Comments on: Will Sprint Nextel Mobile WiMAX Limit Choice of Client Devices?

By: Jacomo

Jacomo — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:52:27 +0000

Cannot imagine Sprint not using its partner (Intel) WiMAX enabled laptops on their new WiMAX deployments, which by definition will be open. What will be closed will be the Content/Applications (Walled Garden) they allow these subscribers to access.

An equally important question for Sprint is how they plan to compete with a planned deployment of a WiFi Enabled Wireless Mesh network in Chicago specifically and other cities deploying Wireless Mesh networks?? This assumes Sprint is not able to win the Chicago RFP for Wireless-seems like a natural.

If the WiMAX network is positioned as competition to the WiFi net they will lose out long term. What they really need do is develop a relationship with any Wireless Mesh deployment that wins and develop interoperability links between the networks-WiFi/WiMAX enabled radios from Intel will allow this. This would replace the much delayed COnvergence of WiFi & Cell (UMA/IMS solutions).

This will be a very expensive test.

Jacomo

By: Michael Mace

Michael Mace — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 03:23:46 +0000

Oh, that’s very frustrating. I was at a talk in December given by Bin Shen, Sprint’s VP of broadband. He told an audience full of Silicon Valley execs that the Sprint WiMax network was going to be open to any device. I wrote up the talk here.

I cannot imagine a better way to anger and chase away potential allies in Silicon Valley than promising them openness and then taking it away.

Besides that, making the network open is the right move for Sprint. I hope they’ll wake up before they screw up their opportunity.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:15:01 +0000

Where will Sprint get all the trained staff from, where will they get all the knowledge on coverage models and propagation given this is all brand new technology?