Sprint Nextel will first launch its new Mobile WiMAX broadband services in Chicago and Washington, D.C., sometime this year, the company said.
Broadcasters may find WiMAX to be an acceptable way to supplement their existing ENG technology for filing edited reports and even doing live standups. At NAB2006, KRON-TV in San Francisco revealed that it was working with a Bay Area WiMAX provider to test the suitability of the technology for news backhaul from the field.
Sprint Nextel’s Jan. 8 WiMAX announcement said the company’s plan envisioned initial rollout being completed by the end of the year, with Mobile WiMAX coverage reaching 100 million people nationwide by the end of 2008.
In August 2006, Sprint Nextel announced WiMAX IEEE802.16e-2005 as its next-generation mobile technology platform and formed an infrastructure development ecosystem with Intel, Samsung and Motorola.
For more information visit www.sprint.com.