (under an older name)
No Kansas City? FAIL! (Ok, ok, I'm just bitter.)
but just kno we here in Bodymore was first nigga, and...
"Ima go harder then Baltimore"
Sweet! When is Sprint going GSM? Heard rumors of it...
if sprint will offer the same pkg as xohn...$50 for two modems (one for home, one for laptop). I will cancel my 3mbps att dsl and 3g service.