Baltimore - Following months of preparation, wireless carrier Sprint (NYSE: S) on Monday officially launched its high-speed WiMax network, known as Xohm, in Baltimore. It marks the first network in the country to launch using the WiMax mobile broadband technology.

The company said that the service, set to also debut in DC and Chicago in the coming months, offers download speeds of 2-4 megabits per second -- more than twice as fast as the fastest mobile services currently available -- and is now accessible throughout most of Baltimore, as well as parts of surrounding counties.

To access the service, users need to purchase special laptop air cards for $60 and home modems for $80.

Other WiMAX devices, such as a USB modem, notebook PCs and wireless phones, are expected to hit the market later this year.

At launch, Sprint is offering access to its new network through a $10 day pass, a $25 monthly "home Internet" service, and a $30 monthly "on-the-go" service.

Consumer advocates were quick to note a potentially troubling clause in Xohm's network management policy, indicating the company may engage in the same throttling of file-sharing traffic that resulted in FCC sanctions against Comcast.

The policy states that Sprint "may use various tools and techniques designed to limit the bandwidth available for certain bandwidth intensive applications or protocols, such as file sharing."

"We hope that Sprint will quickly disclose exactly what tools and techniques it plans to use, and demonstrate why it is necessary to maintain a closed network when consumers demand an open Internet," said Free Press policy director Ben Scott.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/3y2zx

http://snipurl.com/3y35v (Xohm network management)

http://snipurl.com/3y30l (Silicon Alley Insider)