XOHM WiMAX from Sprint Dropping Next Month; No, Really
Beyond being Aubrey Huff’s favorite town in the world, Baltimore will another claim to fame beginning next month. If all goes according to plan it looks like Sprint will stay true to its recent claim as it prepares to unleash its long anticipated XOHM service next month. Sprint has named Baltimore as the preliminary launch point while Chicago and Washington DC shouldn’t be far behind with launches sometime in Q4 2008. Mmm, 4G. We know what you’re thinking, “boy who cried wolf”. Still, we can’t fault Sprint entirely for the delays as you well know. Seeing as Location-based Services (LBS) are all the rage these days and considering that we’ve all been waiting for WiMAX for quite some time now, Sprint is shifting the focus a bit as it attempts to build anticipation once again.
With Internet access you could go to each vendor now as a separate interaction; but with XOHM, the services are aggregated into a service package that correlates them due to the intelligence in the network; for example, plotting friend locations on a map, identifying a restaurant or entertainment venue from local search, and sharing plans to convene with the benefit of weather, traffic or ticket-purchase convenience.
Beyond the Nokia N810 that has been eagerly awaiting some WiMAX love for a while now, Sprint is working with a number of manufacturers on devices ranging from laptop cards to handhelds and other portable devices. Pricing has still not been announced but Sprint spokesperson John Polivka did have this to say:
XOHM subscribers arrange a subscription, not a contract, and open an account … then go to a portal which contains the bundled WiMAX services/applications. A new WiMAX-capable device is needed.
There will be day passes, home and away plans, and the ability to have multiple devices under one agreement, versus the telecom model where each device is a separate contract.
Glad to see this on BGR 1st
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I’ll believe it when I see it…
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Sprint is stupid if they think this is the 4G answer. Almost every other carrier in the world, including the biggest CDMA player in the US, Verizon, have selected LTE for 4G mobile data. WiMax is great for a fixed mobile data solution, i.e., for houses in the countryside, but it is not the answer for mobile data. Even in Korea, where it is fairly widely deployed as WiBro, it has not taken off.
T-Mobile really needs to follow through and buy Sprint, shut off the iDen network, and use the PCS/AWS spectrum to put up GSM/HSPA. Put this horse out of its misery.
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And yet the customer service will still be the worst in the business.
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I have Sprint and I personally have no problems with it. If anything I actually get better signal from it since with other services (AT&T and Verizon come to mind) I had to be almost right next to the window to be able to even call or talk to anyone. With Sprint, I can be in the middle of the house and still be able to talk without any problems.
@PRPS: How will T-Mobile buy Sprint out? T-Mobile is GSM while Sprint is CDMA. To be able to do that T-Mobile would have to somehow manage both types of communication and decide on which to choose for following phones.
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With service in major cities, if they get it Philadelphia, NYC & Miami it would be interesting to pick up as an alternative to broadband.
Like I’m in Chicago right now and the hotel I am at wants $9.95 a day for internet. For DSL speed and wifi. Obviously a rip-off so I am using my aircard which is an AT&T Option GT Express Ultra.
Speed isn’t very good. I never thought 3G was fast, I’m too impatient. I don’t really like Sprint - but if they have coverage inside the major cities I frequent, its good to pick up a device.
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Wimax took off pretty well in India.
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Sprint’s stupid?
They’ll have a Wimax 4G data network deployed in major cities this year and most of the country covered in the next two years. LTE is still years away and knowing ATT and Verizon they’ll take the thing and strangle it to death and then put a cap on use.
Wimax can be used as a built in 4g data option in a number of products unlike LTE.
Matter of fact Xohm just signed a bunch of deals with electronic manufacturers to add Wimax chips in their products.
If Sprint can pull this off and I don’t see any reason they can’t then every telco and
wireless provider better get those Depends ready because Sprint is about to become the
800 lb. gorilla on the block.
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i like turtles…..
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We’re mixing apples and oranges here. There’s WiMax the technology and then there’s Sprint’s business strategy. At the end of the day, most consumers (once we get beyond the geek crowd) shouldn’t care what technology or brand is powering their high speed wireless, but Sprint’s strategy of telling folks to take your Internet connectivity with you under one plan may resonate.
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Everyone assumptes LTE success merely on the back of major telco support. Conveniently left off the map are cable co’s who are not going to sit idly by and watch their markets erode. Comcast is already proposing in-home femtocell deployment for voice and other friendly interactive consumer services. Additionally, Sprint will divest itself of its XOHM unit with all spectrum over to Clearwire (pending FCC approval) where it is partnering with Google, Comcast, Time Warner & Intel to rollout a national WiMax network over the coming years.
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Off the subject, engadgetmobile has 2 articles in the last day about the Diamond and Pro. They don’t have anything about XOHM though
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wimax is reaching Africa and Asia and the geeks in the USA still looking if wimax is good or not. you bet if my employee can work remote and in the move i don’t need a big office and i don’t need no ATT or Verizon to tell me what better for my business . America weakup we loosing ground because of the abuse of the ATT And VODA verizon .if you can make a decision see how’s behind xohm intel Google and comcast dishnetwork and direct TV they better find another way to sell because with xohm comcast and bright house will reach everyone in the usa no more satilte advantage . ATT crying to the FCC will not keep your customer waiting for LTE
we will see a new breed of business and a new customer behavior after Xohm . and that what the change America is looking for.
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Bizertown, it took a while to comprehend but by context I finally pay your point. Well intended
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I meant “got” your point
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Come on BGR, bring on the news that Sprint will have the Diamond in the U.S. 1st
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Xohm is not doing anything in some markets that it promised. Like south Florida! I thought SPRINT/Clearwire/ Xohm was coming? Someone said Towerstream was here, but I have not seen anyone else’s licensed WiMAX in the air but SLING.That said though, With the FCC allocating the 3.65GHz - 3.7GHz to WiMAX, I have noticed that only a few players are actually taking advantage of the spectrum, deploying gear, and putting in WiMAX footprint. I mean, there are over 200 FCC nationally licensed organizations! SLING Broadband in south Florida is doing something about it. Working with Airspan, Proxim, and even looking at Alvarion and RedLine equipment as well for “D” and “E”. These guys are leaving no stone left unturned man. Here is there url http://www.slingbroadband.com
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GO look at http://www.xohm.com. Need I say anymore?
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