Sprint Ahead and Wait for XOHM

A lack of fat Internet pipes delays Sprint's WiMAX launch; more service partners and cool devices announced.

Wireless ISPs and microwave equipment manufacturers continue to make inroads with cellular backhaul and business-to-business broadband access due to lengthy provisioning of leased copper circuits. What is the biggest delay in launching XOHM? "Backhaul," replied a frazzled Barry West, president of Sprint's XOHM business unit, who fielded media questions after CEO Dan Hesse's CTIA Wireless 2008 keynote speech and during a reception. An insufficient amount of capacity in the backhaul and core segments of Sprint's wireless network has caused the company to delay its April launch of the XOHM wireless service.

Mobile broadband technologies offer multi-megabit data performance to each subscriber. This capability quickly outpaces the backhaul limits of a traditional cellular network, which rely on leased T-1 circuits carrying up to 1.544 Mbps of data. A single XOHM user could potentially saturate the backhaul link if T-1's are relied upon. DS-3 circuits, capable of symmetric speeds to 45 Mbps, are preferred. Locating available DS-3 lines and trenching incremental ones proved to challenge Sprint's bandwidth providers. Point-to-point microwave is also being considered to speed availability. The backhaul bottleneck resulted in Sprint's XOHM delay. But it will come later this year, said spokesman James Fisher.

While data-hungry US subscribers wait, the latest news in XOHM development includes a planned developer program, three new network partners, and four tempting devices. A XOHM Application Developer Program is anticipated for May 2008, which provides the global WiMAX developer community with tools and required processes to create and introduce products for XOHM subscribers.

Brightpoint North America will provide web-based and EDI ordering capabilities, distribution and fulfillment for several of XOHM's distribution sales channels. Brightpoint services will include inventory management, order processing, product fulfillment, care support, invoicing, credit/collections, and reverse logistics support. Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) will implement its Subscriber Data Management (SDM) solution. In addition to a single, real-time common subscriber database the NSN agreement also delivers the capability to integrate new applications quickly without service interruption. Starent Networks will deploy the Starent ST40 multimedia core platform to provide subscriber management and mobility for XOHM WiMAX network customers, anchoring the subscriber's connection and enabling roaming throughout the network.

Nokia unveiled the N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition, which most technology blog readers had already seen leaked in Best Buy advertisements and on Nokia's website. Samsung Telecommunications America announced the mid-year availability of the E100 PC Card and the fall availability of the Q1 Ultra Premium Mobile PC. The Samsung devices will be exclusive to XOHM. Everex intends to embed WiMAX wireless capability in an Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) powered by VIA's new C7 processor. VIA and Everex demonstrated the new CloudBook Max with built-in WiMAX capability from GCT Semiconductor for Sprint's XOHM network.

The Sprint WiMAX mobile broadband network will use the company's 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings, which cover 75% of the households in the top 100 US markets.


By Jeff Orr

ORR Technology, LLC