When in doubt, regroup: that seems to be the current Sprint ethos, with the carrier describing a single core infrastructure to form the backbone of its CDMA, iDEN and WiMAX networks, along with the added bonus of the opportunity to monetise users through location-based information capture and customised services.  Ben Vos, VP of core technologies at Sprint, described the combination of a common optical backbone, IP (Internet Protocol) network, cell-site infrastructure and IMS (Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem) at a conference on Tuesday, including details of how the network will make the infrastructure accessible to developers and content providers via APIs.  The benefit to the user should be consistency - no matter which device or network they use.

“You need to have a unified service architecture at the heart of the network that is agnostic of those underlying technologies at the edge” Ben Vos, VP of core technologies, Sprint

Third-party developers could use the Sprint APIs to tailor content and services to users in certain locations or depending on what device they were using: cellphone, PDA or laptop.  In Vos’ example, drivers could be shown a particular message on a highway billboard depending on where they were, their usage history and details they had shared with Sprint.  Aside from the obvious privacy concerns, customers could be woo’d by the promise of more focused, comprehensive billing and software tailored to their needs.

Vos also touched on the Xohm WiMAX network, which is still undergoing trials; Sprint have declined to comment on rollout plans, deferring the announcement until the Q1 2008 report, but according to the executive their intentions are still to carry out a commercial launch in Q2.  Sprint is also, supposedly, focusing on non-real-time applications and nomadic (i.e. multiple stationary locations) rather than travelling use for initial WiMAX functionality.  No comment was made on the ongoing Clearwire negotiations.

In all, it remains a precarious time for Sprint.  The unified network could potentially not only save them money on future management but create income through developer fees, but it will require significant initial outlay to establish.