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Sprint, Clearwire Team Up
WiMax network cooperation
Despite recent rumblings of discontent, Sprint's plans to offer 2-4Mbps WiMax service for around $50 starting in 2008 are on track, though the company has been looking for ways to reduce costs. As had been floated as an option, their solution appears to be a partnership with WiMax ISP Clearwire -- according to a company press release:
quote:
"Sprint Nextel and Clearwire expect to build their respective portions of the nationwide network, and enable roaming between the respective territories. The companies also will work jointly on product and service evolution, shared infrastructure, branding, marketing and distribution. Additionally, the companies intend to exchange selected 2.5 GHz spectrum in order to optimize build-out, development and operation of the network."
Clearwire will be busy, as they also recently announced that they'll be DirecTV and Echostar's broadband delivery method of choice. If you're thinking this could be a nice option for rural users, think again:
quote:
"Under the network build-out plan, Sprint Nextel will focus its efforts primarily on geographic areas covering approximately 185 million people, including 75 percent of the people located in the 50 largest markets, while Clearwire will focus on areas covering approximately 115 million people. Initially, the two companies expect to build out network coverage to approximately 100 million people by the end of 2008, with seamless roaming enabled between the deployed areas."
When the time comes, the companies say they'll offer mobile WiMax services under a "common service brand."
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juicelee
Premium Member
join:2000-12-04
Hacienda Heights, CA

juicelee

Premium Member

Damn.....

Wish I bought CLWR stock a couple weeks ago.

inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

inteller

Member

rural coverage.

this could be fixed if Sprint were to buy alltel.

WeSRT4
join:2000-11-20
Mobile, AL

WeSRT4

Member

Re: rural coverage.

said by inteller:

this could be fixed if Sprint were to buy alltel.
Are you kidding? Sprint still hasn't digested the Nextel merger. From the looks of things they may never recover.

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

Michieru2

Premium Member

Re: rural coverage.

iPCS is such a pain in the ass.
shoan
join:2006-02-27
Benton, AR

shoan

Member

where is sprint shooting for

so are they going to go after thier towers that are EVDO rev A. for this or are they goign to deploy this elsewhere. Kind curious if this is going to run off of thier cell towers. And can we use the rollout of rev a as a kinda crystal ball to see where they are going to target with the WiMax if so I would be a happy camper.

tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Gulfport, MS

tc1uscg

Member

Re: where is sprint shooting for

said by shoan:

so are they going to go after thier towers that are EVDO rev A. for this or are they goign to deploy this elsewhere. Kind curious if this is going to run off of thier cell towers. And can we use the rollout of rev a as a kinda crystal ball to see where they are going to target with the WiMax if so I would be a happy camper.
EVDO towers has nothing to do with it. The WiMax network, aka 4G will run off it's own antenna elements but share the same tower.

ansar
Search for HighSpeed
join:2004-12-10
Utica, MS

ansar

Member

Maybe one day it will help rural customers

I don't see this helping rural customers any time soon, especially those that don't even get EVDO.

The one thing I hope for is that eventually, they use the WiMax for backhauls. This might make it more profitable for them to deploy WiMax on all there towers and thus get to me.

I still don't understand their deployment plans. If I lived in the city, I would get DSL or CableModem without question. I wouldn't even consider wireless.
eganglion
Premium Member
join:2006-10-17
Saratoga, CA

eganglion

Premium Member

Re: Maybe one day it will help rural customers

Well here in Silicon Valley, we are stuck with 60-year-old phone lines that barely carry POTS (so we can forget about DSL), or there's Comcast [still haven't heard much positive about them from subscribers I talk to] or Sprint Broadband.

Sprint's service has been pretty good here, but it still seems pathetic that this is the best we can get in one of the so-called technological centers of the country.

I truly feel for those rural customers who are really out of luck, unless they can afford and tolerate Hughes satellite Internet.

tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Gulfport, MS

tc1uscg to ansar

Member

to ansar
said by ansar:

I don't see this helping rural customers any time soon, especially those that don't even get EVDO.

The one thing I hope for is that eventually, they use the WiMax for backhauls. This might make it more profitable for them to deploy WiMax on all there towers and thus get to me.

I still don't understand their deployment plans. If I lived in the city, I would get DSL or CableModem without question. I wouldn't even consider wireless.
Or selling of Wireles over IP (WoIP) phones.
tc1uscg

tc1uscg to ansar

Member

to ansar
said by ansar:

I don't see this helping rural customers any time soon, especially those that don't even get EVDO.

