The Reston, Virginia-based mobile operator will add the Finnish equipment vendor’s Flexi WiMAX base stations to the list of equipment used in its radio access network, but the two companies have also agreed to work on the development of WiMAX-enabled devices, including multimedia computers and internet tablets. Nokia already has a WiFi-only tablet in its N series which is expected be upgradeable to the wireless WAN technology of 802.16e.
A spokesperson for Sprint Nextel said the company is deploying WiMAX in the most densely populated areas of the US as a data-centric wireless technology, outside which device connectivity will drop back to its EV-DO Rev A network, so the devices will need to be dual-mode WiMAX and cellular, but there are also plans for WiMAX-only devices.
We see WiMAX not only for phones and PDAs, but also going into consumer electronics equipment like cameras and printers, he said. There is also the potential for WiMAX connections to vehicle dashboards, enabling not just a map, but a full motion video of an incident up ahead to be shown. He said these devices are likely to be WiMAX-only.
