Sprint Mobile WiMax is Now 'Xohm' - New name, website launches....
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Sprint Mobile WiMax is Now 'Xohm'
New name, website launches....
(old news - 10:14AM Thursday Aug 16 2007)
tags: business · wireless · Sprint Telecom
Sprint today announced that they'll be marketing their upcoming mobile WiMax service under the brand name "Xohm" (pronounced ZOAM). The announcement was greeted with the launch of a new Xohm website that allows users to enter their e-mail address for future updates on the service.
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Xohm should offer users downstream speeds between 2-4Mbps for somewhere around $50. Sprint execs have hinted that the network will adhere to Carterfone principles (unlocked devices, no walled gardens, connect via any device), but the promises have been vague.


Balitimore and Washington DC will be the trial launch markets and should come online late this year. Commercial launch of the service will occur in 2008, and Sprint says they hope to reach 100 million users in nineteen major cities by the end of 2008.

The company will invest $5 billion in the project by 2010 and will split build obligations with Clearwire 65%/35%. Google services should be tightly integrated thanks to new partnership, and we're guessing that given their new deal with Clearwire, DirecTV and Echostar will want to be Xohm resellers.

Xohm is an interesting combination of a number of companies who'd love nothing more than to stick it to entrenched providers, assuming there's no problems getting the network built. Are the years of head-rattling WiMax hype finally coming to fruition?

Related:
  1. Sprint Loses Key Exec, Faces Employee Lawsuit
  2. Sprint, Clearwire Complete WiMax Union
  3. Sprint Settles ETF Lawsuit For $17.5 Million
  4. Sprint Praises Self For Being Slightly Less Awful
  5. Sprint Cans Black & White CEO Ads
  6. Sprint Highlights '4G' Launch Plans
  7. Sprint Pre Launch May 17 or June 29
  8. First Rule Of Sprint Pre Club: No Unofficial Tethering Talk
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Forums »

vpoko @ 16th Aug 10:25AM:
Xohm?

I hope they didn't pay their consultant too much for that name...
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kapil @ 16th Aug 10:25AM:
The Perfect Storm

The sheer hatred of the ILEC and cable duopoly coupled with the perfect alliance of Sprint - who knows how to dive into new technologies head-first, Clearwire - a WiMax pioneer funded by some pretty big names, Google - everything they touch turns to Gold, and DirecTV and Echostar - very good at distribution via alternative channels.

....This may just be the perfect storm needed to break the stalemate and status quo in American broadband.
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Transmaster @ 16th Aug 10:31AM:
And I know...

What the theme music will be for their ad's

The rain is on the roof,
Hurry high, a butterfly.
As clouds roll past my head,
I know why the skies all cry,

Xohm. Xohm. Sprint. Xohm.

The Earth turns slowly round,
Far away, the distant sound.
Is with us everyday,
Can you hear, what it says,

Xohm. Xohm. Sprint. Xohm.

With apologies to the Moody Blues ;)

P.S. by the way have you seen the so called Iclone from China officially known as the miniOne. go here
»www.meizume.com/showthread.php?t=852
according to what I have read the miniOne is supposed to be better, functionality wise, then the Iphone and it goes without saying it will be mucho cheaper.
--
Remember safe sex does not prevent crabs.
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jc100 @ 16th Aug 10:45AM:
Sprint support sucks but services are innovative

If only sprint could improve their support and get their billing right, I'd give this company the highest remarks around. They are innovative. Their EVDO service is GREAT. It can go anywhere. Now, they are setting up wimax. What more can you ask for from a company? Unfortunately, this same tend isn't being seen in the landline broadband model. We'll all be stuck with overpriced, sub par, internet for a long time. At the rate we're heading, downloads might reach 50-100mbits eventually while uploads remain at 1mbit. At least, Spring puts a happy face on a overall bad broadband situation in this country.
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Jonbo298 @ 16th Aug 10:53AM:
Re: Xohm?

People will always say it as X-ohm. We're America afterall :p

They probably spent millions to come up with a confusing name for some
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Pictor Guy @ 16th Aug 11:04AM:
ION anyone?

As much as I've been a fan of WiMax, I sure hope Sprint remembers its history with ION. Lets hope lightning doesn't strike twice.
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bignate @ 16th Aug 11:13AM:
100 million?

did anyone else notice this:

"and Sprint says they hope to reach 100 million users in nineteen major cities by the end of 2008."

i am thinking they meant 100,000 users... are there even 19 cities in america that carry a total population of 100 million people? lol
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n1zuk @ 16th Aug 11:21AM:
Re: 100 million?

I'd just be happy with 3G service at the moment... :(
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Karl Bode @ 16th Aug 11:21AM:
Re: 100 million?

From Sprint's release:
quote:
Sprint Nextel currently expects the network buildout to reach 100 million people by the end of 2008 with Sprint providing coverage to 70 million and Clearwire to 30 million people. Sprint’s coverage is expected to grow to approximately 125 million people by the end of 2010. At that level of buildout, the potential market would include an estimated 48 million U.S. households, nearly 5 million small office/home office subscribers, and more than 130 million consumer electronics devices.

