We're still waiting for our little ol' 3G femtocell around these parts; only Sprint has put any serious effort into bringing a unit to market with its Airave from Samsung, but even they're restricting it to just a couple markets at this point (lame). Be that as it may, the Femto Forum -- an industry group promoting the tech -- is already pushing ahead into the LTE and WiMAX realms with the hope of being "ready from day one." To that end, it has teamed up with the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance to make sure everyone's on the same page about how femtocells can and should be use in 4G networks. That's all well and good, and we're definitely glad these guys are on top of things, but can we just pause for one hot second and get a few more 3G cells in customers' hands, please?

Far from being the first dual-mode handset we've seen (heck, it's not even the first WiMAX-friendly dualie), Qsida's recently showcased slider is still quite intriguing. The currently unnamed cellphone supports both 802.16e WiMAX as well as GSM / GPRS / EDGE networks, and just in case you're hankering for another way to get connected, there's a built-in WiFi module too. Reportedly, the smartphone is a test device used in the M-Taiwan initiative to promote WiMAX, and aside from handling voice calls via (almost) any flavor of wireless protocol, you'll also find Windows Mobile 6.1 running the show. Granted, this particular unit wasn't down with 3G, but a spokesperson was adamant that such a handset would be added to its portfolio eventually.

We're not exactly willing to sign up for even more punishment at the hands of Comcast, but all you masochists in the crowd should take note: GigaOm is reporting that the cable giant is "serious" about offering wireless services and has hired former Telefonica O2 Europe CTO Dave Williams to make it happen. It's not clear what type of wireless is being considered, but it's a good bet Sprint will be involved somehow: Comcast is still in that goofy partnership with Sprint called Pivot that hasn't gone anywhere, the two companies are rumored to be talking about a nationwide WiMAX network, and GigaOm thinks there's a chance it could up and buy the struggling carrier outright. That would be quite a move, but it's all just speculation for now -- we'll let you know if we hear anything solid.

It's April, do you know where your WiMax service is? Unfortunately, S.Korea as Sprint backtracks on the planned April launch of its commercial Xohm service. This according to an official company spokesman. Sprint says that the launch has been delayed to "later in the year" which many expect to be as early as summer. Even then we're likely only talking about Chicago, Baltimore, and D.C. areas. Time to start making room for LTE in our sad, jaded hearts.

Not too long ago, we gave you loyal Cloudbook owners a chance to voice your opinion on how you'd change things. Fast forward a few weeks, and take a gander at what Everex has put together. Debuting today at CTIA 2008, the Cloudbook MAX not only boasts an 8.9-inch WVGA (1,024 x 600) display, Windows Vista, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated GPS receiver, 2-megapixel webcam and a battery good for four hours, but it also features an 80GB HDD, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, audio in / out and an S-Video output. Beyond all that, this thing gets energized by a 1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV processor coupled with the VX800 digital media IGP chipset, which touts full DirectX 9 support and video acceleration for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, VC1 and DivX video formats (plus a VMR-capable HD video processor, among other things). Lastly, the unit includes built-in support for Sprint's XOHM WiMAX network. Brimming with excitement yet? Start stocking that piggy bank -- this currently unpriced rig will be available in the latter half of this year across North America. Check out the gallery over on Classic!

Read - VIA and Everex demonstrate Cloudbook MAX at CTIA
Read - VIA VX800 Series Chipset

Update: Looks like availability is now set for Q1 - Q2 2009. Thanks, Taylor!

Right on cue, Nokia's WiMAX-enabled N810 Internet Tablet has surfaced at CTIA 2008, and yep, this critter is destined to go on sale here in the US of A this summer. Beyond that, you'll notice the familiar 4.13-inch touchscreen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard and even a built-in webcam for video calls, Mozilla-powered browser, integrated GPS / media player, 2GB of internal memory and a microSD expansion slot. Heck, Nokia even touts this thing's ability to "access the Internet over WiFi or via conventional cellular data networks by pairing to a compatible mobile phone via Bluetooth technology." Also announced today is the freshly updated OS2008, which includes an enhanced e-mail client, support for Chinese character rendering in the browser and RSS feeds and "Seamless Software Update functionality" to boot. Needless to say, said OS will come standard on the currently unpriced Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition -- which is scheduled to land wherever WiMAX connectivity is available -- but existing N810 / N800 owners will also get the OS upgrade free of charge in Q2. Peep the gallery over on Classic!

