Sprint Xohm: Late April LaunchPer day, week or month payment plans ( old news - 12:51PM Wednesday Jan 09 2008) tags: business · wireless · alternatives · Sprint TelecomSpeaking at a WiMax panel at CES, Sprint CTO Barry West says that the company is on track for their commercial WiMax launch (aka Xohm) at the end of April. The service should offer speeds between 2-4Mbps for around $40, and the company has promised they won't force customers into long-term contracts or charge early termination fees. That said, this also means they won't be subsidizing hardware, but since the network should be device agnostic, that shouldn't matter. Speaking on a WiMax panel at the Consumer Electronics Show, West said Sprint would sell the service at reasonable rates with options including per day, week or month, as well as longer term contracts. But unlike typical phone services, Sprint does not plan to subsidize WiMax devices for customers. "People will be excited about our rates. They won't be ecstatic about them because we're not going to give it away," said West. WiMax service fees could also be included in the purchase price of devices, such as WiMax-enabled cameras. The only Xohm gear Sprint was showing at CES was two modems the company says will be available in April. You can expect a number of devices to be released with a Sprint Xohm marketing angle this Spring, including a new version of the Asus Eee PC with integrated WiMax.
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 xenophon
join:2007-09-17
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Intel Centrino Intel has also announced Centrino chipset with WiMAX/WiFi for laptops. Today you can't buy a laptop w/out WiFi. In another year, if Intel has their way, you won't be able to buy a laptop w/out WiMAX/WiFi.
BTW, the $40/month is just an option. You could apparently also buy hourly/daily/weekly access. | |
| 
S_engineer
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL
| Sure.. More WiMax deployment news.....
"the company has promised they won't force customers into long-term contracts or charge early termination fees."
they'll justv cancel you if you call to complain about it!
Not your fathers Sprint 
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Let's pluck 'im and see if he's ripe!"
- Larry (MEN IN BLACK, 1934) | |
|  | xenophon
join:2007-09-17 | Re: Sure.. Sounds like they'll be operationally autonomous from Sprint. Seems that they are developing their own customer support and billing, Sprint's two weaknesses. | |
| | | | | | | xenophon
join:2007-09-17 | Re: Sure.. They are pretty much planning to do that with WiMAX. They plan to sell WiMAX laptop cards, but that's it. OTOH, they apparently don't plan to just be a dumb pipe. | |
| 
TuPaK
join:2002-07-21
San Gabriel, CA
edit:
January 9th, @01:07PM
| Intel WiMax chips.. We can expect an integrated wifi/wimax chipset to be available by early summer but Sprint needs to get their network up asap :P | |
| 
a333
A hot cup of integrals please
join:2007-06-12
Corona, NY
 ·Verizon Online DSL
edit:
January 9th, @01:08PM
| Sweet sweeeeeeeeet......
finally, Sprint is set to iPawn apple and AT&T's failed 3G strategy. Why do I say so? Just look at AT&T's existing HSDPA network! people barely are pushing the 1 Mbit barrier, and coverage is spotty at best. On the Sprint EVDO side of things, people are ALREADY seeing 1.5Mbit+ speeds, sometimes even pushing the 2 Mbit mark, with coverage pretty reaching into the remotest boondocks. Unless AT&T somehow gets their act together, people WILL vote with their wallets, and favor an open network.
I understand that a lot of ppl will argue that GSM is a worldwide standard, but it doesn't make a difference, if the biggest GSM provider in the US has a crapass network that can barely deliver 1 Mbit speeds.
Way to go Sprint!!
a333 | |
| | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Re: Sweet The GSM/LTE path will mostly be focused on carrier based services. WiMAX will attract any kind of consumer electronics device since it doesn't require carrier involvement, just IEEE standards. In most cases, electronics makers just need to drop in a WiMAX chip just as they drop in a WiFi chip today. Not that simple with LTE.