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jgkolt @ 16th Aug 11:21AM:
fixed or mobile

is this wimax for on the go or to be fixed on my roof at home?
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Kearnstd @ 16th Aug 11:23AM:
Re: Xohm?

what was wrong with WiMax? atleast i knew what that was. not every product needs a "trendy" name.
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports
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cpayne5 @ 16th Aug 11:24AM:
Re: 100 million?

If going by Metro areas; yes there are.

I bet that is what they go by.

DC has over 8 million and Baltimore has over 2 million. Factor in big cities like Chicago, NY, Houston, Philly, etc and they can cover 100 million fairly easily, I think.
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SD6 @ 16th Aug 11:52AM:
Re: fixed or mobile

said by jgkolt :

is this wimax for on the go or to be fixed on my roof at home?
mobile wimax for on the go. Reportedly, separate from voice plans and the $50/month gets you a truly uncrippled data service (although most of the devices will be expensive).
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jgkolt @ 16th Aug 11:54AM:
Re: fixed or mobile

unlimited data or unlimited connection time (yes i started it up again)
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en102 @ 16th Aug 12:05PM:
Re: Xohm?

WiMAX is a product name... Xohm is a company name.

That would be like Spint calling their company 'EVDO' or CDMA2000.
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en102 @ 16th Aug 12:08PM:
Re: The Perfect Storm

I agree... I'd like to see this work, however, as I like DTV, and would consider using a DTV / WiMAX(with VoIP) / Sprint service as opposed to AT&T Mobility / Uverse / DSL or TimeWarner / HSI / VoIP + wireless combo
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ydoucare @ 16th Aug 12:09PM:
...

Hopefully they'll expand out to rural areas where there is more purpose for something like this, like they've already done with EVDO.
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TKJunkMail @ 16th Aug 12:23PM:
Re: The Perfect Storm

said by kapil :

....This may just be the perfect storm needed to break the stalemate and status quo in American broadband.
Not at those speeds and those prices. Except in rural areas that have no other options. To roll this out in urban areas 1st(as per usual practice) will be a huge bust.
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My BLOG
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SD6 @ 16th Aug 12:34PM:
Re: fixed or mobile

Sorry if my initial post was confusing. I've edited unlimited to uncrippled. I know that Xohm is intent on distinguishing themselves from VZW and AT&T wireless services, and they reportedly will not have heavy caps and TOS restrictions like VZW. But that does not necessarily mean that you will be able to get the maximum possible dl speed for $50/month. They may provision the dl speed to 2mbps at that price, etc.
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bmn @ 16th Aug 12:43PM:
Re: The Perfect Storm

said by TKJunkMail :

Not at those speeds and those prices. Except in rural areas that have no other options. To roll this out in urban areas 1st(as per usual practice) will be a huge bust.
Not sure about that... It will finally offer ubiquitous, wireless internet a la Star Trek and those other Sci Fi shows...

Businesses will really like having TRUE broandband for use on the go too.
--
Prove it...
Save the Internet Time (NTP) service, use the pool.
reply
SD6 @ 16th Aug 01:27PM:
Re: The Perfect Storm

I don't think WiMax will make a significant dent in the home broadband market. A great many people simply accept their ILEC or CATV company as an ISP, but it's nice to have some competition. Where Sprint can do some damage to them is if they put together a good bundle of WiMax data with VoIP because the ILECs and CATVs are not poised to offer good mobile VoIP bundles.

Where I think it will have an effect is on WiFi mesh networks (which are more than ever beginning to look like a bad business model) and on customers (like me) that are willing to pay in order to avoid searching for open WiFi hotspots and either can't get or don't like the current VZW and AT&T 3G service offerings.
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kaila @ 16th Aug 02:58PM:
It's ironic then.....

Because apparently Sprint's WiMax is enough to get AT&T to reconsider offering DSL to our town in the middle of suburban Chicago. The latest word our village received is that AT&T may finally deploy DSL here by 2012 depending on how well Sprint's WiMax does.

We'd go from one provider to three because of this, so all I can say is go Sprint!
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KA3SGM @ 16th Aug 03:04PM:
FiZOAM to be next partnership between Sprint and Verizon??

Combination FTTH, Mobile WiMAX Broadband service.

There's a market for everything out there. If you built it, they will come !!
--
We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat !!
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kapil @ 16th Aug 03:40PM:
Re: The Perfect Storm

Regardless of what you read on this site, 2-4 Mbps is very fast and more than adequate for the majority of population. And WiMax is still a new technology.

$50 for Internet EVERYWHERE that I could use at home, on my laptop, on my PDA for the same one subscription....that's a very fair price...especially for the American market.

Price will eventually drop and speeds will eventually increase.

The reason it is better than Cable or DSL is because it will reach everyone, everywhere...rural or Urban...and the cost of deploying to less dense areas is not a barrier as you don't need to pull an individual strand of wire to each subscriber.

Seeing as how Sprint is involved, I'm sure it won't ever reach its true potential, but if done right, it would kill ILECs and MSOs. ...and that's why I understand your pessimism...it spells doom for big monopolies and a win for consumers, and we can't have that, now can we.
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anon @ 16th Aug 04:14PM:
Im dropping Verizon EVDO like a hotcake

When this comes to Baltimore.

