Buzz Broadband CEO Garth Freeman's description of WiMax as a "disaster" got a strong response today from WiMax equipment manufacturer Airspan, and from Sprint, which is deploying the WiMax network Xohm.

"Airspan, which shipped the equipment Buzz used, isn't turning the other cheek, and is now hitting back at Buzz, saying the technical and financial resources of Buzz Broadband were not sufficient to deploy a functioning network," writes InfoWorld's Mikael Ricknäs.

And Sprint's John Polivka, in a response to the post below, explained, "Buzz Broadband was operating a fixed WiMax service that used 3.5 GHz spectrum. It requires line-of-sight; Sprint is working with mobile WiMax in 2.5 GHz spectrum which does not require LOS and has better building penetration."

"Fixed WiMax has never been all that great, if our average user reviews for Clearwire, the U.S.'s largest fixed deployment, are any indication," notes Karl at Broadband Reports. "Most of WiMax's U.S. success at this point hinge on Sprint's mobile WiMax deployment, since Verizon and AT&T have embraced LTE technology."

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