In a keynote address at the NXTComm show in Las Vegas this week, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse outlined the rollout schedule for the Xohm mobile WiMAX service. Like everything else surrounding WiMAX, the key word is “delayed”. Xohm has been in “friendly trials” (that means with Sprint employees) in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. The original commercial launch was to have been in April, but now the first market to go live will be Baltimore and that will be in September; the other two should launch by the end of the year.

Earlier Sprint had pinned the delays on the availability of backhaul facilities. They have apparently been working with their new cable investors so they can use their facilities as part of their backhaul strategy. The major part of the rollout, a plan to cover 130 million potential customers is still slated for completion by the end of 2010- we’ll see how that goes.

In the meantime, Hesse continues to tout the wonders of WiMAX. "As fast as (wireless networks) are today,” he said ”nothing will define wireless broadband like WiMAX. The 4G technology is wireless at rocket speeds."

Those speeds appear to max out at 2 M to 4 Mbps based on their field tests that involve a rather small number of users. However, the fate of the entire adventure still hangs on Sprint and Clearwire’s ability to secure all of the necessary approvals to complete their proposed WiMAX merger.

Meanwhile, the WiMax Forum has issued its first long-awaited certifications for mobile 2.5GHz products.So at least we’ll have equipment. Now all they need is money and customers.