I can use a VOIP client for phone,
stream Internet radio (savings off of XM) and surf
the net all for $50 bucks and I can use it as my home ISP.

This sounds too good to be true.
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Fox McCloud @ 16th Aug 04:31PM:
pronunciation

Apparently, after reading a few more articles on this, "XOHM" is pronounced "ZOAM". Hmm, interesting name....I still have a feeling it's an acronym of sorts.
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SD6 @ 16th Aug 07:30PM:
Re: The Perfect Storm

said by kapil :

$50 for Internet EVERYWHERE that I could use at home, on my laptop, on my PDA for the same one subscription....that's a very fair price...especially for the American market.
I'm not sure ZOHM will be as easy as that. First, you have to get a WiMax modem for each of those devices, or buy a new device that has integrated WiMax. Less unlikely, but still possible, is that you will not be able to move your subscription around as easily as that. I have heard nothing of a SIM card equivalent in ZOHM. It's possible, although before your post I haven't thought or asked anyone about it.
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kapil @ 16th Aug 07:40PM:
Re: The Perfect Storm

There is no "modem" per se...just an adapter, like a bluetooth or 802.11 adapter.

Sprint has already committed to making the network "portable" and "open"...and I believe them....they're not as maniacal about control as, say, Verizon. Look at the Blackberry 8830 offered by Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless.... VZW locks down the GSM portion, Sprint leaves it unlocked...different corporate philosophies.

FWIW, DSL and Cable "modems" could also be made smaller and portable, but why bother since the service, naturally, is tied to a wire.
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SierraRob @ 16th Aug 07:42PM:
Re: And I know...

I was thinking they would set it to the old Beatles song...

Images of Britney Spears which dance before me like a million bits,
They fill my drive across the InterWeb,
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside my Myspace blog
They tumble blindly as they upload across the InterWeb.

Jai Guru Deva, Xohm
Yes we will connect your world
Yes we will connect your world
Yes we will connect your world
Yes we will connect your world

lather, rinse, repeat...
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KA3SGM @ 16th Aug 08:17PM:
Re: pronunciation

What happens when Steven Spielberg creates the next installment in the ET saga????

Will ET Get to ZOAM HOME???
What will be the connection speed??
Will he need a prepay account because he's from another planet and doesn't have a Social Security Number??

The advertising rights to that alone would be in the 9 figure range!! :D
--
We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat !!
reply
SD6 @ 16th Aug 10:08PM:
Re: The Perfect Storm

said by kapil :

There is no "modem" per se...just an adapter, like a bluetooth or 802.11 adapter.

Sprint has already committed to making the network "portable" and "open"...and I believe them....they're not as maniacal about control as, say, Verizon. Look at the Blackberry 8830 offered by Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless.... VZW locks down the GSM portion, Sprint leaves it unlocked...different corporate philosophies.

FWIW, DSL and Cable "modems" could also be made smaller and portable, but why bother since the service, naturally, is tied to a wire.
Well, of course, there is a modem per se (as in MODulate and DEModulate), I am speaking technically as an engineer. I am not referring to the physical implementation.

Now there are PCMCIA WiMax cards for laptops. But what about the home desktop? - I have only seen a large discrete modem. And I have not seen any solutions for PDAs except to have integrated WiMax. So you are having to buy some pieces of HW to do what you suggest. And AFAIK, you are not going to be able to carry around a single small adapter that will work on all three devices.

And what I was most wondering about - how will one seamlessly go from PDA, to laptop, to desktop and be quickly authenticated on the ZOHM network? All of the use scenarios that I have seen have suggested that a user can have a single laptop or a single PDA like device.

Yes Sprint is more "open", but exactly how are they going to let users go from device to device to device as you suggested? There is no equivalent to a GSM SIM card AFAIK.
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tc1uscg @ 16th Aug 11:54PM:
Re: Xohm?

said by en102 :

WiMAX is a product name... Xohm is a company name.

That would be like Spint calling their company 'EVDO' or CDMA2000.
Ding Ding ;)
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old_dawg @ 17th Aug 02:52AM:
Not holding my breath

The company will invest $5 billion in the project by 2010...

Hmm, sounds like the same amount of money lost on ION. :uhh:

Gary Forsee, check your golden parachute:

»blogs.wsj.com/deals/2007/04/10/a···-forsee/
--
"Our network engineers are aware of the problem..."
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anon @ 17th Aug 11:52AM:
Zoom, Zune, Xohm, zzz...

This is serious competition. The beauty of using WiMax is that it has the full backing of Intel. Intel is already making WiMax chips, and ultimately it will (if all goes well) be integrated in laptops. This has the potential to snowball and really become *the* wireless standard (for voice, too, using VoIP handsets). Wouldn't that be nice?
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anon @ 22nd Aug 02:56AM:
Xohm

I have a sprint usb device that I use on both my laptop and desktop. I get speeds above 2Mbps. I am sure that this device would work on a hand held with a usb port.
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