4G WiMAX and LTE Latest Updates

The race for 4G technology is really starting to heat up as CLEAR and Sprint continue to expand coverage, Sprint released their much anticipated HTC EVO, Verizon announced LTE test markets and reports LTE capable phones are in the works! Below are the latest updates in the world of 4G:

WiMAX Coverage News:

Both Sprint and CLEAR have been working hard to bring 4G WiMAX to the following new markets, Richmond, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Kansas City and expanding coverage in Baltimore. CLEAR has also expanded coverage to Merced and Visalia, California; Eugene, Oregon; and Rochester and Syracuse, New York. Throughout the summer they plan to have coverage in 20 more major cities. On a more unofficial note, there have also been reports from customers in parts of New York and California that they are seeing 4G on their devices, despite the fact that 4G has not yet launched there.

WiMAX Equipment:

On June 4th, 2010 was the date that the HTC EVO was released, the worlds first 3G/4G capable phone! This phone is all about changing the way people use their phones with features such as the mobile hotspot (allowing you to use your EVO's 3G/4G connection to share with up to 8 devices via wireless). The device has been so popular, you currently can't find it in any stores as we all wait anxiously for another shipment. If touchscreen only devices aren't your style, Samsung has come to the rescue with the announcement of the Samsung Epic. This device will be the first 3G/4G phone with a full QWERTY keyboard.

As for WiMAX aircards, Sprint's Overdrive had gotten off to a rocky start because of some firmware issues, however, they have released a new firmware version 2.06.06 which has fixed the issue's users were complaining about. When ordering the Overdrive from 3Gstore, we make sure that every Overdrive shipped has version 2.06.06 pre-installed for you! Sprint has also released the new 250U 3G/4G aircard, which is the first device that includes the option for both a 3G and 4G antenna port (antennas currently work on 3G only). CLEAR announced that they'll be releasing 3G/4G portable hot-spots in July, which have been demanded ever since the popularity of the MiFi2200 3G devices.

LTE News:

As Sprint and CLEAR continue to expand coverage, Verizon has been focusing on their final testing phases (user trials in 5 markets - Boston, Seattle and 3 other unnamed cities). In early May, Verizon showed off their LTE network for the first time in Boston and the results were impressive. During the demonstrations they managed to get an 8.55Mbps download speed and a 2.8Mbps upload speed. Rural users can also start getting excited because they plan to partner with local companies that already have towers and backhaul available - Verizon will provide the LTE equipment and let the local providers manage the towers and backhaul. This strategy is planned to help them meet their goal of covering their entire 3G footprint with full 4G LTE coverage by 2013. Tips are also rolling in, rumoring that Verizon will be launching their 4G LTE service in 25 markets on 11/15/10, with several LTE handsets to follow on "Black Friday", which this year falls on 11/26.

LTE Equipment:

With the rumored LTE release date of 11/15, reports of various handset manufactures developing LTE handsets continue to roll in. RIM (manufacturers of Blackberry) is currently working one of the first LTE handsets for Verizon's LTE! This phone is being dubbed the BlackBerry Storm 3 has some impressive rumored spec's. The phone supposedly will feature a 1Ghz Processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Aside from the storm there might be up to five other LTE phones by next May, from manufacturers such as Motorola, HTC, LG and BlackBerry.

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Things are certainly heating up as we move through the summer months! We're sure there will be plenty of new devices in the upcoming months and can't wait to see Verizon's network first hand. That's all for now, 4G-lovers, but keep coming back for the latest updates at 4ginfo.com, and join in the 4G discussion on the 4G Forums!

2009 in Review: The Year of 4G!

This has been a really exciting year for 4G services! This time last year, 4G services were available in just a select few markets, and after just one year Sprint/CLEAR have expanded their WiMAX coverage to over 30 markets, several new devices made their debut, and Verizon made sure we didn't forget that LTE is on the way. Lets take a look at the highlights of 4G in 2009!

• Sprint/Clearwire Expands 4G WiMax Coverage To New Markets:

• Abilene, TX
• Amarillo, TX
• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX
• Bellingham, WA
• Boise, ID
• Chicago, IL
• Corpus Christi, TX
• Dallas / Fort Worth, TX
• Greensboro, NC
• Honolulu, HI
• Killeen, TX
• Las Vegas, NV
• Lubbock, TX
• Maui, HI
• Midland / Odessa, TX
• Milledgeville, GA
• Philadelphia, PA
• Portland, OR
• Raleigh, NC
• Salem, OR
• San Antonio, TX
• Seattle, WA
• Waco, TX
• Witchita Falls, TX

• Cradlepoint integrates support for the new 4G devices onto their router line with a firmware update.

