Sprint Sees 5 Mbps Xohm Performance in First Markets

by Jeff Orr, Editor
Mobile Broadband News

Sprint’s Barry West told investors at a Clearwire demonstration today that the company’s Xohm network, based on 802.16e-2005 (Mobile WiMAX), is averaging 3-5 Mbps performance in the downlink and 1-2 Mbps in the uplink. He further reiterated that the company expects to offer commercial services of Xohm in three initial US markets — Baltimore, Washington DC, and Chicago — during the second quarter of 2008.

The first three markets are powered by equipment from Samsung Electronics and Motorola. Baltimore and Washington DC are using Samsung infrastructure while Chicago is headed by Illinois local, Motorola. Mobile Broadband News has learned from industry sources that Samsung has already started delivering radio infrastructure for its next Xohm market, Boston. Upon completion of the Boston market, New York City will be next for the Korean manufacturer though no timeframe for delivery of radios has been communicated. The delivery of base stations to Sprint’s Boston market in advance of seeing results from commercial services suggests that capital expenditures for the Xohm service continue to occur while the company determines how aggressive the market launches should occur.

Worth noting is that the call between Barry West and Clearwire’s audience occurred over the WiMAX networks of both companies.