What Sprint's Xohm, WiMax Wireless Broadband Netowrk Means for You

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Sprint Introduces Xohm, WiMax Wireless Broadband Technology

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Wouldn't it be nice to sit at the downtown park and check your email, shop online and maybe comment on your friend's Facebook page? How about doing that completely wireless and at broadband speeds... real broadband speeds? That's not too far off if Sprint can help it. On October 8th, Sprint "cut the cord" to broadband in Baltimore, enabling users to access broadband download speeds in excess of 2 megabits per second with Sprint's US debut of the latest microwave network technology, WiMax, powering its wireless broadband product, the Xohm network.

The WiMAX Forum expects mobile network deployments to provide up to 30 Mbps of capacity within a typical cell radius of up to three kilometers. WiMAX technology already has been incorporated in notebook computers and PDAs to deliver high speed mobile Internet services anytime, anywhere.

Source: WiMax Forum

The technology behind Sprint's Xohm Network... WiMax »

The new wireless broadband network, Xohm, requires WiMax, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. WiMax is based upon the IEEE 802.16 standard, developed to deliver non-line-of-sight (NLoS) connections between a subscriber and a base station with a typical cell radius approximately two to six miles. This 4G (fourth generation) technology will let users connect to the internet through the Xohm network at true broadband speeds of 2 megabits per second (download) and greater.

What Xohm's Network Means for Business »

The mobile user is becoming more common in the workplace, both in corporations and small businesses. Secure tunnels and faster connections have enabled users to work from anywhere in the world and stay connected to the office. But wireless wide area networks like 3G and AT&T's Edge have been limited in connection speed. Add to that the bandwidth overhead of a VPN and you start to crawl.

The Xohm/WiMax network could truly empower the mobile worker and can have a greater impact on certain industries that require high mobility as well as companies that want to allow their employees a bit of freedom. The higher data throughput will allow businesses to have more efficient mobile users while keeping their data and incoming connections secure.

What Xohm's Network Means for You »

From a personal and professional standpoint, true wireless broadband access to the internet would be incredibly valuable. As a web designer, creative frustrations can get in the way of progress. The need for speed, however, often outweighs the need for a change of scenery. In a creative crunch, the connectivity offered by the Xohm network would allow me to relax my mind by the harbor with my laptop or have a coffee at Starbucks without having to pay for WiFi to work and stay connected.

As a consumer using the Xohm/WiMax network , you could have a day at the park with the kids while staying connected. Have a video call with your spouse or children (watch the videos attached to this article). Check your email, Facebook, Stock Quotes or bank account from anywhere with speed and ease. There are several potential applications that would (hopefully) make life a bit easier.

So, will Xohm's pricing cause a personal economic crisis »

Pricing for the Xohm/WiMax network from Sprint is supposed to be comparable to other wireless broadband networks provided by carriers like Verizon, but can be charged by the time period and type of customer. For example, 24 hours of unlimited usage is only $10. Home Internet service is available for $25 a month. You can also pay for "on-the-go" service at $30 monthly. The best part about Xohm pricing: no contract! In an "effort to free customers of restrictive long-term plans," Sprint is not requiring a signed contract to use the Xohm/WiMax network.

The Drawbacks of Xohm »

Drawbacks, you ask? For now, you have to live in Baltimore - which might be a problem for people in, say, Fort Walton Beach, Florida. You also have to purchase a Xohm-branded, WiMax enabled Samsung Express air card ($59.99) or a ZyXEL modem ($79.99). The Xohm/WiMax network requires one of those two devices.

Sprint executives did sport laptops connected to the Xohm network with embedded WiMax chips, however, like the Lenovo ThinkPad X301. By the end of 2008, a variety of WiMax enabled phones and devices will be available, including dual-mode devices that utilize the 3G and the Xohm network (4G).

Xohm/WiMax Network Coverage, Future »

Although true wireless broadband in the US is no loner a pipe dream, deploying the technology still has a ways to go. Developing an infrastructure of this type is costly and often slow-going. According to Sprint CEO Dan Hesse and Xohm President Barry West, it will take $5 billion to build out a national network.

Sprint is planning to expand the Xohm/WiMax network to Chicago and Washington D.C. soon and later to Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Sprint is also going to joint venture with Clearwire to expand former CEO Gary Forsee's dream of the nationwide WiMax network.

Xohm aims to provide enough WiMax network coverage to reach up to 140 million people nationally by the end of 2010. West also said that 100 major cities could be covered by the Xohm/WiMax network as early as 2015.