* Operator announces new WiMAX markets, devices, applications
Sprint is maintaining its relentless WiMAX momentum, making several announcements at 4G World in Chicago this week.
The U.S. WiMAX service pioneer announced it would expand its service to three additional large cities this year. It also introduced near-term availability for dual-mode 3G/4G Dell mobile computers for use on its network and a 4G healthcare application service.
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Scott Lane, director of 4G products, said the company would be expanding its WiMAX service from its current 55 markets to include New York on Nov. 1, Los Angeles on Dec. 1, and to San Francisco near the end of the year.
And what good is a network service without devices that connect to it?
Lane said that Sprint now offers 11 WiMAX devices, including the industry’s first 3G/4G-embedded mobile computers scheduled to ship in the coming weeks: the dual-mode Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (1012) netbook and Dell Inspiron 11z notebook, which, respectively, will be available free and for about $150 (with $100 rebates and two-year term commitments).
Also available for the Sprint WiMAX network are two smartphones (the HTC EVO 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G), several USB dongles, the Sierra Wireless Overdrive hotspot for shared 3G/4G connectivity and several wireless routers.
Finally, the carrier has also co-developed an Android app for obstetricians available for the HTC EVO 4G (and coming for the Epic) with AirStrip Technologies. The service allows doctors to monitor a mother’s vitals and those of her baby in the hours up to and during birth. The application can collect up to eight hours worth of information, Lane said.
Such applications take full advantage of 4G speeds, which the carrier says are up to about 6Mbps in the download direction.
The healthcare application is typically sold jointly by Sprint and AirStrip. By special arrangement, however, Sprint will repackage the service with in-building coverage solutions (such as base stations and distributed antenna systems) to make sure buildings are wired properly to maintain the application throughout facility, Lane said.
The obstetrics application is the first 4G service; it will be followed by into cardiology, then critical care offerings, he added.
