Sprint Nextel Corp announced a one-market launch of Xohm, its next generation high-speed wireless data service based on WiMax, with pay-per-day options as well as monthly service fees.
The launch in Baltimore, Maryland, comes before Sprint's expected completion in the fourth quarter of a venture with Clearwire Corp to build a larger network based on WiMax, which promises to blanket entire cities with wireless Internet access.
A Nokia wireless Web tablet will be available later this year along with laptop computers with built-in WiMax support and a device that supports access to Sprint's existing network as well as the WiMax network. Sprint and Clearwire have said their joint venture, which will be called Clearwire, will offer WiMax services covering a potentially 140 million consumers by the end of 2010.