Speaking on a panel at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sprint CTO Barry West has indicated that Sprint's Xohm WiMax network plans are on track for an April commercial launch in several cities, though he did not indicate which ones. The WiMax network that Sprint has been building represents a bold gamble on the next-generation wireless technology: some estimates place the cost of the new network at a billion dollars.

West said that the price of the service would likely range from $30 to $60 per month - a price designed to compete with wired broadband service rates. Devices using the WiMax technology are in development from manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola and Intel. Intel in particular plans a combination WiFi/WiMax card for laptops, which it says will be available this year.

Sprint has been conducting tests of the WiMax service using its own employees in Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Chicago.