WiMax Rollout Hits Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth

Sprint said Nov. 2 it has launched WiMax service in Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth in addition to three markets in North Carolina. Sprint launched the nation’s first WiMax deployment in Baltimore in September 2008 before spinning off its WiMax Xohn division into Clearwire’s 4G operations.

Clearwire and Sprint Nextel are the only two U.S. carriers betting on WiMax to deliver 4G wireless broadband. Verizon Wireless and AT&T, the nation’s two largest carriers, are betting on a rival technology called LTE for their 4G networks. Both WiMax and LTE allow for the delivery of last-mile wireless broadband access, promising faster download speeds than current cellular networks.

In addition to Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth, Sprint is also launching 4G service Nov. 2 in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh, N.C. Sprint said it will launch its 4G services later in November in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. Sprint also plans to deploy 4G service before the end of the year in Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii; Salem, Ore.; and Seattle.

In 2010, Sprint expects to launch service in multiple markets, including Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

“Sprint continues to lead the charge in rolling out wireless 4G in cities across America and the momentum continues to build,” Todd Rowley, vice president of Sprint 4G, said in a statement. “Our aggressive expansion of Sprint 4G will include many new devices and capabilities that create increased performance and productivity while enhancing personal lifestyles on the go.”