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Sprint goes live with XOHM WiMAX service in downtown Baltimore
In an apparent effort to make good on its claim of having WiMAX rolling in Baltimore this month, Sprint is reportedly going live with the service in the downtown area today. There's no indication of when it'll spread XOHM throughout Charm City, but we're hearing that prices will start at $10 for a 24-hour unlimited pass and $35 for monthly service. Best of all, there won't be any contracts necessarily attached, and WiMAX-friendly laptop cards will supposedly start at around $45. For any locals able to actually find one of these so-called aircards and hop on this elusive XOHM network today, be sure and let us know how it goes.[Via USAToday]
Sprint and Intel signing up Baltimore-area XOHM testers
Back in June, we heard that Sprint would be going live with its XOHM WiMAX service in Baltimore, um, this month. As of today, it's pretty clear that the service won't be rolled out fully before October dawns, but at least some progress is being made. Based on a survey sent out to select (read: lucky) Baltimore-area residents, it seems that Intel and Sprint are willing to give away free laptops in order to trial the XOHM service in the city. Unfortunately, the lappies won't even be given out until late October, and the trial itself is set to last 30 days, so frankly, we'll be lucky to see XOHM hit the general populace before Santa takes to the friendly skies. Though, why are we not surprised?[Thanks, Anonymous]
XOHM's next stops: Boston, Philly, Dallas
Sprint's XOHM WiMAX network is finally due out this month in the launch market of Baltimore, with Chicago and DC to follow, and the company is already working on the next phase of the rollout, which will bring the high-speed wireless service to Boston, Philadelphia, and Dallas-Fort Worth. Sprint says it's already started installing WiMAX equipment in those three cities and that it's a "month ahead of schedule," but given the delays getting XOHM up and running in Baltimore, we're not exactly certain the "schedule" really matters. Still, it's good to hear that XOHM is growing up -- now launch, already.
Sprint leaks XOHM WiMax service details and devices
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 FAQRead -- Pricing and SpeedRead -- My XohmRead -- Devices
Sprint's XOHM WiMax service launching next month, geobrowsing detailed
Sprint's oft-delayed XOHM service is finally about to go live, ready to launch in Baltimore sometime next month ahead of Chicago and D.C. later this year. We already know about the potential joys of city-wide 4G access, so Sprint is taking this opportunity to talk up "geobrowsing," uLocate-based functionality that enables WiMax surfers to get location-specific info on traffic, events, and weather, provided by third-parties like Google and NAVTEQ. With Sprint offering profit sharing and a free API to partners, expect that list to grow quickly if XOHM takes off. What Sprint is not yet offering are the specific pricing details for consumers, but day passes have been confirmed along with longer-term contracts, all able to extended to include multiple devices if you're suitably endowed.
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]
Sprint and Samsung intro new XOHM PR, no actual service in sight
In a press release today, Sprint and Samsung "declared" that mobile WiMAX technology is "now ready for commercial service." Sounds exciting right? Well, it's kind of like saying that a car is "ready to drive" -- you still can't do much without the keys and a road. Since Sprint has seen recent delays, litigation, and various other forms of badness, this does kind of come off as an empty PR move. Nevertheless, they want to let everyone know that XOHM has "met Sprint's rigorous commercial acceptance criteria including overall performance, handoff performance and handoff delay." Honestly, we hope it gets off the ground soon -- we've got a pile of WiMAX N810's here we need to fire up.
Oh Noes: Sprint delays commercial Xohm WiMax service
It's April, do you know where your WiMax service is? Unfortunately, S.Korea as Sprint backtracks on the planned April launch of its commercial Xohm service in the US. This according to an official company spokesman. Sprint says that the launch has been delayed to "later in the year" which many expect to be as early as summer. Even then we're likely only talking about Chicago, Baltimore, and D.C. areas. Time to start making room for LTE in our sad, jaded hearts.