I could see PSP and Nintendo DS with WiMAX down the road, not LTE. | |
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a333
A hot cup of integrals please
join:2007-06-12
Corona, NY | Re: Sweet exactly, integrating LTE/EVDO requires a relationship with the carrier, while WiMax doesnt. | |
| | | | 
en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·DSL EXTREME
·DSL EXTREME
| Re: Sweet Yup:
EVDO, UMTS/HSDPA will typically be more expensive, feature filled / contract fixed services, with limitations
WiMAX is more like the next generation of WiFi, and will be more 'available' from small indie carriers, but will be restricted to the footprint that WiMAX delivers. Hopefully, in the end, this won't be another 'iDEN', restricted by 1 carrier, 1 manufacturer and their specific buildout plans.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | Cjaiceman
join:2004-10-12
Englewood, CO
 ·Comcast
| said by a333  :sweeeeeeeeet...... Just look at AT&T's existing HSDPA network! people barely are pushing the 1 Mbit barrier, and coverage is spotty at best. Obviously you haven't tried their connection lately, or you live in LA.... Here in Denver I've been getting 1.75+Mbps since the roll out of HSDPA. Most times I get around 2Mbps, but I have seen as high as 2.25, for someone checking their e-mail on the go, this is plenty, I save the BT for home... 
With that said, I would love the idea of getting 2-4Mbps without an external device (read: internal WiMAX) anywhere within the metro area. And at the cost of $40/month, that would be worth every penny, thats what I am paying AT&T now for their laptop connect package on my HTC Kaiser (NOT AT&T tilt).
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HOT JAMZ 94FM
Listen Live at »sc7.shoutcaststreaming.us:8206/listen.pls | |
| 
wruckman
Ruckman.net
join:2007-10-25
Northwood, OH
edit:
January 9th, @01:46PM
| Standards Too many different proprietary standards these days. | |
| |
a333
A hot cup of integrals please
join:2007-06-12
Corona, NY
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Standards That's exactly Sprint's vision, they want to allow absolutely ANY WiMax-capable device to operate on their network, Thats why they are making it contractless. You, as a customer, can either buy from them, or just bring in your own device. It's pretty much fundamentally different from the cellular network structure. Instead of proprietary standards and equipment/software, its completely open to any capable device. View it as WiFi, just with HUGE range. | |
| | | xenophon
join:2007-09-17 | Re: Standards Right, WiMAX is an IEEE standard. Devices makers follow the standard and don't have to have any interaction with the carrier. | |
| ShadezeRO
join:2006-04-24
Fort Lauderdale, FL
·AT&T Southeast
| Camera's? quote:
WiMax service fees could also be included in the purchase price of devices, such as WiMax-enabled cameras.
Sounds cool, maybe a camera that automatically stores it's pictures to online storage? Might come in handy.
I doubt that's the case though. | |
| |
a333
A hot cup of integrals please
join:2007-06-12
Corona, NY | Re: Camera's? maybe the cameras can also be used as modems? dunno, but doesnt sound like a bad idea... | |
| | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| said by ShadezeRO :Sounds cool, maybe a camera that automatically stores it's pictures to online storage? Might come in handy. I doubt that's the case though. That's exactly the case. | |
| expert007
join:2006-01-10
Buffalo, NY | PC Card by ZTL?? So they described the home modem (sounds beastly), is the other device that will be available at launch a true WiMax PC Card? (By true, i mean a PC card form factor, instead of like that Clearwire contraption that you have to mount on your LCD) | |
| | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
edit:
January 9th, @01:57PM
| Re: PC Card by ZTL?? Yes, there are PC Cards, USB and ExpressCards coming. Intel and Motorola have announced cards. Samsung apparently has a combo WiMAX/EVDO card coming too, though I think it's USB only.
