Clearwire
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Sprint, Clearwire to cooperate on WiMAX build-out
Sprint's open mindedness to hooking up with Clearwire for a national WiMAX network has blossomed into something just a little more serious, it seems. The two companies have announced that they'll be collaborating on making mobile WiMAX a reality in a comprehensive agreement that covers roaming and combined marketing efforts under a single to-be-announced brand name. Specifically, Sprint will be responsible for covering about 185 million potential customers with Clearwire swooping in for another 115 million over the next few years; 100 million total are expected to be covered by the end of 2008, which is curiously the exact same number Sprint had been throwing around on its own accord before the agreement was announced. This is a pretty serious deal, too -- the two are bound in holy matrimony for at least 20 years with options for up to three 10-year renewals. Looks like that hot WiMAX smartphone from Palm might still be in the cards, eh?
Sprint not ditching WiMAX yet, still open to Clearwire alliance
While we already knew that Sprint was pondering a Clearwire alliance in order to potentially please investors and garner more value from its massive WiMAX expenditures, it doesn't seem that ditching the effort completely was ever truly on the table. According to a followup from Don Stroberg, VP for global broadband strategy at Sprint-Nextel, the company "is not getting out of the business of WiMAX by any means," but he did leave the possibility of a joint venture open for discussion. Referring to Clearwire's markets that "bump up against" Sprint's own, Don stated that "it would make sense to cooperate on how to utilize spectrum, how to coordinate on cell-site builds, on benchmarking, and so on," and concluded by proclaimed that "we wouldn't have to imagine too far to see how those things could work into other types of cooperation." Take it as you see it, but it doesn't sound like the higher-ups at Sprint would object to a partnership at this point in the game, no?
Sprint explores options for WiMAX, ponders Clearwire deal
Looks like Sprint's feverish approach to WiMAX just swallowed a chill pill, as the firm is reportedly "exploring new options for financing its ambitious plan." In a presumed effort to "soothe investor concerns about the cost of the WiMAX plan," the company is actually investigating a partnership or joint venture with Clearwire in order to simultaneously remove a potential competitor and gain access to the critical Clearwire markets in the southeastern US. Of course, Clearwire isn't one to shy away from high stakes partnerships, and the FCC nod for a WiMAX-class laptop card that it garnered just last month could fit in quite well here. Still, Clearwire is refusing to comment just yet on whether this possibility is even feasible, but the mere mention of a spinoff likely means that Sprint isn't feeling all too peachy about future WiMAX profitability. [Warning: Read link requires subscription][Via InformationWeek]
DirecTV, DISH sign up for Clearwire
Just as many analysts predicted following the two companies' failure to secure any spectrum during last year's FCC auction, both DirecTV and DISH-parent EchoStar have signed agreements with Craig McCaw's Clearwire to provide qualifying customers with high-speed wireless internet service (and by qualifying customers, we mean anyone who lives within a Clearwire coverage zone). What's more, current Clearwire subscribers will have the opportunity to sign up for satellite TV delivered right to their modems -- an American first, as far as we know. In other industry news, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that EchoStar and future DirecTV-owner Liberty Media are planning a multi-billion dollar bid for satellite-communications provider Intelsat, which would provide both firms with additional capacity and/or the capability to offer broadband from the heavens. So far all we know regarding a launch window for the Clearwire deal is that bundled packages will be available from all three parties later this year, once again making your satellite vs. cable decision a difficult one.Update: D'oh! As several of you have noted, it's entirely possible -- nay, likely -- that Clearwire will simply be offering traditional satellite TV as part of a services bundle, rather than sending DirecTV / DISH content over its network.Read - ClearwireRead - Intelsat [Warning: subscription required]
Clearwire gets FCC nod to release WiMAX-class laptop card
Things are lookin' up in the WiMAX arena, as the oft stubborn FCC has reportedly given a green light to Clearwire to produce "the first WiMAX-class laptop card to connect to the Clearwire network." Of course, we've seen pre-WiMAX cards hit other continents and witnessed quite a bit of high talkin' at 3GSM, but now that the Commission has granted its final approval on this iteration, it won't be long before users here in the US can test things out. In an attempt to deliver "true wireless broadband with a device that facilitates even greater portability than the firm's existing modem permits," the forthcoming PCMCIA Type II card will utilize Motorola's Expedience wireless access system, but unfortunately only seems to play nice with Windows XP and Vista for now. Still, folks within a Clearwire service area should really start saving those pennies, as the currently unpriced card should be landing sometime "during the second half of this year."[Via TGDaily]
Clearwire gets $900 million boost from Intel and Motorola
Intel and Motorola have decided to put their money where Craig O. McCaw's mouth is by investing $900 million dollars in his company, Clearwire, the WiMax provider that lost $140 million last year. Intel, having already made a smaller investment in the company back in 2004, is coughing up another $600 million cash, which sounds like a good indicator to us that their Centrino chips with WiMax are on the right development track. Motorola's smaller, but still substantial, $300 million dollar investment includes the purchase of NextNet, a Clearwire hardware subsidiary. All three companies are hoping that this deal brings us all one step closer to keeping us wired -- wirelessly of course -- no matter where we go, and that sounds good to us. As long as they can do it without making us all incredibly sick.
Auction 66 could shake up wireless industry, benefit consumers
BusinessWeek writer Olga Kharif paints an interesting portrait of the potential state of the wireless industry following the government's unprecedented sale of spectrum this summer, called Auction 66, which could see a number of new players enter the voice and data market in the not-too-distant future. Following several years of industry consolidation, highlighted by Cingular picking up AT&T and Sprint grabbing Nextel, we could soon see companies that have traditionally delivered content in other fashions -- Time Warner, MySpace-owner News Corp., or Clearwire -- offer services that compete directly with the four major carriers. Several players, including Intel-backed Clearwire, Google-backed Earthlink, and a venture between Time Warner Cable, Sprint-Nextel, Comcast, Cox, and Advance/Newhouse Communications have already expressed interest in bidding for a slice of spectrum, while other bidders, which could include a Bill Gates- and Paul Allen-backed contender, will be revealed sometime next month. Unless the established carriers snatch up all the available spectrum, which is highly unlikely, fresh blood in the industry should bode well for consumers, who will likely benefit from lower prices, more services to choose from, and less restrictions on their bandwidth usage.
Clearwire rolls out VoIP service (in one market)
Probably further annoying the Vonage users that it supposedly cut-off last year, WiMax "class" wireless broadband provider Clearwire has just announced its own Bell Canada-powered VoIP service for that works with regular telephones, or for more sophisticated call control, over a user's PC. The new service, which is currently limited to Clearwire subscribers in the Stockton, California market, and further restricted to those residents who are "e911 capable," requires a $15 Internet adapter if you want to use a regular corded or cordless phone, and costs $30-a-month for unlimited calling within the US and Canada (international calls are supposedly "competitively priced"). That thirty bucks also gets you browser-configurable call forwarding, "Find Me Follow Me" enhanced call forwarding, caller ID, voice mail, voice mail-to-email capabilities, and caller blocking, as well as the semi-useful ability to get your mobile VoIP on anywhere Clearwire has coverage (currently 200 US/international cities that most people don't live in), if you don't mind toting your laptop and modem around.[Via dailywireless]
