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Sprint announced it would build its fourth-generation wireless network on the 802.16e or WiMax standard back in August, an investment of $3 billion through 2008. This week, America's fourth largest mobile operator revealed what markets it plans to first launch WiMax services in, when and possibly for how much.

WiMax, which stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, promises to enable Sprint to deliver wireless performance in at 2 megabits per second (Mbps) to 4 Mbps speeds (with the range of a cellular network), which is four times faster than its current 3G EV-DO network.

Later this year, Sprint plans to first offer WiMax services with three infrastructure partners. It will launch WiMax in Chicago with Motorola, Washington D.C with Samsung, and a third as-of-yet unnamed city with Nokia.

What will it take to provide WiMax coverage to a large metropolitan area? Motorola said it would install about 1,000 access points, for example.

Eventually, the WiMax service should be available for a wide variety of devices, including smartphones, laptops, cameras, camcorders, personal media players, etc. Samsung is supposed to develop six WiMAX-capable devices (including Ultra mobile PCs and personal media players) and LG Electronics an infotainment device, while Intel is adding WiMAX to its Centrino chipset to ease the addition of the technology to a wide variety of products. No doubt Motorola and Nokia have plans to build some as well.

Whatever happens, WiMax-enabled client devices need to be available by the time Sprint commercially launches the new network.

There are those who even think Sprint may offer mobile WiMax service in the home as an alternative to cable and DSL services, a direct challenge to cable and fixed-line phone companies. The technology is certainly fast enough.

It is said Sprint will deliver WiMax for a flat fee of $55 dollars per month for multiple devices. This is far different than today's high-speed broadband models, which charge a separately per device (i.e. a smartphones, laptops).

By the end of 2008, Sprint expects to make WiMax service available to a population of 100 million people.