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Last week customers (and 4Ginfo) were able to confirm Sprint XOHM coverage in Chicago, Philadelphia, and (of course) Baltimore, and this week operating networks have been sighted in several more regions. Users in Dallas, Washington DC, northern Virginia, and Boston have also reported connectivity. XOHM.com also lists Providence as an "upcoming" area of coverage, but thus far there are no confirmations of sightings there.

If you live in one of those areas, remember: you won't be able to access the network - even though it exists! - unless you use our workaround to register your device. You can purchase a XOHM device directly from xohm.com or one of their stores (and they will soon be available in select Best Buy stores).

So far, Sprint's XOHM service plans look a lot like what we'd love to have for EVDO. There is an affordable option for everybody, you're not locked into a contract at all, and the devices are reasonably priced. Best of all - no 5GB limit!

Yet.

XOHM has only been on the market for a few days, but the head honchos at Sprint are already hinting at a future cap. If you read the fine print in the subscriber agreement you'll see a sneaky little "acceptable use" clause which gives the company the right to limit data usage, which sounds a lot like the way Verizon and Sprint handled their "heavy users" before they officially enacted a cap. 

At WiMAX World today, senior vice president of Mobile Broadband Operations for Sprint's XOHM service Atish Gude addressed the issue in his keynote speech, saying that they may decide to cap the usage of high users when traffic is the heaviest on the XOHM network, to protect the rest of the users from feeling the effects of the bandwidth crunch. As he explained it,"Sometimes the rights of the many outweigh the rights of the few. Every wireless network operator knows this."

Be that as it may, any imposed limits are going to upset users who know that their internet habits or work requirements exceed 5GB each month. 

 

Sprint has done some interesting things with their available pricing plans for the new XOHM service. The options are much more flexible than anything they have available for phones or EVDO - and more affordable, too.

 

There are four different plans you can choose from:

• Daily On-The-Go (for ExpressCard or Home Modem): $10 per day - and that is not just an introductory price - gets you 24 hours of XOHM access.
• On-The-Go (for ExpressCard/Mobile Devices): $35 per month for the first 6 months, then $45/month. When you sign up, you are set up with a monthly recurring payment - but you can cancel it at any time. You do, however, pay for a full month at a time - you cannot cancel after 3 days and pay a prorated amount.
• Home (for Home Modem only): $35 per month for the first 6 months, then $45/month. When you sign up, you are set up with a monthly recurring payment - but you can cancel it at any time. You do, however, pay for a full month at a time - you cannot cancel after 3 days and pay a prorated amount.
• Pick 2: $50 per month for service on any TWO XOHM devices. The $50 price is "for life" - but if you discontinue your service plan and then RE-sign up later, the cost will be $60/month. Like the On-the-Go and Home plans, you pay for a full month.

Since none of the plans require contracts, there is NO credit check, NO activation fee, and NO cancellation fee. Also, if you upgrade to a new device, you can easily transfer your service from the old device to the new.

With the monthly plans, you also get a few other features:

• A customizable My XOHM homepage
• One XOHM Mail, Calendar and Chat account powered by Google®
• One XOHM Locker to store up to 5 GB of your stuff
• McAfee® Privacy Service software for up to 1 PC

You do NOT get those features with the daily plan.

What do you think of the pricing plans? Will they make you more likely to try the service? Discuss on 4G Forums!

Now that XOHM coverage has been confirmed in many areas - including the launch site of Baltimore as well as Philadelphia and Chicago - the world is waiting to find out whether its really as great as Sprint has advertised.

We ordered both the Zyxel Mac206M2 Home Modem and the Samsung SWC-E100 ExpressCard so that we could test them both and see if one performed better. On the official XOHM site, potential speeds are quoted at 2 - 4 Mbps download and 0.5 - 1.5 Mbps up. Let's see how the modems did in a real-life situation!

The tests were performed near Chicago, IL, in the same house for both tests.

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.

Test 1:

Test 2:

Test 3:

 

After the speed tests, we checked how long it took to ping Google:

 

 

Here is the tracerout test to Google - 108.33 ms:

 

 

These initial tests are very promising! The average download speed was about 4.5Mbps - faster than XOHM's promises. The upload speed, which averaged at about 1.2, came in well within the rage quoted. Based on the times we ran these, it definitely looks like your speeds can fluctuate based on the time of day - there are a lot fewer people accessing the network at 3:42am.

