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Sprint WiMax: $55, Open Access?
Sprint makes vague pledge to avoid walled gardens...
When Sprint launches their WiMax service in Chicago and DC sometime in early 2008, users should see speeds somewhere around 2-4Mbps for an estimated $55, company executives guessed recently. What's more, it looks like the company will be embracing an open access model -- as in they will treat the connections like home broadband lines. They won't limit your content options with the walled gardens and other restrictions you see with some cellular carriers. There's some hemming and hawing here. Sprint apparently hasn't decided whether to start with an open network or open the network up gradually.
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creativedog
Premium Member
join:2000-12-03
Richmond, VA

creativedog

Premium Member

#1

This is going to be awesome....Sprint will continue to lead the way in Mobile Broadband!

justmesqui
Just-
Premium Member
join:2004-05-14
BH9 2RJ

justmesqui

Premium Member

Re: #1

looking good
they better keep it up this way
by them it should be integrated in some laptops wimax though still early days and cheaper wimax cards

this is all good i think

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc to creativedog

to creativedog
Bah. They'll abandon it half deployed like they do everything else they get their fingers on.

They can't even run their PCS network right around here.

creativedog
Premium Member
join:2000-12-03
Richmond, VA

creativedog

Premium Member

Re: #1

said by RadioDoc:

They can't even run their PCS network right around here.
Pretty broad statement.....what "can't they run?" Let me guess, you live in a coverage hole and can't get service, therefore they "can't run their PCS network right."

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

This service could get costly quickly

One subscription could cover multiple devices, so a family could have just one account and add and remove devices, managing their own account. The cost would go up with each added device, he said.
So, if you have a laptop for home use, and a mobile PC/PDA for work and traveling around the city, and the kid has a desktop at home, the costs keep going up. Doesn't sound like a competitor to DSL or Cable for most people. But for salesmen and other business people it may be a better deal than 3G data connections from Verizon and others.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

vauge pledge NOT TO BUY service..

wait until open LINKSYS 802.11n makes sprint wimax obsolete!

plk
Premium Member
join:2002-04-20
united state

plk

Premium Member

Rural areas

Many of us rural folks pay that for far slower service. This has rural potential not to mention someone down the road less then 2 miles from me can not get broadband at all. I sure hope they tap that market to.

Vamp
5c077
Premium Member
join:2003-01-28
MD

1 edit

Vamp

Premium Member

Distance???

Whats the distance on this? doesn't Wimax suppose to go 50+ miles?

I hope so cause I am about 35-40 miles from DC (about 30 miles in a straight line).
dgatewood8
join:2002-08-12
Euless, TX

dgatewood8

Member

Re: Distance???

roughly 30 miles, but I would say less than that.. Probably 20-25 miles for most reliable service.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc to Vamp

to Vamp
No. Unless you are a couple thousand feet in the air, line of site is much less than 50 miles. More like 5-10 miles for antennas under 100 feet and that would be under ideal conditions.
ignatiuskc
join:2006-02-13
00000

ignatiuskc

Member

wimax

Fixed WiMax might be able to do 10-30 miles but mobile WiMax will do about 6 miles in real world. Far better than 300' on WiFi and better performing than EVDO.

I'd rather have true mobile data 2-4Mbps at $50/month available metrowide and anywhere I travel than 50Mbps wired cable/FIOS at same price.

Rural fixed should also be great. Sounds like Sprint will focus on population centers while Clearwire will focus mostly on rural. They are expected to roam on each other eventually.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88

Member

Re: wimax

said by ignatiuskc:

Fixed WiMax might be able to do 10-30 miles but mobile WiMax will do about 6 miles in real world. Far better than 300' on WiFi and better performing than EVDO.

I'd rather have true mobile data 2-4Mbps at $50/month available metrowide and anywhere I travel than 50Mbps wired cable/FIOS at same price.

Rural fixed should also be great. Sounds like Sprint will focus on population centers while Clearwire will focus mostly on rural. They are expected to roam on each other eventually.
Sprint only concentrates on urban/high population areas, the exact areas that have broadband already. Clearwire has a very long way to go, where is it anywhere in the Northeast?

Michieru2
zzz zzz zzz
Premium Member
join:2005-01-28
Miami, FL

Michieru2

Premium Member

!

Bah I am sick of assumptions, I will just wait and see what happens with this.

JT
@citicorp.com

JT

Anon

Re: !

real world will be cell tower range because how is one tower gonna handle the amount of users in a 30 mile radius? more like 1-2 miles for practical purposes, probably even less in cities. you will only see 10 miles or greater out in farm country

SubMd
@acterna.com

SubMd

Anon

Sounds Good

I live in Suburban MD just outside of DC and I hope Sprint can get the signal here. I can not get DSL, lines not good enough, FIOS will be here in another 3-5 years! My only option on Comcast for $60/month just for broadband. So the Sprint option is a few bucks cheaper and should bring some competition so that maybe Comcast will lower their costs, either way it should be better for me. Bring it on, then I can finally get rid of dialup.

Sprint_broadband
@spcsdns.net

Sprint_broadband

Anon

Sprint broadband

I have Sprint’s current mobile broadband solution (EVDO rev-a) and the average speed is 1.5MB/400k and I can take it with me wherever I go. I went with Sprint because they treat it like broadband, unlike some others who cancel you after so much use or as the article mentions limit you to say web browsing only.

The only bad point is the latency is about 140MS to the gateway. I dropped my DSL line and just have Sprint now. I can’t wait for them to roll out Wimax, which should bring higher speeds and lower latency.