WebProNews

Though at one point thought to be in jeopardy as Sprint's upper management undertook changes, the high-speed WiMax network for wireless data regained a place in the company's strategy. As of the CTIA show in Las Vegas this week, Xohm appears on track.

Sprint touted picking up a Frost & Sullivan United States Technology Leadership Award for its efforts with WiMax, an occasion that looked unlikely last fall when Gary Forsee got knocked out of the CEO post. Forsee had been a big WiMax booster, despite a price tag estimated for it in the neighborhood of $5 billion.

However, Sprint announced a handful of WiMax-oriented initiatives, aimed at getting the network up and sprinting (ha ha) forward:

• A XOHM Application Developer Program anticipated for May 2008 to provide the global WiMAX developer community with the tools and process required to create and introduce innovative products for XOHM's customer base. The program features an open environment, thorough documentation and requisite tools.
  
• The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition will be available during the first half of 2008 for use in XOHM service areas.
  
• Samsung announced at CTIA the mid-year availability of the Samsung E100 PC Card, and the availability in the fall of the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium Mobile PC. The devices will operate exclusively on Sprint's XOHM mobile broadband Internet network.
  
• Brightpoint and Nokia Siemens both announced support initiatives for various back-end processes of the Xohm network

Sprint said deploying Xohm over its 2.5GHz spectrum will allow it to bring WiMax to 75 percent of households in the top 100 US markets. That's much more optimistic than the apparent shutdown Xohm faced back in October 2007.