Despite numerous hiccups, Sprint is finally getting serious with its burgeoning 4G WiMAX data network – the nationwide coverage kind of serious. Sprint has announced an additional 10 markets that are planned to light off their WiMAX network in 2009. Sprint’s expansion to these new major US cities should help spur 4G WiMAX adoption and will bring Sprint’s WiMAX network to the national level.
The Sprint WiMAX network has been up and running in Baltimore since September, but will soon be going live with WiMAX in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland, and Seattle in 2009. Sprint will follow up with 4G launches in Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. in 2010.
Sprint will also be rolling out new WiMAX hardware throughout 2009 and 2010 – a tri-mode handset, a data card, broadband modem and some laptops with integrated WiMAX support.
WiMAX promises to deliver mobile broadband data speeds upwards of 12Mbps, with average data speeds hitting in the 2-4Mbps range. Compared to current high-speed wireless data offerings in the US, Sprint’s WiMAX technology will offer unparalleled mobile broadband service. But, with 4G LTE technologies just itching to come online in 2010, it remains to be seen if LTE will truly be complementary to WiMAX.
[Via: MobileBurn]