Expect the cards/antennas to be a little larger than 3G cards for the first generation. The good news is that Sequans announced a new WiMAX chipset that draws very low power, less than EVDO. | |
| | | whiteyonenh
join:2004-08-09
Keene, NH
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: lol said by ydoucare :I just noticed a funny typo on the Xohm site at: » www.xohm.com/xohm_learn_technology.html"WiMAX technology will deliver true high speed broadband. With expected speeds of 2-4 megabytes per second for downloads and 1-3 megabytes per second for uploads" Typo in bold. lol I'd be ok with those speeds, although I know it's just a typo, would sure give the other services a run for their money if it were true. | |
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TuPaK
join:2002-07-21
San Gabriel, CA | Re: lol 1.5mbps would be nice.
that's about as fast of DSL I can get. (11.5K ft. from CO)
with overhead it's like 1.25mbps (~150 KB/sec) | |
| | | | whiteyonenh
join:2004-08-09
Keene, NH
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: lol "WiMAX technology will deliver true high speed broadband. With expected speeds of 2-4 megabytes per second for downloads and 1-3 megabytes per second for uploads"
What was meant by this was that if it were megabytes per second, we would be seeing 16mbps download and 8mbps upload. Although this is a major typo on Sprint/Xohm's part, and should be fixed. I would be immensely happy with the speeds if I could get them over WiMAX | |
| | | | |
TuPaK
join:2002-07-21
San Gabriel, CA
edit:
January 9th, @02:23PM
| Re: lol orly | |
| | | | | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| While it is indeed a typo, 8-15Mbps on WiMAX is technically possible, but Sprint won't be building the infrastructure for it (at first). There is an 802.16m WiMAX spec in the works that will theoretically go to 1Gbps. We won't see that but it might be used for backhaul down the road. | |
| | | |
en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | You should be able to get 3Mbps at that range if you have a decent signal. I'm on 3008/512kbps and I'm at 12,000' from the CO. I'm hitting ~2.5Mbps.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | | patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
| said by whiteyonenh :said by ydoucare :I just noticed a funny typo on the Xohm site at: » www.xohm.com/xohm_learn_technology.html"WiMAX technology will deliver true high speed broadband. With expected speeds of 2-4 megabytes per second for downloads and 1-3 megabytes per second for uploads" Typo in bold. lol I'd be ok with those speeds, although I know it's just a typo, would sure give the other services a run for their money if it were true. People, the truth is out, or you all have been blind by the PR. NO TECHNOLOGY ever operates at advertised speed. The 70Mbps they claim, well, thats if there is 1 and only 1 user on the tower using the entire pool of bandwidth. The only place thats happening is in a lab room or convention hall. | |
| | | |
en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Re: lol I agree... even the advertised speed is typically the physical data rate. Eg. How many people with 100Mbps ethernet actually obtain 100Mbps throughput. Answer: NONE.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | | | mAlfunkti0n
join:2003-12-16
Loveland, OH
 ·BroadVoice
·RoadRunner Cable
edit:
January 9th, @04:52PM
| said by patcat88 :said by whiteyonenh :said by ydoucare :I just noticed a funny typo on the Xohm site at: » www.xohm.com/xohm_learn_technology.html"WiMAX technology will deliver true high speed broadband. With expected speeds of 2-4 megabytes per second for downloads and 1-3 megabytes per second for uploads" Typo in bold. lol I'd be ok with those speeds, although I know it's just a typo, would sure give the other services a run for their money if it were true. People, the truth is out, or you all have been blind by the PR. NO TECHNOLOGY ever operates at advertised speed. The 70Mbps they claim, well, thats if there is 1 and only 1 user on the tower using the entire pool of bandwidth. The only place thats happening is in a lab room or convention hall. Who is debating you on this? I don't understand who you are trying to point this towards. | |
| | | | | ydoucare
join:2003-03-12
Rensselaer, IN | Re: lol Good question. | |
| | | | | 
DRM Killller
@rr.com
| said by mAlfunkti0n :Who is debating you on this? I don't understand who you are trying to point this towards. Who are you addressing your question to ? | |
| | | | | | ydoucare
join:2003-03-12
Rensselaer, IN
edit:
January 10th, @10:20PM
| Re: lol The person he quoted. | |
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.. That also means DON'T SELL WIMAX EQUIPMENT FROM YOUR RETAIL STORES TOO.