Hands-on with the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition
Having trouble telling the difference between this and a garden-variety N810? Yeah, don't worry about it -- that's okay, and it's actually by design. We had an opportunity to tool around with Nokia's just-announced N810 WiMAX Edition today, and it stays very true to the original N810's formula, substituting a darker case and keyboard (both of which look very handsome, by the way), and physically, that's about it. The real magic happens deep within this thing's innards, where the addition of a WiMAX radio keeps things speedy when WiFi hotspots are out of reach and Bluetooth tethering to a 3G phone is too much of a hassle. The software necessary to support XOHM activation isn't complete yet, but Nokia's reps tell us that the process of signing up for WiMAX service will be seamless and entirely doable from the N810 itself -- no pesky phone calls or visits to a store necessary. They likened it to purchasing hotel internet service; there'll probably be hourly, daily, or continuous subscriptions available, making it possible to only shell out XOHM coin when the situation demands it. It works just like any other data connection on the device, too, so getting your wide-area broadband on is pretty much as painless as it could possibly be. Check out some shots (including a side-by-side with the original N810) in the gallery!%Gallery-19608%
Everex Cloudbook MAX plays on Sprint's XOHM WiMAX network
Not too long ago, we gave you loyal Cloudbook owners a chance to voice your opinion on how you'd change things. Fast forward a few weeks, and take a gander at what Everex has put together. Debuting today at CTIA 2008, the Cloudbook MAX not only boasts an 8.9-inch WVGA (1,024 x 600) display, Windows Vista, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated GPS receiver, 2-megapixel webcam and a battery good for four hours, but it also features an 80GB HDD, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, audio in / out and an S-Video output. Beyond all that, this thing gets energized by a 1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV processor coupled with the VX800 digital media IGP chipset, which touts full DirectX 9 support and video acceleration for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, VC1 and DivX video formats (plus a VMR-capable HD video processor, among other things). Lastly, the unit includes built-in support for Sprint's XOHM WiMAX network. Brimming with excitement yet? Start stocking that piggy bank -- this currently unpriced rig will be available in the latter half of this year across North America. Check out the gallery over on Classic! Read - VIA and Everex demonstrate Cloudbook MAX at CTIARead - VIA VX800 Series Chipset Update: Looks like availability is now set for Q1 - Q2 2009. Thanks, Taylor!
Comcast, Time Warner, Sprint, and Clearwire could join forces on WiMAX, help from Google and Intel possible
As unlikely as this sounds, rivals Time Warner Cable and Comcast are apparently in talks with Sprint and Clearwire over establishing a nationwide WiMAX network. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the companies are scrambling to get a deal wrapped up by CTIA -- which takes place at the beginning of April -- and could see an influx of cash from both Google and Intel in excess of $1 billion. It seems the odd-couple partners are keen to cut into heavyweights Verizon and AT&T's ever-expanding range of at-home and mobile services by offering their own take on a high-speed data and voice system to consumers. Clearly this combination would deflate AT&T and Verizon's big FCC bandwidth-nabs a little (and it explains why the cable players weren't interested in the 700MHz auction), but it's questionable whether this rag-tag team of wild card players would seriously court the public's eye. They say America loves an underdog -- even if it's a gigantic, super-rich, corporate underdog.[Via mocoNews]
Nokia N810 with WiMAX set to launch at CTIA on April 1st?
Remember the rumor we saw floating about a few weeks ago about a Nokia N810 refresh? Well, the lads at The Boy Genius Report are reporting -- on a rumor mind you -- that Nokia is set to launch its N810 refresh with WiMAX at CTIA in April this year. Interestingly, the name will remain the same, and not be labeled the Nokia N830 as we'd first thought. Yeah, it's only a rumor at this point, but we're thinking that giving this radio-less internet appliance a bit more reach is nothing but a good thing.
Sprint to launch dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX devices this year?
Assuming Sprint can make it -- and that's starting to seem like kind of a big if these days -- CEO Dan Hesse made some comments about the coming 4G revolution, including one auspicious hint about dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX devices this later year for XOHM. It's almost an exciting enough concept for us to forget that even if these devices were forthcoming in 2008, they'd still only be for one of the soft launch markets, and would probably start as a data cards -- not phones. But hey, we're happy to be proven wrong, Sprint.
