14 DAY TRIAL // Sprint has chosen Samsung for introducing the mobile WiMAX network infrastructure in New York City. The results of their partnership will be clear towards the end of the year 2008, when the Xohm mobile Internet service will be available.
Sprint Nextel has already picked Samsung to provide the solutions and equipment for similar networks planned for Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Boston and other cities. New York City was just the "Big Apple" left to take in the deal closed between the two companies.
The Xohm mobile WiMAX network is capable of delivering broadband access with speeds up to five times faster than current third-generation wireless networks. Sprint has been awarded New York as part of an extensive, multi-year supply agreement, as it was not originally in the plan. This area encompasses New York City, Nassau-Suffolk and Jersey City, N.J. It also includes northern and central New Jersey the Newark, Bergen-Passaic, Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon and Monmouth-Ocean areas.
WiMAX technology has taken a turn for the better over the last few years, making the US market an appealing one for deploying it here too. "New York is an important milestone for Samsung as we continue to expand the deployment of 4G technology around the world", said Dale Sohn, president, Samsung Telecommunications America.
Xohm mobile Internet will manage to make it possible for customers to benefit from high-speed Internet, local and location-centric services and multimedia services including music, video, TV. Moreover, the company will also bring a new mobile portal that comes as the result of a deal previously announced to have been closed with Google.
Sprint's new Xohm service will see a commercial launch in April, next year, with Washington, having all other cities to follow. An estimate number of 100 million people are supposed to have access to the service until the end of the year 2008.