• Sprint, Clearwire’s largest shareholder, expanded it’s network onto the Clearwire infrastructure to become the first national 3G/4G carrier.

• Sprint announced the U301 3G/4G Hybrid Modem, the first Mac-compatible 3G/4G Hybrid device

• Samsung announced and released the Mondi, the first "MID" or Mobile Internet Device to work on the Clear network.

• Verizon completed its initial tests on its LTE network in two lucky cities, Boston and Seattle, and promised coverage to 25-30 markets in 2010.

Going into the new year, we are looking forward to seeing many new developments and advances in 4G. Things that we will be watching for this year include:

• CLEAR and Sprint 4G further expanding their 4G coverage to new markets
• WiMAX-enabled phones (Sprint & LG To Unveil WiMax 4G Phone at CES?)
• Verizon to launch their 4G LTE service
• 3Gstore.com (4Ginfo's sister site) will begin selling Clear & Sprint 4G products and services in the very near future - check 3Gstore.com/clear for updates!
  

It looks like 2010 is going to be a very exciting year for 4G services, so stay tuned for the latest news & information!

Who Needs a Landline? Use Clear for VOIP!

Landline phone providers have already taken a big hit over the past couple years as more and more customers are deciding to rely solely on their cell phones, and now Clearwire is offering one more way to ditch the local phone company: the ClearVoice adapter.

Clearwire's latest addition to their product lineup is the Linksys 2102 ClearVoice adapter, which allows you to utilize your Clear Home Modem and any regular landline telephone for VOIP phone service. The adapter features two ports for phones (or even a fax machine) and 2 ethernet ports - one to connect to the Home Modem and a spare one that you can use for networking.

Best of all, it's affordable. The ClearVoice Adapter is only $15 and the service is just $25 (in addition to any of the Clear home plans) for unlimited calling!

Sprint announced the industry's first dual mode 3G and 4G device today, the Sprint 4G U300 (by Franklin Wireless). This USB dongle will allow you to access all of Sprint's mobile broadband networks, including EVDO Rev-A and WiMAX! Currently, 4G is ONLY available in Baltimore, but they will be expanding throughout 2009.

The device will cost $199.99 with a 2 year contract and will be available after 12/21/08; the monthly charge will be $79.99 for EVDO and 4G access. It is unclear what the usage limits will be, but I'd imagine it would be 5GB like most mobile broadband. Unfortunately, it is NOT Mac compatible, which is strange, since all other Franklin devices have been Mac compatible out of the box - this is probably because they don't (yet) have Mac support for their 4G network at all.

Related Links:

• Sprint U300 Announcement
  
• Sprint 4G U300 - First Announced on 4Ginfo.com
• Franklin Reveals First EVDO/WiMAX USB Device: the U300
• Discuss the Sprint U300 on EVDOforums.com
• When Available, you may be able to buy the Sprint U300 at 3Gstore.com
  
• Read about Franklin Warranty on EVDOinfo.com

The newly formed Clearwire is only a week old, but they are wasting no time picking up where Sprint left off and moving forward with their new brand. As you probably know by now, the closure of the merger between Clearwire and Sprint's WiMAX division gives Clearwire all of Sprint's WiMAX assets as well as access to several billion dollars of investment money from the likes of Google, Intel, and of course Sprint.

Clearwire's WiMAX service is called "Clear", and XOHM is being re-branded to match. As far as we can tell, there won't be any interruption in service for users already signed up with XOHM - it's simply a matter of re-branding. The new Clear WiMAX network debuted in Portland last week, and while the new clear.com website does NOT bother giving us any sort of coverage map to look at, you can type in an address and see if service is available. You can't take a look at the plans or see how much the modems cost unless you confirm your coverage first, so I used the Portland Fire Department's address and was able to peruse their offerings. Here's what I found:

Essentially, Clear's service structure is set up very similarly to XOHM's. You have the option of "home" service with a Motorola home modem - it plugs into the wall and then you can connect either via ethernet or hook it up to a regular WiFi router - or "mobile" service with a Motorola w100 USB dongle. Like XOHM, Clear has no-contract options, but you also have the option of signing a 2-year Clear contract and getting some discounts, including waivers of the $35 activation fee. The cost of the devices themselves is the same whether you sign the contract or not, though - $49.99 for the USB dongle and $175 for the home modem - so I would imagine that most people will opt to steer clear of contracts (pun 100% intended).