Sprint's April WiMAX soft-launch on track, full-scale deployment at risk
Ready for untethered 3Mbps to 5Mbps downloads and 1Mbps to 1.5Mbps upload speeds while on the go? Us too, especially our Chicago-based brethren waiting for Sprint to properly soft-launch their Xohm service onto the nation. Backed by 50 or so WiMax exhibits with product on display at Mobile World Congress, Sprint's VP for technology development, Ali Tabassi, assured us that April would indeed see the fledgling Xohm service soft launch into Chicago, Baltimore, and the DC areas. However, he conceded that the billions required to reach the goal of 100 million subscribers by year end have not been approved. Sprint will at least cooperate with Clearwire -- a former Xohm partner -- on roaming agreements so that the two don't duplicate coverage. Come on Sprint, we know it's been tough for you lately as you bleed subscribers (and profits). But if you build it, we will come back.
Xohm on track for April launch with up to 10 devices, nation mops brow
Sprint's CTO, Barry West, is working hard to alleviate concerns that their mobile WiMax service plans might be in jeopardy. Speaking on a WiMax panel here at CES, West said that things are on track for a commercial launch of their Xohm service in April in the Baltimore, Washington, DC and Chicago markets. At that time, up to 10 WiMax devices should be ready to roll which, if our Xohm booth tour is any indication, would include a WiMax-enabled Samsung Q1 UMPC, Nokia N800, and Eee PC among a few laptop and desktop modems. The service will sell for "reasonable rates" with plans to cover daily, weekly, monthly, or longer commitments. Devices like WiMax-enabled cameras could be sold with the service price baked in according to West. A 1-week disposable camera we imagine. However, unlike cellular services, Sprint has no plans to subsidize WiMax devices. While none of this is new, we're definitely relieved to hear it again.
Xohm's CES 2008 booth tour
Xohmigod, it's the Xohm booth at CES 2008! The booth itself was pretty small and unremarkable, but cut these guys some slack, they haven't even had a commercial launch yet. There were a handful of test devices on display with Xohm modems integrated, including a trick little gaming device with a slide-out control pad, an ASUS Eee, an OQO Model 02, and a couple of data cards. Xohm's open structure allows for all sorts of bizarre, independent devices to hook up to the network, so with any luck, this is exactly the kind of variety we should see after the launch gets official.%Gallery-13163%
WiMAX-enabled Eee PC demoed on Sprint's XOHM network, more details revealed
That, friends, is the WiMAX-enabled Eee PC, showcased today on Sprint's XOHM network (as was the OQO model 02). No word on a price just yet, but it sounds like it will see production with "an attractive MSRP." Also of note, ASUS is planning to dish out 7-, 8-, and 8.9-inch models (not necessarily WiMAX-enabled, mind you) in Q2 in a variety of colors, but it seems we'll be playing wait-and-see regarding the all important price / specifications bit.
OQO shown off with WiMAX for Sprint XOHM network
We knew the OQO model 02 was hanging around at CES playing on Sprint's (demo) XOHM network, but we were finally able to hunt the unit down and snag a pic of the interface. Now, if only we could pick one of these up sometime soon...
Live from the Intel / Sprint / Asus XOHM WiMax press event
1:59PM PST - Here we are at the XOHM press event, being jointly held by Intel, Asus, and of course, Sprint. We're expecting to hear about some specific deployment plans, and hopefully learn about some devices that will run on Sprint's 4G network. Stay tuned for all the details once this latest presser gets started.2.01PM - Chairman of ASUS, Jonney Shih takes the stage. Invites us to join a new world of mobile internet. As usual, going through the company's accomplishments and sales figures; takeaway: ASUS is pretty happy with its international standing. They plan to be one of the top 5 notebook manufacturers in 3 years, and the top three by 2013.Keep reading after the break for the rest of the action.
OQO demonstrates first UMPC with WiMAX for Sprint XOHM network
OQO demonstrated the first UMPC with embedded Sprint XOHM WiMAX here at CES today and while not earth shattering -- as WiMAX isn't a brand spanking new baby -- it's nice to see the tech trickle into more portable devices. Of course, don't expect to be able to pop out and pick up an OQO model 02 with WiMAX in the near as the press fluff only states it may be available in specific markets at some point in the future -- apparently they're big on vague. Well done OQO and Sprint, have at it.
