Embedded devices to lead Xohm launch

Though the official Baltimore commercial launch was last week, Sprint kicked off Xohm with a launch event today culminating with Xohm President Barry West cutting with pruners a copper phone line held by Xohm’s vendors and partners. The event, however, did reveal several new details about the new network. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said that Sprint would have dual-mode WiMAX-CDMA EV-DO devices out by the end of the year, marketed under the Sprint brand. Hesse did not name a manufacturer; he said the first device will most likely be a laptop modem. Xohm will also sell its first USB WiMAX modem this month. Made by ZTE, it will sell for $50 without a contract, far undercutting similar devices sold for 3G networks.

The Samsung-built, Baltimore network launched with 180 base stations, but it will expand to 300. Baltimore was chosen over Chicago or Washington, DC, for the initial launch in part because of its size, but mainly for its characteristics, West said. The network resembles many American cities because of its many brick buildings, but it also presented challenges to Samsung and Xohm’s network designers because of its proximity to Chesapeake Bay. Water tends to absorb RF signals, making it difficult to build networks near large bodies of water.