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Sprint Prepares for Launch with Mobile WiMAX Devices
News from KT and Sprint this week clarifies mobile WiMAX device trends.
If you were lurking through Sprint Nextel's XOHM user site earlier this week
you might have stumbled upon several web pages under development about the
operator's soon-to-be commercialized service. A few different pages were
posted including service and billing FAQs and a product overview.
While there were no real surprises included in the previewed pages, the products
expected to be available at the launch of service in Baltimore this month are
worth retelling:
Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) Modems:
- ZTE Mobile WiMAX modem. The device hasn't been sighted in public events
yet. It is known to support VoIP services and has a Beceem chipset at its
center.
-ZyXEL MAX206-M2 modem. Despite looking like a handheld vehicle
polisher/buffer, the modem sports two interesting options: a remote antenna and
a 4-hour battery backup. Both upgrades will help with the user experience.
Computing Peripherals:
-Samsung SWC-E100 ExpressCard/34. The diminutive add-in card will handle
the initial notebook and handheld computing connectivity requirements for XOHM
customers.
-ZTE Model TU25 USB dongle. The integrated antenna, which looks like a
hinged PCMCIA card, rotates up for improved signal reception. It isn't the
smallest or most capable USB adapter for 802.16e-2005, but it is cost-effective.
The USB dongle is powered by a Beceem chipset.
Missing from the initial XOHM portfolio is Nokia's N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX
Edition, which Sprint execs maintain will be available before the end of the
year. Amazon already has the
N810 WiMAX tablet setup for pre-orders.
Separately, Korea Telecom (KT) announced that it had renewed partnerships with
several device manufacturers and forged new agreements for its WiBro mobile
WiMAX service. Notebook and sub-notebook vendors include: HP, Kohjinsha,
LG Electronics, Samsung, and TriGem (TG). Personal Media Player (PMP)
manufacturer Cowon and electronic dictionary vendor Reigncom (who has
demonstrated its iRiver multiplayer gaming handheld using WiBro in years past)
round out the announcements.
By Jeff Orr, ORR Technology, LLC
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