Life and work continue on the east coast, even while I’m off gallivanting around northern California. Baltimore played host this afternoon to an official Xohm press event, and friends on the ground sent back their notes from the celebration. Speakers included Barry West, CTO and president of Xohm, Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse, and EVP Sean Maloney from Intel. There was a symbolic “cutting the cord” (to the Internet) ceremony, and then attendees got to experience live Xohm service from water taxis, a WiMAX-enabled home, and on the go in the Fells Point neighborhood.
From a Motorola executive attending the event:
As West explained, this new Xohm service is not just another network; it’s the dawning of 4G. It’s about having the Internet where you are, and being able to offer it to customers at an affordable price. And, it’s about an ecosystem of infrastructure; device and chipset manufacturers that have helped bring this new technology to market. In fact, Xohm has devices from several manufacturers available now for use on its Baltimore network. PCs with Intel Centrino 2 processor technology and embedded WiMAX are set to begin shipping in the US this quarter and will be ready to connect to Sprint’s Xohm network where it is available.
Among companies in the Xohm WiMAX ecosystem is Motorola, a leading provider of WiMAX solutions world wide, that is working with Xohm to build its Chicago network. Just last week at WiMAX World 2008, Motorola announced that its WiMAX infrastructure has passed network acceptance tests vital to the provision of mobile broadband service to residents and businesses in Chicago. And, in Chicago, guests at Motorola’s event at the Smart Home were able to experience the live pre-commercial Xohm network. In addition to WiMAX infrastructure, Motorola also offers a range of WiMAX-enable CPE, including its new USBw 100.
So what’s next? WiMAX watchers are eagerly awaiting the launch of the new Clearwire and service in other Xohm markets, like Chicago. For now, Baltimore residents are the first in the U.S. to experience Xohm’s untethered, high-speed access to the Internet whether at home or on the go.
[...] Most existing cellular carriers will choose LTE if they have the appropriate spectrum because of the expected size of the LTE device ecosystems. WiMAX is a good option for operators looking to enter the next-generation wireless broadband market early and aggressively. [...]