Tech To Get Excited About- WiMax

On October 8, 2008 Sprint debuted it’s first consumer WiMax network, dubbed “Xohm”.  WiMax is a wireless standard that is usually described as a mix of Wi-Fi and cellular networks.  Many people can attest to the limitations of Wi-Fi: limited range, poor security and the general unavailability of a seamless network. Additionally, the speed of a standard 3G cellular network is as slow as molasses compared to cable and broadband lines that you find in homes and business.  Sprint advertises their new WiMax network as a “city-sized hotspot” allowing you to connect to the same network all over a given area.   The intention is to eventually cover the entire United States just as cellular networks run by Verizon and AT&T cover the country now.  Sprint Nextel is teaming up with partners like Intel, Motorola, Nokia and others to achieve this enticing plan.  Currently offering coverage officially only in Baltimore, Sprint plans on rolling out their network to D.C. and Chicago next.  An article on Gizmodo reveals that Sprint has their Xohm running unofficially in Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Philadelphia, D.C., and Northern Virginia.