The other interesting thing that Clear has done with their plans is give you options for speed with the home modem and usage with the USB device. With the home modem, you are guaranteed unlimited bandwidth (let's see how long that lasts), but you can choose the speed you pay for: $20/month for 768 Kbps/128 Kbps, $30 for 3.0 Mbps/384 Kbps, or $40 for 6.0 Mbps/512 Kbps. With the USB modem, you are limited to 4.0 Mbps/384 Kbps, but you can choose from three bandwidth plans: 200mb for $30, 2GB for $40, or unlimited (again - enjoy it while it lasts!) for just $50/month.

While these new plans offer a lot of flexibility and can help occasional users save money by giving them a cheap, low-usage option, it all seems a bit much. Even the most expensive plans offered by Clear are still very competitive - and cheaper than EVDO - so I doubt many customers will choose to forgo the potentially awesome speeds Clear can offer in favor of saving $10 a month.

Discuss the CLEAR plans and products on the 4G Forums

A few weeks ago we broke the news that a tri-mode WiMAX/EVDO/HSDPA USB device was on the way, the Franklin U300. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the debut of this device, especially as more and more people are having success with WiMAX.

So where is it?!

Well, it's not here yet, but rumors have surfaced about pricing. These aren't official announcements, but the information sounds reasonable and will most likely prove to be true.

The full retail cost of the device itself - AKA the cost you pay without signing up for a 2-year contract - is alleged to be in the $300 range, comparable to the price of EVDO devices and phones without a contract. However, when you purchase it with a contract I'm sure it will be far cheaper.

As for the price of the service, it is rumored to be set at $79.99/month and require a 2-year contract. The EVDO service will be limited to 5GB, and the WiMAX will be unlimited (for now - Sprint has already hinted at applying a similar limit to WiMAX in the future).

Stay tuned for more information!

Read more and get the full specs on 4Ginfo.com
Discuss the U300 and other WiMAX devices on the 4G Forums

XOHM currently offers three modems for use on their WiMAX network, and they're all different formats: there's the Zyxel Home Modem, SWC-e100 ExpressCard, and their latest offering, the ZTE Tu25 USB dongle. So which one are you supposed to choose? Which one is the "best"? Do they all work the same?

We at 4Ginfo.com have tested all three available XOHM modems, and after comparing the performance and benefits of them we've put together some information that should help you make your choice!

Our Favorite: Zyxel Home Modem: If you're going to use XOHM primarily at home, the Zyxel is far and away the best choice. It's incredibly easy to set up and is compatible with any computer (it is the ONLY one that works with Macs right now) AND can be used with any standard router! It works just like a regular cable or DSL modem: just plug it into the wall and then either connect it directly to your computer via an ethernet cable or use it with a router. Its built-in antennas are powerful, and it is the only modem with antenna ports that can be used with future antennas, like EVDO aircards (there aren't any available yet, but stay tuned).

It also out-performed the other two options. We saw consistent download speeds of 4-5Mbps (even higher than XOHM promises on their site) and we were seeing consistent uploads of well over 1Mbps. Unless you're going to be traveling a lot and don't want to worry about having to find an outlet everywhere you go, this is definitely the best modem to go for.

First Runner Up: ZTE Tu25 USB Modem: If you want to go truly mobile, we suggest the USB option. It worked well for us, and obviously works with any PC that has an USB port (not on Macs, though!). As for speeds, we were able to occasionally hit download speeds of nearly 10Mbs, but the average speeds were much lower than that. The upload speeds, on the other hand, were significantly less than what we saw with the Home Modem, in the range of about 800Kbps as opposed to 1.2+Mbps.

Unlike the Home Modem, there probably won't be an option to hook up an external antenna to this modem. It does have two connectors on the bottom of the modem beneath the label, but they are u.fl connectors and not designed for repeated connecting and disconnecting of an antenna like we do for EVDO aircards.

