Clearwire finally looks poised to go nationwide with their 4G WiMAX network. The company announced today that it has secured an additional $1.5 billion in funding from its partners to help build out the Clearwire network. Clearwire has been pushing to get their 4G WiMAX network up and running throughout the US, but it’s been a slow process. It takes a lot (seriously, a LOT) of money to build out wireless network infrastructure, money that Clearwire doesn’t necessarily have on tap. Sprint (NYSE: S), somehow, does have the money.

Most of the $1.5 billion comes from Sprint Nextel, which is putting up $1.176 billion in additional funds. Despite quarterly losses that just keep adding up, Sprint is fully invested in the Clearwire network. Sprint has majority interest in Clearwire. The carrier donated its own WiMAX assets to Clearwire as part of a deal that would allow Sprint to use Clearwire’s WiMAX network for its own 4G wireless broadband service. And, with their wireless voice business hurting, Sprint really needs WiMAX to be a success.

In comparison, big-name backers like Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Intel will be giving Clearwire $196 million, $103 million and $50 million, respectively. In that light, it’s clear that Sprint is committed to pushing WiMAX to every corner of the US. Let’s just hope it works out.

[Via: paidcontent]

T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) USA isn’t exactly known for their pervasive 3G wireless network in The States, and the wireless carrier’s parent company is owning up to that fact. Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) AG Chief Financial Officer Timotheus Hoettges told reporters today that T-Mobile USA has been hurt by its lack of 3G services. Instead, the No. 4 US wireless carrier is looking to focus on its existing 3G network and plan for 4G technology in the near future.

“There is no question that we lost customers because many of our customers couldn’t get 3G,” Hoettges said. “We now have to make sure that we can capitalize on the network in the top-10 cities where we have invested.” With the relatively uncrowded US wireless market boasting “300 million households,” compared to Europe “where we have 350 million households [and] 50-70 operators,” Deutsche Telekom sees potential for T-Mobile USA to challenge bigger players like Sprint (NYSE: S) and AT&T (NYSE: T).

As for 4G, T-Mobile USA is exploring the possibility of partnering with Clearwire to use their 4G WiMAX service. Clearwire still needs $2 billion to complete their WiMAX rollout, and T-Mobile USA could help make that happen in return for use of the WiMAX network. Other options include a partnership with MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS) for their upcoming 4G LTE network, or waiting for President Obama to auction off new spectrum licenses.

We’re looking forward to seeing T-Mobile lighting up more HSPA+ markets in the US as we wait for 4G networks to get real.

[Via: Bloomberg]

Airspan Networks has scored a contract with Australian WiMAX network operator, BigAir Group. The two companies have worked together for a few years now on the WiMAX network, but this latest contract will see Airspan expand BigAir’s WiMAX network in the Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Adelaide areas.

Jason Ashton, CEO of BigAir made these comments:

BigAir has been very successful in serving our customer base…We own and operate Australia’s largest fixed wireless next-generation broadband network which now covers the six largest cities in Australia. Utilizing Airspan’s solution allows us to offer our customers higher speed, greater reliability and lower-cost broadband services.

No financial or timeline details have been released, but I’ll keep an ear to the ground for more news as it becomes available. For more details, hit up BigAir.

[Via: Cellular-News]

PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (otherwise known as ‘Telkom’) is on track to launch their WiMAX network in Indonesia during the first quarter of 2010… That is, providing the company acquires the necessary licenses. Ermady Dahlan, Consumer Director for Telkom noted that the company was working hard on ‘administrative requirements’ in order to obtain said licenses. I fully expect the licenses to be granted.

All told thus far, Indonesia has awarded 8 WiMAX licenses. Included in the WiMAX frey are Telkom, PT Indosat Mega Media, PT First Media, PT Jasnita Telekomindo, PT Internux, PT Berca Hardayaperkasa, PT Rahajasa Media Internet, and a partnership between PT Comtronics Systems and PT Adiwarta Perdania. These 8 were taking from a total of 73 companies that expressed interest in the WiMAX expansion.

I sincerely hope my spelling is correct on the names above…

[Via: Cellular-News]

Clearwire has pretty much been synonymous with U.S. WiMAX since they got to work on the XOHM network, but CEO Bill Morrow has decided to clear up that misconception by saying they could change to LTE at the flip of a switch.

“We’re the only carrier that can do this. We’ll do what’s right for the business. Whether it’s LTE, WiMAX, future technology X, it doesn’t matter to me. WiMAX is here today, and LTE is not.”

Be that as it may, most cell phone manufacturers and carriers are leaning towards LTE, and in the long run, it will be in Clearwire’s best interests to make such a switch if they ever want to expand from wireless broadband and into phones.

[via FierceWireless]

In Sprint (NYSE: S) and Clearwire’s bid to turn their 4G WiMAX network into the mobile broadband network of choice in the US, Clearwire has expanded their WiMAX network to an additional ten markets in the US. As expected, Texas is the biggest winner with eight of the 10 new markets carved within the state’s borders, adding to the recently launched Las Vegas market. As of today Boise, Idaho; Bellingham, Wash; Abilene, Texas; Amarillo, Texas; Corpus Christi, Texas; Killeen/Temple, Texas; Lubbock, Texas; Midland/Odessa, Texas; Waco Texas; and Wichita Falls, Texas.

