Sprint To Launch WiMax Service In SeptemberSprint To Launch WiMax Service In September

Sprint Nextel will launch its first commercially available WiMax service this September, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said during a keynote speech at the NXTcomm trade show Wednesday.

The wireless broadband service has seen multiple delays, but the pieces appear to be in place to debut in Baltimore this fall. Chicago and Washington, D.C., also will see WiMax services before the end of the year, but Hesse did not give a specific time frame.

"Consumers still can't seem to get enough data," Hesse said. "WiMax can deliver blazing-fast speeds to all manner of devices, not just cell phones."

The company has been testing WiMax services in select U.S. cities, and it estimates the wireless data service will deliver 2 Mbps to 4 Mbps to each user. Hesse emphasized that the 4G network will be open to any device or application as long as it doesn't negatively affect the network.

This openness would create a network that supports more than just mobile phones and laptops. Hesse spoke about bringing Internet connectivity to digital cameras, music players, vehicle navigation consoles, and in-car entertainment systems.

"The embedded chip model allows us to break free of wireless cell phone groupthink," Hesse said.

Sprint has been trying to roll out its WiMax services for a few years now, but a slew of technical, financial, and managerial issues have caused delays. In May, the company announced it would partner with Clearwire, Intel, Google, Time Warner Cable, and others to roll out the 4G network.

WiMax will face competition from another mobile broadband standard, as many major wireless carriers like AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Vodafone will use Long Term Evolution. But, Hesse said, WiMax will have at least a two-year advantage over the competing 4G technology.