And in a Distant Third Place: The Samsung ExpressCard: Unless you have too many peripheral devices taking up your USB ports or you just love ExpressCards, we do NOT recommend the SWC-e100 ExpressCard. There have been activation problems, and those that have been able to activate it have experienced slow speeds and difficultly staying connected to the network. In our tests, we maxed out at 1.5Mbps or so down and our fastest upload speed was 791 - the average upload speed was more like 500. Better than dial-up, but those are speeds we expect from EVDO Rev-A, not WiMAX. With the USB modem also available for "on-the-go" users, there is no reason to opt for the ExpressCard.

If you've used a XOHM modem, let us know if you agree with our opinions! Share your experience with the 4G community at the 4G Forums

Everyone appreciates a device that can serve more than one purpose (like the USB EVDO modems that can double as a flash drive!), and Franklin Wireless has released news that they're coming out with a potentially AWESOME device that is compatible with WiMAX, EVDO Rev-A, AND HSDPA! It's called the U300 and is made by C-Motech, and is set to become available by the end of the year.

I said that it was "potentially" awesome because at this point, we don't know much about it other than the technical specifications released by the company. There is speculation that it will be a pricey device - possibly in the $200-$300 range (but again, that is just speculation at this point), and how the usage will be charged is unknown, too. Sprint's XOHM service doesn't require a contract, but all EVDO providers do. Most likely, we will still be required to sign a contract if we want to use the U300 for EVDO, but hopefully WiMAX will remain contract free. As for monthly costs, I would imagine we'll be paying for both services at full price. Another question is whether it has an antenna port on it - while there aren't currently any antennas available for WiMAX devices, there will be in the future and a lack of antenna port could be a deal breaker for many users. As for use in a router, that's another question that probably won't be answered for a while.

If the u300 is as good as it sounds up front, it will likely become a huge hit.

Read more and get the full specs on 4Ginfo.com
Discuss the U300 and other WiMAX devices on the 4G Forums

Apple prides themselves on always being on the cutting edge of technology - who had an MP3 player before we all got hooked on iPods? - and it looks like they're aiming to be one of the first manufacturers to jump on the WiMAX bandwagon.

It has been reported that devices like the iPod Touch and some notebooks may soon come equipped with WiMAX chips - in Korea, anyway. Apple and Korean provider KT Corp have signed a "memorandum of understanding," which, while not equivalent to an official partnership, does indicate that Apple is interested in the technology. It makes sense that they would choose Korea as their first market for WiMAX devices, since WiMAX has been available for a while now and covers a large number of subscribers.

Interestingly, one device the Korean market WONT be seeing WiMAX on is the iPhone. Korea hasn't even allowed the iPhone 3G to be sold in the country because Korea requires all smartphones to comply with the WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability) standard, which requires that online-capable phones support Java as well as certain types of executable code. The requirement doesn't apply to the iPod Touch or MacBooks, so Apple would be allowed to integrate WiMAX on those devices.

While it is certainly exciting to see WiMAX expand to other devices, remember that there are a lot of downsides to integrated devices...

Discuss Apple's WiMAX plans on the 4G Forums

XOHM has recently updated their "products" page on their official site, featuring laptops that have embedded WiMAX chips. The selling point for these laptops is the alleged convenience - simply activate the internal device and access the network wherever you take your laptop (as long as you're in the coverage area, of course)!

Sounds good, right? We don't think so. Let's look at what you get - and don't get - with an embedded device.

Pros:

• Convenience. No need to take a device with you.
• Save a little money - you don't need to buy a device. However, all of the XOHM devices currently available are so cheap that selecting a laptop based on the prospect of saving $60 seems silly.

Cons:

• No option for ever attaching an antenna to improve your signal! Many, MANY people use antennas to improve the performance of their EVDO devices, and with WiMAX still a ways off from being widely available, many WiMAX users are going to be utilizing them as well. With an embedded device, your only option to improve your signal is an expensive cellular repeater, for which you also need to purchase 2 antennas.
  
• No sharing! The only computer on which you'll be able to use your service is the computer its embedded in (obviously). With a dedicated device, like a USB or ExpressCard modem, you can pop it into ANY computer that has the proper port.
• No WiFi! You have no option of using a router to share the signal with multiple computers.
• Connection manager? It is currently unknown whether these laptops will utilize the carrier's connection manager or if, like the EVDO laptops, you will be limited to using the laptop manufacturer's connection manager. This becomes a big problem when updates to the firmware and new features become available. With a dedicated device, carriers make those updates available immediately - but they do not make it a priority to get these updates to users not using their connection manager.
  
