Any time a new technology launches, there are bound to be a few questions - and manufacturers/providers/etc aren't always exactly thorough about making things clear.

Case in point: Sprint's confusing home vs mobile XOHM coverage.

Sprint is currently offering two WiMAX devices, one billed as a "home modem" that you use like a standard modem (plug into a power supply and then connect to your computer via an ethernet cable OR plug it into any standard wireless router and access it wirelessly) and the other is an ExpressCard. When you go to check coverage on the XOHM site, you are given two options: search for coverage for "mobile devices" or for "modems." Depending on which you select, the coverage map looks different - but what is the difference between the two?

After searching both the official site and performing an extensive good old fashioned Google search and coming up empty, I decided to bite the bullet and call XOHM. Wireless providers are notorious for not having the greatest customer and technical support (which is why you buy from 3G Store!), so I was very interested (and a tad nervous) to see how Sprint would do with their brand new service. Would the reps be knowledgeable, considering the newness of the service?

Well, it took me three calls with three different reps to get an answer that made sense. I asked the same question each time: "What is the difference between the 'modem' and 'mobile device' coverage shown on your maps?"

The first time I called, the man who answered (who, to his credit, was very nice and professional) listened to my question and responded as if he'd heard this inquiry a thousand times. He confidently explained that XOHM operated on two different frequencies and that the home modem could only access the coverage marked as "modem" and the ExpressCard (and other mobile devices, such as internal laptop modems) would be covered by the other service area. I had never heard of this before and it didn't make any sense. Why would they need or want to create essentially two separate networks that could only be accessed by certain devices?

So I called again, hoping to get a different employee. Another very nice man answered, and like his coworker was more than happy to answer my question. His answer was completely different, though. According to Rep #2, there was only one frequency and any device could access it as long as you're in the coverage area. When I pressed further, asking why the map shows two different coverage areas depending on which type of device you choose, he was stumped. He put me on hold to ask a supervisor; when he came back he told me he wasn't sure WHY the map was like that but that, don't worry, the service was the same and either device would work. I politely asked him to ask again, figuring that there must be SOME reason that they created the map in that fashion - there must be a difference! When he returned after asking another supervisor, he informed me that there was no reason for the maps to be that way and it must have been a mistake.

Strike two.

I called again, because neither answer that I received was remotely satisfactory. With Rep # 3, I finally hit the jackpot with a man who had clearly been paying attention to Sprint's training videos. He explained that the home modem - the Zyxel coffee maker-shaped modem - has very strong omni-directional antennas built into it, and thus the range when you are using it is much wider than when you use an ExpressCard. With the home modem, you'll be able to access XOHM from further away from the tower - which explains the two parts of the coverage map. In other words, there is indeed just ONE type of signal coming off the towers, the home modem's strong built-in antennas simply let you access it from a wider range.

Even though it took a few calls, I would like to mention that all three of the gentlemen were very polite. It just seems that Sprint hasn't been able to provide comprehensive training on their new service yet.

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