Developers behind the CyanogenMod ROM have reached a milestone, working out how to let 4G-enabled phones establish a WiMAX data connection.

Without native WiMAX support in Android, owners of phones like the Epic or Evo 4G who want to run unofficial builds of the operating system have been forced to put up with 3G speeds. The problem is that the code that manages the WiMAX connection is a custom addition to Android applied by the phone’s manufacturer. Without the source to that add-on, developers couldn’t easily access the high-speed network when running their ROM of choice.

There’s no new build of CyanogenMod just yet, as developers work out the kinks (and there are still a few at this early stage of compatibility) but the groundwork has been laid and it looks like it’s just a matter of time before the WiMAX support is ready for the mainstream. Once that work is completed, it should be possible for other developers to add the same WiMAX fixes to their own custom Android flavors. There’s no set timetable, but these guys work fast, so look for a new ROM release (6.1.2?) in the next few days.

Source: Twitter, XDA-Developers

Via: mobiputing