• What if it stops working? Good luck replacing it! It's very difficult just to FIND a replacement chip and even more difficult to actually replace it in the laptop.
• How about upgrading? When EVDO upgraded to Rev-A, customers with EVDO embedded laptops were out of luck and stuck only being able to access the Rev-0 network. If WiMAX upgrades their network in a similar manner, embedded chip users would be unable to upgrade.
  

What do you think? Would you buy one? Discuss on 4G Forums!

WiMAX World was chock full of prototypes and interesting gadgets. Unfortunately... the companies tend to neglect to offer things like tech specs or other such details, so all we can do is lust over them and imagine what cool things they'll offer!

Here's one such device from C-motech, the CMR-300 WiMAX router. It looks pretty much like any standard WiFi router, complete with a built-in antenna to presumably provide greater WiFi range. It appears to have a USB port to pop in your USB WiMAX modem (which.... currently aren't available) and share your signal with the whole household or office. Stay tuned for more details - we'll report them as soon as we can get our hands on them!

On a related note, our good friends at Cradlepoint will be working to make their product line compatible with XOHM/WiMAX devices in the future!

Now that we've confirmed that there is indeed XOHM available in Chicago (albeit unannounced), it's time to put it to the test!

On the official XOHM site, potential speeds are quoted at 2 - 4 Mbps download and 0.5 - 1.5 Mbps up. There have been rumblings that the actual speeds don't live up the hype, but here's what we found:

Zyxel Mac206M2 Home Modem: We tested the Zyxel directly connected via ethernet to a Mac Powerbook running Leopard. We performed three tests, about 3 hours apart, to account for fluctuations. Those internal antennas built into the modem must really do their job - the average download speed was about 4.5Mbps, faster than XOHM's promises. The upload speed averaged at about 1.2, which, while not as impressive when compared to the download, is still well within the range quoted by XOHM. So far, so good!

For the Samsung SWC-E100 ExpressCard, we switched to a Toshiba laptop running Windows Vista Home (remember: the ExpressCard does NOT work with Macs). Despite the fact that we were in the same location, the results were markedly different. Download came in at 3.1Mbps and upload at just 0.8, right in the middle of XOHM's promise but disappointing after seeing how the Home Modem did.

It is definitely very exciting to see these types of speeds. The true test, though, will be how it holds up as the service becomes more popular and the network traffic increases.

For screenshots and more, check out 4Ginfo.com

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.

Join the discussion at 4G Forums

In a world where "can't we all just get along?" is nothing more than a meaningless cliche these days, 4G device manufacturers are actually doing something along those lines: creating 4G products that will feature both LTE and WiMAX capabilities!

Not all vendors will create devices like this, and not all carriers will offer them. But Intel and Ericson have already been making chips for laptop companies that work with LTE and WiMAX, and we'll be seeing the same cool feature available in everything from cameras to smartphones to video cameras at some point.

Having the ability to use your device on different networks is huge for consumers. You'd have the option of signing up for both services and being able to access either one depending on which coverage area you're in, and canceling service with one provider to switch to another wouldn't require a new modem/laptop/etc. The question now is whether LTE-only and WiMAX-only service providers (i.e. Sprint and Verizon) will be willing to sell devices that don't lock you into their service.

WiMAX World, a big meeting of the minds for WiMAX developers, engineers, providers, and device manufacturers, and one of the fun things they do there is recognize the best in the biz in several different categories. Companies can win awards in the following categories:

• Service Provider Deployment
• System Design
• Devices/Peripherals/Application Software
• Chip Design
• Industry Innovation
• Industry Choice

The finalists were announced yesterday, and they include a bunch of names with which we are not too familiar with just yet (but I'm sure we will be as WiMAX keeps rolling on!) and a couple that everybody knows. The most interesting award for most of us consumers is the honor in the devices category, as we've been eagerly awaiting more news and details on just what we'll be using to access the network when we are all finally able to.

