Sprint to launch WiMAX end-April

US wireless operator Sprint said it is on track to launch WiMAX services to consumers and businesses at the end of April.

This week, Barry West, president of Sprint’s Xohm business unit, also revealed that the company would be making its wireless broadband network available on a daily, weekly or monthly subscription basis.

A soft launch of the Xohm-branded mobile internet service is already underway with Sprint employees in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

“Sprint is delivering on its Open Internet vision with exciting and differentiated WiMAX services,” said West. “The new service agreements and device commitments will help Xohm subscribers access, enjoy, store and secure personal digital and user-generated content while experiencing new device innovation.”

Customer management and billing systems firm Amdocs has been awarded a multi-year agreement for software and services in support of the launch Xohm. While US storage firm SwapDrive is providing a hosted storage offering for Xohm subscribers to secure, organise, manage and access all their user-generated digital content though the Xohm portal from any device with a supported browser.

Gadget makers OQO and ASUSTek are set to produce a line of WiMAX-embedded devices for availability during 2008, while Zyxel will release a WiMAX modem subscriber device for mobile internet data and voice services, which will launch with the service.