For the ExpressCard, we switched to a Toshiba laptop running Windows Vista Home (remember: the ExpressCard does NOT work with Macs). Here are the results:

While impressive, the results with the ExpressCard paled in comparison to what we saw with the Zyxel. The download speed was 30% lower and there was an even bigger gap with upload, which came in 33% lower than with the home modem. However, the speeds on the ExpressCard still fell within their promised speeds.

The difference between the results are most likely due to the internal antennas within the Zyxel Home Modem, making it able to access a strong signal further from the tower than the ExpressCard. It is possible that the ExpressCard could perform more strongly had we been right beneath a tower. Alternatively, an antenna might help - when they become available!

Whether or not XOHM's performance lives up to the hype remains to be seen. So few people are using it at this point that it's difficult to gage how it will be effected when it becomes more widespread. For the time being, though, we are happy to see that it IS possible to get those high speeds - especially with the home modem!

Sprint has only officially announced their WiMAX XOHM service in the Baltimore area, but there have been sightings of active coverage in other areas of the country, including Philadelphia, Chicago, and Dallas. In order to access it, you need an activated XOHM modem (obviously) - but how can you register it if you don't have a Baltimore address?

No problem! The pro's at 4Ginfo.com are here to help!

It IS possible to activate your XOHM modem - no matter WHERE you live. If you're in the Philly/Chicago/Dallas area or just want to be ready for when WiMAX makes its debut in your region, simply follow these steps and you'll have an activated XOHM device that is ready to connect to the high-speed network.

Step 1: Purchase the Zyxel Mac206M2 Modem from XOHM.com

Step 2: Un-box your equipment and place the device as close to a window as possible. You want your modem to have the best possible view of the towers in order for this to work!

Step 3: Plug in the provided power supply and connect the ethernet cable to a laptop (best for Portability) or desktop ethernet port.

Step 4: Open a web browser and the activation screen will launch automatically (you must be IN an area with XOHM coverage).

 

 

Step 5: It is important to enter a Baltimore Maryland zip code that is in a coverage area in the first window. We used 21207, which is from the address of a local police station.

 

 

 

Step 6: Proceed with activating your account by entering in all of your information as well as your credit card and account information.

Step 7: Once you have received an invoice on the screen stating your activation has become successful, your modem is now activated!

Step 8. Now comes the workaround... In order to get outside the XOHM domain where they have all service bound to at this time (Baltimore only), you will need to change the service address in their system to a Baltimore Maryland address.

Step 9: Simply visit the my.XOHM site and log in with your username and password. Click on "Account" at the top of the page and then "Account Information" on the left; just under that you should see "Address" listed. Select "Address" and enter in an address that was shown to be within the XOHM coverage area (such as the address of the police station we used).

 

 

 

 

Step 10: That's it! You're ready to connect and start surfing the web and downloading and uploading files at WiMAX XOHM speeds!

 

Like this workaround? Share it with others! Sprint XOHM non-Baltimore Activation

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New 4G wireless era dawns as unique business model revolutionizes mobile Internet access

A next-generation 4G wireless network based on mobile WiMAX technology debuted today in Baltimore, heralding the start of a new era for wireless consumers as Sprint (NYSE: S) officially launched XOHM(TM) mobile broadband commercial service in the first major U.S. city.

"This is truly an historic day with the birth of a completely new Internet-based business model that alters the dynamics of the traditional telecom industry," explained Barry West, president of Sprint's XOHM business unit. "Wireless consumers will experience WiMAX device and XOHM service innovation on multiple levels as the computer, Internet, telecom and consumer electronics industries converge to redefine wireless mobility."

XOHM WiMAX will extend the home or office Internet experience and mobile multimedia applications to other places and additional devices. With XOHM, consumers, businesses and local governments will ultimately be able to experience new forms of interactive communications, high-speed mobile Internet browsing, social-networking tools, location-centric services and multimedia including music, video and on-demand products at faster average downlink speeds of 2-4 Mbps. The data-centric XOHM broadband service differs from present wireless offerings in that:

• No long-term commitments or contracts are required, freeing customers from restrictive long-term subsidized plans
• Monthly home, on-the-go and day-pass Internet plans provide service choices
• A single monthly charge covers service for multiple WiMAX access devices
• WiMAX devices are purchased like other computing/consumer electronic devices
• XOHM broadband service is self-activated and includes future updates capability
• Customers can enjoy an Internet portal offering enhanced mobile services
• The Open Internet business model transcends other carriers' wireless walled gardens that restrict services, choice and innovation.

