In a change from its previous direction, AT&T Inc. is using pre-mobile WiMAX equipment to extend its AT&T Yahoo! wireless broadband service to consumers and businesses in Pahrump, Nev.
AT&T has been steadily rolling out fixed WiMAX service to subscribers in rural, remote and hard-to-reach areas by way of its 2.3/2.5GHz spectrum. But it has been less than bullish in the past about the potential for mobile WiMAX. In fact, the RBOC earlier this month abandoned a mobile WiMAX trial in the Netherlands, citing the technology as too “immature” for enterprise applications, particularly.
Another reason for pulling back the trials could lie in the proposed AT&T/BellSouth Corp. match-up. BellSouth also has been rolling out fixed wireless service based on WiMAX. If the merger is approved, the Senate would like to see the two companies divest their spectrum holdings, which would make the ILECs’ current foray into the space a moot point.
But AT&T appears to be hedging its bets by using pre-802.16e equipment from SOMA Networks Inc. in Pahrump. The service will look the same as its existing fixed wireless deployments, and is positioned as a wireless DSL or T1 circuit offering downstream speeds of up to 1.5mbps for $29.99 per month. However, with the equipment in place, it does open the way to roll out more innovative “hotzone”-type mobile service packages in the future if it hangs onto its spectrum.
It could be a smart move. The outlook for mobile WiMAX in the United States received a major lift when Sprint Nextel Corp. announced plans to turn up a mobile WiMAX network in 2008. And WiMAX-based service provider Clearwire Corp. has been trialing mobile WiMAX in concert with Motorola Inc. and Intel Corp. Also, pre-WiMAX, unlicensed service provider TowerStream Corp. this week turned up Chicago, its seventh U.S. market, with plans for continued expansion.
AT&T Inc. www.att.com/attspeeds
BellSouth Corp. www.bellsouth.com
Clearwire Corp. www.clearwire.com
Intel Corp. www.intel.com
Motorola Inc. www.motorola.com
TowerStream Corp. www.towerstream.com
