Sprint Puts Final Touches On WiMAX Partners

WiMAX is about to get a major shot in the arm on U.S. soil thanks to efforts led by Sprint Nextel, which recently announced that Nokia would be providing key components to Sprint’s upcoming mobile WiMAX network.

Sprint had previously announced that Motorola and Samsung would be partnering with the company to help with the network, and now the Nokia news completes the company’s partner announcements. The network is expected to launch first in Chicago and Washington, D.C., with plans for Motorola to oversee the Chicago area and Samsung overseeing Washington.

Nokia is expected to provide its Flexi WiMAX base transceiver stations, as well as develop mobile devices (such as phones and Internet tablets) and mobility-focused services and applications. Considering that Motorola and Samsung are also on board with the network, experts say that consumers will eventually see plenty of devices that support Sprint’s WiMAX network.

Sprint is spending plenty to get its mobile WiMAX network moving, including up to $800 million in 2007 and up to a whopping $2 billion in 2008, with estimates pointing to 100 million potential subscribers by the end of next year.