Sprint has been quietly preparing three cities for their high-speed 4G WiMAX network, Xohm, and are set to launch the network for signups in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington D.C. in advance of wider availability later in 2008. The service – which has far greater range per base-station than WiFi and, thanks to being designed with data in mind, should be cheaper than existing cellular broadband products – will be offering mobile Internet business agreements for both Web portal services and WiMAX network access, according to Sprint, with home & small-business access through ZyXEL’s WiMAX modem and portable laptop access via a small external modem by ZTE Corp.

“Unlike Wi-Fi, users’ satisfaction will be dependent on the network coverage, and so Sprint really needs to have their metro areas well covered, to get users motivated; even this may take time, going into 2009 and beyond” Gemma Tedesco, In-Stat analyst

Meanwhile, other manufacturers are busy preparing WiMAX-compatible devices, notably Intel, but also including ASUS with the Xohm-enabled Eee low-cost laptop they demonstrated at CES 2008 (and who have plans for a range of full-sized WiMAX laptops, priced from $999, available later on this year), Motorola with a stand-alone modem, and an increasing range of products from Samsung. Nokia, who have supplied Sprint with the network hardware, are planning a WiMAX version of their internet-tablet, again for release sometime in 2008. Analysts believe ZyXEL’s adoption of the standard will push other networking companies such as Belkin, Netgear and D-Link into producing their own WiMAX products.

Most importantly, perhaps, is price. So far Sprint have been cagey about the cost of Xohm network access, with Atish Gude, their senior vice president of mobile broadband operations, merely stating his belief that “it will be more affordable than 3G.”

[via New York Times and Associated Press]