Clearwire apparently realized that Texas does everything “big,” WiMAX networks included. The addition of these new 4G markets expands Clearwire’s WiMAX coverage to a total of 14 markets in the US. Hardly anything that could be called a “nationwide 4G WiMAX network.”

“CLEAR combines two of the most exciting technological advances of our generation – mobile communications and the Internet – in order to free our customers to take their rich home or office broadband experience with them anywhere around town or on the go,” said Mike Sievert, Chief Commercial Officer for Clearwire. “Our 4G WiMAX network provides a valuable new category of Internet service designed to make people’s lives more enjoyable and more productive by giving them access to the connections, information and resources that matter most, wherever they happen to be.”

Clearwire users can expect to see 3-6Mbps wireless data speeds, with burst speeds up to 10Mbps, on the WiMAX network. Home service starts at $25 per month, and mobile service starts at $35 a month.

Unfortunately, Sprint and Clearwire may have waited a bit too long to launch WiMAX. Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless is expected to have a fairly extensive 4G LTE network launched by mid-2010, boasting initial data speeds approximately twice as fast as Clearwire’s 4G WiMAX network.

Clearwire’s WiMAX service might have to resort to fighting LTE on the pricing battlefield.

[Clearwire via DailyTech]

Dr. Rais Yatim, Information, Communication and Culture Minister for Malaysia, said that if the nation’s three WiMAX operators don’t step up their game and improve coverage by the end of this year, their spectrum licenses will be revoked. YTL e-Solutions, Asiaspace Dotcom and REDtone International all agreed to to offer coverage to 25% of the country by the end of this year, and to 50% by the end of the next year. With only four and a half months left, the government is issuing a warning that if they don’t comply, the 2.3 GHz wireless spectrum that they purchased will be revoked. “We have given them warnings to prove why their licences should not be revoked by the end of the year if they do not fulfil their responsibility as required by their licences” said Dr. Yatim. Talk about playing hardball, I would not want to be the guy who is on the other side of that waving finger.

[Via: The Star]

In a bit of good news for the likes of Clearwire and its controlling parent-company Sprint (NYSE: S), Juniper Research has released a new study that projects annual mobile WiMAX revenues of $15 billion by 2014. The revenue would ride in on the back of some 50 million expected mobile WiMAX subscribers by 2014. Mobile WiMAX is expected to replace DSL and satellite internet services. Especially so in rural areas where DSL lines aren’t yet installed.

It still remains to be seen how WiMAX will fare in the face of LTE networks from wireless carriers around the world. Clearwire has yet to light up its WiMAX networks in more than a handful of early markets, and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is ramping up to launch LTE as early as the first quarter of 2010.

[Via: JuniperResearch]

Hot on the heels of their Las Vegas launch,  Clearwire has announced that their 4G WiMAX service will be available in ten more markets on September 1st., although their picks aren’t what you’d call high-population hubs: “Boise, Idaho; Bellingham, Wash.; and eight markets throughout Texas, including: Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Killeen/Temple, Waco and Wichita Falls”. Larger cities, like Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia and Seattle, will get service later this year, while New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Houston and the San Francisco Bay Area will be getting Clearwire in 2010. Hopefully by then we’ll have more than the Mondi that takes advantage of the network.

[Clearwire via PhoneScoop]

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But, hopefully not for Clearwire. Sprint’s 4G WiMAX partner has just announced the launch of their 4G CLEAR WiMAX network in Las Vegas, as it prepares to launch 4G service in Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia, and Seattle later this year. Major metros like New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Houston and the San Francisco Bay Area should come online in 2010. The launch of Clearwire’s CLEAR 4G WiMAX network in Las Vegas coincides with the announcement that the WiMAX-ready Samsung Mondi is just about ready to kick off sales at Best Buy.

Clearwire’s 4G CLEAR network is now live in Las Vegas and serves some 1.7 million residents across 638 square miles. The CLEAR WiMAX network is expected to deliver real-world data speeds in the 3Mbps to 6Mbps range, with burst data speeds reaching 10Mbps – speeds well in excess of the 2Mbps data rates now possible with 3G networks in the US.

Clearwire is also launching their dual-mode Clear 4G+ mobile USB modem. With support for both 3G and 4G networks, CLEAR customers can roam Sprint’s 3G data network when outside CLEAR’s WiMAX network coverage area. The Clear 4G+ mobile USB modem will bridge the gaps in Clearwire’s WiMAX network until the Sprint-owned company builds out more WiMAX markets around the country.

Clearwire is offering CLEAR home-internet service for $20 a month, with mobile WiMAX service costing $30 a month. Customers can also buy $10 day-passes, or opt for a home-and-mobile internet plan for $45. The dual-mode 3G/4G data plans will run $80 a month.

Find full pricing and availability information here.

Full press release after the break.

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