Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse took the stage at NXTComm in Las Vegas this morning to deliver a ringing endorsement of open wireless networks. "Wireless freedom is essential for a fresh flow of new ideas, new innovations, and new investment," he said in a speech that should make Tim Wu nearly explode with pleasure. "No walled gardens." As Sprint prepares to launch a 4G WiMAX network (as majority owner in the new Clearwire consortium), Hesse stressed that the network would be open to any application and any device—including cameras, traffic lights, and electricity meters.