Clearwire Relaunched

Sprint and Clearwire have finalized their agreement to combine the WiMax operations of both companies. The final transaction saw wireless network operator Sprint hand over all of its 2.5GHz spectrum and its WiMax-related assets, including its XOHM business, to Clearwire. In addition, Clearwire has taken charge of the US$3.2 billion cash pile invested by Intel, Time Warner, Comcast, Google and Bright House Networks. The new company formed upon completion of the transaction retains the name Clearwire and remains headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, in the US.

In October, Sprint launched its first WiMax network in Baltimore. The Baltimore launch marked the first stage in Sprint's national, or near national, roll out. Sprint's Xohm service will now be pushed out by Clearwire in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort-Worth, Providence, Rhode Island, Philadelphia and Washington DC.

Earlier this year Japanese manufacturer Fujitsu predicted it will be making sales of over US$1 billion worth of WiMax chips by 2011. This compares to WiMax sales of just over zero that the company reported in its last financial year.

Fujitsu said that WiMax services will be launched on a commercial basis as early as this year in Taiwan. In Japan, a group led by KDDI Corp plans to start WiMax operations next year, while in the UK Urban WiMax has already launched services. Fujitsu expects its power-efficient communication chips to drive the company's overall WiMax chip sales. WiMax trials and commercial services have also started recently in France, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Brazil and Armenia.