Finalists in that category are: Motorola for the USBw100, WiMAX 20/20 for the WiROI, and ZTE USA for the TU25 USB WiMAX Dongle Modem. ZTE USA and Motorola's offerings are modems, obviously, and the WiROI is described as a "business case tool," which calculates and analyzes expenses of a variety of deployment plans and service models - very useful for all the companies rushing to build their networks.

Stay tuned at the end of the month for more news on WiMAX World - including, hopefully, some actual looks at those devices!

Virgin Mobile recently began using the EVDO network (via Sprint) for their service, and it looks like they are planning to continue on the broadband trend. It was reported this week that they are looking into offering WiMAX devices when the time comes, since they have access to Sprint's network.

This is all thanks to Virgin's recent acquisition of MVNO Helio. Sprint uses MVNO's network for their 3G and voice services, so Virgin will be able to tag on to their WiMAX network and offer it themselves as well. I wonder if they'll offer something prepaid?

Verizon may have a history of rebuffing Google, particularly its Android platform, but such is not the case for Clearwire. In a chat with Unstrung.com, CEO Ben Wolf confirmed that their WiMAX XOHM devices will indeed make use of Android.

Between their earlier timeline and now the confirmation that Sprint/Clearwire XOHM users will get to use Android devices, Verizon is looking further and further behind in the 4G market. They did show some interesting progress this week with talk of their new "open development" policy, but how far will that carry them?

Discuss Clearwire and Android on 4G Forums

USA users of carriers like Sprint and Verizon have long wished their cell phones and broadband modems were based on the GSM format so that they could have more flexibility in overseas usage, the technology that most of the rest of the world operates on. Users of non-GSM based wireless products who wish to use their service overseas are either unable (such as EVDO broadband pretty much anywhere but North America) to do so or forced to pay ridiculous roaming fees for the "privilege" of being able to use their phone or internet service that they are already paying for.

We've heard a lot of complaints about this issue, and there are already people wondering if that might change when WiMAX and LTE are debuted. The good news is that WiMAX does not require a physical token like a SIM card. So long as your WiMAX device/internal modem operates on the proper frequency, you could sign up with whatever provider suits your needs on a temporary basis. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as if LTE providers are going to be straying from their SIM-based format as they make the gradual move from 3G to 4G. If you go with LTE, you will remain saddled with the usual 1 or 2-year contract and have to deal with the same pains as always.

Will this prevent people from signing up for LTE when WiMAX is available as an alternative? Or will a SIM-free solution for LTE be developed? There will be some for whom being able to sign up with various providers will be a huge factor, but I'd imagine that the majority of 4G users are going to be more focused on coverage areas and broadband speeds (not to mention bandwidth limits, but let's not go there just yet).

We've been waiting anxiously for info on the products we'll be using for WiMAX service when it finally becomes available, and today we all get a sneak peek at some of the devices, courtesy of the wonder of the internet and various sites' willingness to link info!

The purported devices include a XOHM phone from Nokia, Samsung SWC-E100 expresscard, ZTE TU25 USB modem, and a ZTE PCMCIA card (why?). Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be Mac support for the devices at this time, but when the devices become available the crew at 4Ginfo.com will work to explore Mac workaround options. Also, no pricing information has been released at this time.

Here's a look at a couple products:

The ZyXel WiMAX mobile router looks very promising - compact and featuring an optional 4-hour battery:

Pictures of Nokia's N810 WiMAX phone have also been leaked. It appears to be a slider model with full QWERTY keypad:

Sprint is still being tight-lipped about pricing, from the service to the products. With coverage landing in Baltimore any time now, though, I'd assume we will be hearing soon. Stay tuned.

Discuss Sprint XOHM WiMAX's Leaked Products on 4G Forums

On the heels of the news that Intel was developing very affordable laptops that will offer integrated WiMAX capabilities, Toshiba has revealed that they too have WiMAX-ready laptops on the horizon. Unlike Intel's computers, which will be available only in India to start, Toshiba is planning to have these ready for sale in the USA as soon as September, when Sprint is planning to launch the Xohm network. The laptops will run on Intel's quad-core processors, which will provide the processing power necessary to take full advantage of WiMAX's speeds.

Sales for WiMAX-enabled computers will probably be slow for quite some time as Sprint and other providers slowly roll out their WiMAX networks in more locals, but I'd look at it as a great option if you're upgrading computers and also interested in getting on board with WiMAX as soon as it's available.