The one thing I hope for is that eventually, they use the WiMax for backhauls. This might make it more profitable for them to deploy WiMax on all there towers and thus get to me.

I still don't understand their deployment plans. If I lived in the city, I would get DSL or CableModem without question. I wouldn't even consider wireless.
Just because the tower isn't supporting evdo doesn't mean it can't support wimax. Wimax is cheaper to deploy and uses the existing t1, vs deploying/upgrading a tower to support evdo including rev A.

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

Michieru2

Premium Member

!

Enough with the PR Sprint!

Show me the goods, lets see the equipment and hopefully it's not a skyscraper of a box that you need to carry around like Clearwire.

davoice
join:2000-08-12
Saxapahaw, NC

davoice

Member

Re: !

said by Michieru2:

hopefully it's not a skyscraper of a box that you need to carry around like Clearwire.
Clearwire already has test units of the Motorola manufactured PC cards in-hand. They are CardBUS PCMCIA cards. Not sure when ExpressCards or portable USB units will show up.

I've had one of the test units in my laptop for a whirl (shhhh, don't tell anyone) and they do work. You give up a lot of antenna performance though. The laptop cards will limit you to strong signal areas unless you plan to use an external antenna. Don't expect them to work well in fringe areas. New markets will get them first, existing markets will see them slowly phased in. Motorola has to ramp up production (and remember Sprint and Motorola aren't exactly on the best speaking terms at the moment... it's a love hate relationship).

And the test units run *hot*... but then again so do EVDO cards. The average residential customer will be better served with the external box.

Also keep in mind that neither Clearwire nor Sprint will be marketing these as a "mobile" solution. They're basically "fixed" or "semi-mobile" devices that just happen to be able to roam from site to site. The primary marketing will be as DSL and wired connection replacement.

}Davoice

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

Michieru2

Premium Member

Re: !

Hmmm who might you be eh?

Don't think you can just walk in here and say you have test units without even showing a picture or less with details.

I am already aware that there is WiMAX PCMCIA cards since Zyxel had them for sale for more than 5 months now. But since you seem to be a beta tester you also have some juicy details I finally want to know about WiMAX.

Current EVDO cards can be comparable to a built-in Airport Extreme, believe it or not that little thing gets hot, as much as the CPU itself. Actually it can cause first degree burns if you have direct contact with your leg and the plastic, by the time you notice it hurts and your leg is shiny red. So to be perfectly honest EVDO is not that bad, but does the WiMAX gets hotter or about the same or less?

Also Sprint has contracts with Nokia & Motorola have you only been able to test the Motorola units?

How much data throughput where you able to achieve next to a tower, and far away from a tower. How power hungry are the cards, and can WiMAX be used for making calls as well or is it simply data? What is the ping on WiMAX.

Also Embarq is the company that handles the wireline division of Sprint, the wireless is a completely separate portion, that sounds as something Embarq will say not, Sprint-Nextel wireless division.

Also if you don't plan on telling me nothing at least tell me where I can get one of these cards to beta test them myself.

davoice
join:2000-08-12
Saxapahaw, NC

davoice

Member

Re: !

said by Michieru2:

Hmmm who might you be eh?
Been around here for 7 years. Look at the join date. Go figure it out.
said by Michieru2:

Don't think you can just walk in here and say you have test units without even showing a picture or less with details.
Actually I can and did. Not like I'm some newb. There's things called NDAs that exist for reasons. But if you can find you a local Clearwire engineer you just might see one in his/her laptop w/ your own eyes.
said by Michieru2:

Also Sprint has contracts with Nokia & Motorola have you only been able to test the Motorola units?
Clearwire only has contracts w/ Motorola. Before that they were manufacturing their own equipment (well, OEMing it themselves). They sold that part of their business to Motorola.

If you have a major business account you might get a visit from an engineer to show the beta units to you. You might even get one to play with. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until Sept/Oct to play with them like everyone else.

}Davoice

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

1 edit

Michieru2

Premium Member

Re: !

"Been around here for 7 years. Look at the join date. Go figure it out."

Nah, I would prefer that you just told me.

"Actually I can and did. Not like I'm some newb. There's things called NDAs that exist for reasons. But if you can find you a local Clearwire engineer you just might see one in his/her laptop w/ your own eyes."

Where exactly here on BBR? If so I will search your history, if located somewhere else I am clueless as where to start looking.

"If you have a major business account you might get a visit from an engineer to show the beta units to you. You might even get one to play with. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until Sept/Oct to play with them like everyone else."

I would prefer to hear it from you since you actually toyed around with one. I won't be here by the time September.