The Channel Wire

September 29, 2008

Sprint Nextel is making a new WiMAX network available for subscribers in Baltimore. Called XOHM, Baltimore-area customers can expect download speeds of 2 Mbps to 4 Mbps faster than existing WiMAX devices. Of course, tapping into the service will require new hardware and subscription plans for users.

Customers who want to go XOHM will have to begin the transition to the new service by purchasing one of two new modems. A XOHM-branded Samsung Express air card retails for $59.99 and a Zyxel modem can be purchased via XOHM's Web site for $79.99.

Sprint is also offering introductory prices for early adopters with a variety of different pricing options, depending on the usage users anticipate. Currently, a $25 monthly fee is available for home Internet users. A $30 on-the go fee exists as well.

For customers who are less certain about the new hardware and infrastructure, or just want to get onto the XOHM network when they choose, a $10 daily pass is also available. Finally, the introductory deal that Sprint is offering is called "Pick 2 For Life," in which users can select a monthly service option that covers two different WiMAX devices.

Joining and subscribing to XOHM also comes with a customizable Web site called MyXOHM. The site focuses on local services and entertainment and allows users to select security options, which will then be uploaded to a location-aware portal.

The XOHM rollout comes two years after Sprint selected the WiMAX IEEE 802.16e technology standard to base its new network around. To make the rollout go quickly and interact with existing WiMAX infrastructure, Sprint teamed with Intel, Samsung and Motorola.

The companies cited the common goal of "next-generation mobility services predicated on an embedded chipset model and the wireless enablement of millions of consumer electronic devices that lack wireless connectivity or Internet capability," thy said in a statement.

However, the 4G functionality is not yet available. The XOHM WiMAX network relies on the 2.5GHz spectrum that Sprint acquired in its Nextel merger. The 2.5GHz spectrum paired with Samsung's deployment of WiMAX capabilities in the Baltimore area currently make up the network XOHM users can expect.

Eventually, Sprint's goal is combine the assets it acquired in purchasing Clearwire—with the $14.5 billion merger expected to close in the fourth quarter—to create a nationwide 4G network, with Chicago and Washington, D.C., next on the list.