Sprint is predicting that WiMax and other new services will eventually help it to increase revenues. The company forecasts revenues of $2 billion to $2.5 billion in 2010 and $5 billion in 2011.

    Not all of that will be WiMax-based. The company says it will launch nationwide push-to-talk (PTT) walkie-talkie service on EV-DO early in 2008. This should help appease and retain some of its high-end Nextel customers and allow the company to wrap more revenue-driving data services around the popular messaging service.

    There's no doubting, however, that WiMax was the star of the show today. "In my view, our competitors are in WiMax denial," crows West. "WiMax is the only horse in the race."

    He claims that even after the 700 Mhz wireless broadband auctions, which have to be completed by the end of January 2008, Sprint -- with Clearwire -- will still have far more spectrum than its nearest rivals. The pair can field 120 MHz of suitable spectrum between them across the United States.

    Even after the auction, no other operator will be able to match that, West says. "To get the same capacity as one of our sites... you'd need to build up to 10 to 15 sites."