Sprint CEO Dan Hesse shared the company’s WiMAX plans last week at CTIA Wireless for ComputerWorld. Hesse explained to Denise Dubie why Mobile WiMAX a smart strategy for Sprint:
Can you describe Sprint’s WiMAX strategy?
We think we have the opportunity to own the pole position of now. We have the largest broadband wireless network in America today. We have a very advanced 3G network, which is very fast, but 4G, I think of that as almost on steroids, especially with new applications such as streaming video. WiMAX is the only fourth-generation technology really ready to go now. We had a soft launch that brought the product out in three cities and we plan to launch it nationally.
Why has WiMAX been so late to arrive in the US?
First, in all things wireless, America usually is a laggard, and typically in terms of wireless development. I don’t think it is a secret. And fast adoption of the newest wireless technologies generally takes place in Europe and Asia more than it does in North America. And I think it’s partly because the landline network is stronger and is more robust in America than in other parts of the world.
What is the advantage of WiMAX over other cellular technologies?
It’s just faster, faster speeds. It’s the next generation. It is part of our leadership position that we want to launch WiMAX first, and we think it will give us a two-to-three year head start on other wireless carriers who will deploy 4G or fourth generation probably in two to three years.
Why are you so far ahead?
It’s really just a decision that we’re making to be first. There are advantages and disadvantages from a risk perspective to being, if you will, the leader. And we are quite frankly taking a bit of a risk — the old saying, ‘Build it and they will come.’ Some people believe that the applications aren’t there yet to justify those really broadband data speeds, that today’s wireless networks are fast enough. We don’t believe that.
Sprint’s WiMAX service is called Xohm (pronounced zoam). Could you tell people a bit about what they can expect?
Xohm is our fourth-generation offer. We’ve done a soft launch in Washington DC, Baltimore and Chicago. Later we will do a full-scale commercial launch and then gradually begin to build it in other cities.
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