Starting today, customers can purchase XOHM-branded Samsung Express air cards for $59.99 and ZyXEL modems for $79.99 via XOHM web, telesales or select Baltimore-area independent retailers. Additional WiMAX devices such as a ZTE USB modem, Intel Centrino 2 WiMAX notebook PCs and the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition are expected in market later this year.

Introductory offers allow customers to choose from both daily and month-to-month service options. At launch, mobile WiMAX service plans include a $10 Day pass, $25 monthly Home Internet service and $30 monthly On-the-go service. Special launch pricing includes a $50 "Pick 2 for Life" monthly service option covering two different WiMAX devices. Visit www.xohm.com to view the current XOHM WiMAX coverage area, details of the introductory broadband service offerings and device sales information.

XOHM subscribers will be given free access to a unique and customizable Web site, called MyXOHM, focusing primarily on local services and entertainment content, as well as providing security services, hosted storage and interactive communications. After choosing preferences, subscribers will have their content pushed to a customized and location-aware portal via small digestible widgets.

XOHM continues to work with WiMAX ecosystem partners and others to incorporate WiMAX technology in a range of computing, portable multimedia, interactive and other business and consumer electronic devices, including the availability of XOHM WiMAX in vehicles for navigation information, news and entertainment.

Sprint will be the first and only national wireless carrier to offer customers a dual-mode 3G - 4G device that extends the power of Sprint's NOW network. Expected to launch in the fourth quarter, this Sprint device will operate on the nation's largest 3G mobile broadband network and the 4G network in Baltimore and other markets as WiMAX service becomes available.

The Baltimore XOHM service launch is one of the most rapid ever for new network development, approximately two years after Sprint's selection of WiMAX IEEE 802.16e as a technology standard and the formation of a charter WiMAX ecosystem with Intel, Samsung and Motorola. Those firms shared a common vision of next-generation mobility services predicated on an embedded chipset model and the wireless enablement of millions of consumer electronic devices that lack wireless connectivity or Internet capability. Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, Google, ZTE, ZyXEL and others have since joined the XOHM WiMAX ecosystem.

Sprint's XOHM business unit focuses on developing the WiMAX ecosystem and standards to bring the latest broadband wireless technology to U.S. customers while pursuing roaming and interoperability agreements globally. The XOHM WiMAX network utilizes the 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings that were combined in the Sprint and Nextel merger to deploy next-generation technology. XOHM uses WiMAX infrastructure developed by Samsung Electronics Corporation Ltd. and has worked with them in deployment and buildout of the Baltimore-area WiMAX network. Additional markets are in various stages of infrastructure development for commercial readiness. These efforts are ultimately intended to allow customers to experience a nationwide 4G mobile broadband network that is designed to offer faster speeds, lower cost, greater convenience and enhanced multimedia quality.

As announced earlier this year, Sprint expects to complete the anticipated combination of its XOHM WiMAX business assets with Clearwire to form a new company in the fourth quarter. This new company, to be called Clearwire, will continue to expedite the deployment of a nationwide mobile WiMAX network. Following the transaction, Sprint will be the only national wireless carrier to sell 4G services through an MVNO structure with the new Clearwire.

Read the blog post on the launch

Discuss the launch, pricing, and devices on 4G Forums

We have seen very few devices that will support 4G technologies like WiMAX - even in prototype mode - but with Sprint deploying XOHM in Baltimore on October 8th, news about modems is beginning to be leaked. Motorola is reportedly going to be offering three USB modems (no word on ExpressCard or PCMCIA), one for each of the three bands that WiMAX operates on around the world. The modems are expected to become available during the 4th quarter of this year.

It is not known whether Sprint will be selling this modem, but it seems likely as their service is about to launch. Sprint has said that they will be releasing information about both products and pricing next week, so we will have more information soon!

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