Sprint Nextel selected Nokia for the initial build-out of its mobile WiMAX network in four cities in Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin. Nokia will deploy WiMAX infrastructure, including the Nokia Flexi WiMAX Base Station, at sites throughout the four Texas markets. Service is expected to commence in these markets during the first half of 2008. Sprint Nextel’s mobile WiMAX network intends to cover 100 million people nationwide by the end of 2008. Financial terms were not disclosed.
In addition to supplying Sprint Nextel with WiMAX network infrastructure, Nokia will also develop WiMAX-enabled mobile devices, including multimedia computers and Internet tablets, which are expected to be available in 2008.
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- In February 2007, Sprint Nextel has selected Samsung Electronics to help develop Mobile WiMAX wireless broadband network infrastructure for the Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD markets. Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD are the first markets awarded to Samsung since Samsung and Sprint Nextel agreed last August to work together on the major US carrier’s 4G wireless broadband initiative which will use the Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e TDD OFDMA) technology standard.
- In January 2007, Sprint Nextel selected Motorola for the build-out of its WiMAX wireless broadband service in Chicago. Specifically, Motorola will deploy WiMAX infrastructure to at least 1,000 sites in the greater Chicagoland area, providing select area coverage that complements Sprint Nextel’s existing EV-DO network. Initial service is expected to begin late in 2007, with the commercial launch set for the first half of 2008.
- Also in January 2007, Sprint Nextel named Nokia as a key infrastructure and consumer electronic device provider for its 4G WiMAX network. Nokia joined Intel, Samsung and Motorola on the Sprint Nextel project. At the time, Sprint Nextel said it is expecting to invest up to $800 million in 2007 and between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in 2008 relating to the 4G WiMAX mobile broadband network.