Nokia and Sprint Launch WiMAX in Texas

March 14, 2007 – Nokia announced that the mobile phone manufacturer will launch four WiMAX sites in Texas for expanded wireless Internet access. In conjunction with Sprint Nextel, Nokia will expand its network in Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin, and launch new Nokia WiMAX-enabled mobile devices, slated for next year, according to a Nokia company press release today.

 

Called the next generation of broadband Internet, Worldwide Interoperabiltiy for Microwave Access, otherwise known as WiMAX, offers an economical way to deliver Internet access over greater distances, according to the industry non-profit WiMAX Forum. WiMAX operates, not on line-of-sight, but through base station that can support hundreds to thousands of businesses or residences, according to WiMAX Forum. 

 

The network will run on the new Nokia Flexi WiMAX Base Station as compact and weatherproof equipment, according to the release. Sprint Nextel expects that by the end of 2008, their WiMAX network will serve over 100 million people nationwide, according to the release.

 

“We are confident in our ability to deploy the network on time in these markets in the first half of 2008,” said Nokia’s Mark Louison, head of their Networks division in North America.

 

Sprint will invest $800 million this year to set up the WiMAX network in the U.S., according to a Jan. 5 Reuters report.