As unlikely as this sounds, rivals Time Warner Cable and Comcast are apparently in talks with Sprint and Clearwire over establishing a nationwide WiMAX network. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the companies are scrambling to get a deal wrapped up by CTIA -- which takes place at the beginning of April -- and could see an influx of cash from both Google and Intel in excess of $1 billion. It seems the odd-couple partners are keen to cut into heavyweights Verizon and AT&T's ever-expanding range of at-home and mobile services by offering their own take on a high-speed data and voice system to consumers. Clearly this combination would deflate AT&T and Verizon's big FCC bandwidth-nabs a little (and it explains why the cable players weren't interested in the 700MHz auction), but it's questionable whether this rag-tag team of wild card players would seriously court the public's eye. They say America loves an underdog -- even if it's a gigantic, super-rich, corporate underdog.

[Via mocoNews]

Assuming Sprint can make it -- and that's starting to seem like kind of a big if these days -- CEO Dan Hesse made some comments about the coming 4G revolution, including one auspicious hint about dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX devices this later year for XOHM. It's almost an exciting enough concept for us to forget that even if these devices were forthcoming in 2008, they'd still only be for one of the soft launch markets, and would probably start as a data cards -- not phones. But hey, we're happy to be proven wrong, Sprint.

Ridiculous quantities of 3G handsets weren't the only things showed off at this year's Mobile World Congress -- oh no, NetIndex, Kaga Electronics and Runcom shook up the norm a bit with their WiMAX-enabled portable VoIP phone. Reportedly, the trio joined forces to develop a VoIP handset that utilized a 802.16e module, and aside from "realizing all-IP voice communication," it also sports a web browser and integrated WiFi for times when a plain ole hotspot will do. Sadly, we've no idea where this thing will go after it leaves Barcelona (nor what it looks like), but here's to hoping it makes a commercial debut -- and can decide on a single logo -- in the not-too-distant future.

Okay, we suppose cellphone companies trumpeting some sort of fuel cell technology isn't that weird, but nevertheless, Moto sure seems proud of its most recent advancements. Showcased at this year's Mobile World Congress are a number of "alternative power solutions including fuel cell and reflow batteries," which can be deployed in most every wireless / mobile environment out there. More specifically, the outfit is demonstrating a fuel cell-powered WiMAX base station, and it's also suggesting that said technology could "further guarantee [the] availability of uninterrupted power" in TETRA radio networks that are used in public safety environments. Fascinating, no?

Hey, breaking up is hard to do -- which is why we totally understand these reports that Sprint and Clearwire have been back in touch after two companies split back in November. Apparently all that interest in Clearwire from ICO, Amp'd, and DirecTV was enough to get Sprint back to the table, and Reuters is reporting that the new venture could see additional funding from Google and Best Buy to keep costs down. Still, we hate to see hearts break, and if this one doesn't work out, well, maybe it's time to set some boundaries, get some distance and seek out some new national telecom companies to partner with -- you two deserve better than this.

Looks like a KS20, does it not? Ah, but looks can be deceiving! Gearlog says this bad boy has been gutted to use WiMAX in addition to GSM, a combo that won't likely be welcome on Sprint's XOHM network. Here's where it gets interesting, though: an LG rep went on record saying that it would be a pretty trivial matter to swap out the GSM silicon for CDMA, which would make Sprint far warmer to a hookup. The same cat went on to say that they'll be doing seamless handoff between WiMAX and GSM / CDMA networks, which is going to be a pretty critical feature as XOHM builds out -- a buildout that could take many, many years. LG, Sprint, let's make this happen, k?

[Thanks, Israel B.]

Good news for those in Pakistan hungry for another link to the 'net: Wateen Telecom has officially launched its WiMAX / HFC services for the consumer market. Reportedly, Motorola played a huge role in deploying the "first 802.16e commercial WiMAX network in Pakistan," and according to Wateen, it's the largest WiMAX network "ever installed." In case you hadn't already guessed, Wateen Telecom is indeed a Abu Dhabi venture, and the service will initially be made available in 22 cities. For more details on exact coverage and rate plans, be sure and check out Wateen's website.

[Via Metroblogging Karachi, thanks Zainuddin Z.]

It's just a rumor, in fact, it feels more like speculation than anything backed by a reputable source; still, there's a Google / Sprint buzz getting a lot of play this morning. Rich Tehrani is reporting that Google is considering an acquisition of Sprint Nextel in order to grow its mobile business. Of course, Google has long touted the importance it places on mobile ad revenues, made all the more evident by their recent preparation for the 700MHz auction and the figurehead role Google now plays in the Open Handset Alliance's Android platform. Sprint, for its part, is already on good terms with Google as a member of the OHA and that WiMAX mobile services deal which Clearwire just bailed on. In fact, it's access to that beleaguered WiMAX network which has the pundits in such a tizzy. While we'd love to see Google in a deal with Apple, Intel, Motorola and others to bring mobile broadband to the masses, we're filing this one under musings from Neverland until this one can firm up a bit.

[Via GigaOm]