Sprint launches WiMAX in Columbia

One year after it launched WiMAX in Kansas City and St. Louis, Sprint quietly expanded the broadband wireless service to Columbia. Marketed as a “fourth-generation,” or 4G, technology, WiMAX has average download speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps, Sprint said, which makes it a potential competitor to some wired broadband services.
Sprint hasn’t officially launched service here, but customers who own a WiMAX smartphone or modem have been able to connect for more than a month. Using WiMAX doesn’t cost them extra because it’s included in the rate plans required for devices that support both WiMAX and its 3G predecessor.
Coverage currently is much more spotty than in cities with mature WiMAX networks, which are actually owned and operated by Clearwire, Sprint’s partner. That’s because Clear is still building the network infrastructure here.
“It’s possible that customers may stumble upon a part of the network that is turned on for testing as Clearwire works to prepare the network for launch,” said Pamela Sankey, a Sprint spokesperson. “While we haven’t officially launched 4G in your area, any speeds, connection or coverage that customers may experience on our 4G network today isn’t necessarily representative of what they will see in that city at launch. If you have a 4G-enabled device and find a 4G signal, please try it and see what you can do with 4G today.”