Sprint & Clearwire's 4G Network - Are you familiar?

[SharonW]

Just from a brief poking about here, it doesn't seem any of you are discussing Sprint's 4G network build-out. I know a lot about it if you're interested.

Last year, under Dan Hesse, Sprint essentially invested in Clearwire through an offering of their own spectrum for this technology formerly under the name Xohm.

http://www.xohm.com/

They gave the spectrum and the build-out they'd already done with Xohm directly to Clearwire as an investment and also sit on Clearwire's board. Additionally, Clearwire got cash investments from Google, Intel, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Brighthouse totally $3.2 billion.

The WiMax network under the new name "Clear" is being built-out as we speak, while AT&T's and Verizon's 4G launch plans, utilizing a different technology LTE, continues to get pushed further out. Verizon is more likely to get theirs off the planning board sooner than AT&T, yet still, only real-world access beginning in some cities not until 2010.

Sprint & Clearwire have plans for some of the largest cities in the U.S. THIS YEAR! Atlanta; Las Vegas; Chicago; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas/Fort Worth; Honolulu; Philadelphia; and Seattle. The company already offers mobile WiMax in Baltimore and Portland, Ore.

Sprint has also announced additional cities itself.

So that's a quick overview. Check the video in the link I provided under "Something to think about" thread. The latter half of it demonstrates the 4G in Baltimore.

[SharonW]

Here we go. The press release on Sprint's 4G cities.

Sprint to Release Tri-Mode 4G Phone, Says 4G May Hit Unexpected Cities

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) will offer a tri-mode phone compatible with CDMA, WiFi and WiMAX and may expand 4G coverage to cities not previously disclosed, a spokesperson told Unstrung. She said the company has not announced specific timing or other details, but they should have a 4G phone on their map for 2009-2010. Fierce Wireless speculates that the phone may use Google's (NYSE:GOOG) Android operating system. While the company has also not disclosed its 4G rollout schedule, the spokesperson also said, "The list in the release isn't necessarily inclusive of everything for 2009 and 2010." Sprint's previous listing of cities for a 2009 4G rollout included Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Ft.Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle, with Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. listed for 2010. Most of these cities are also scheduled for WiMax builds by Clearwire.

http://www.mysmartrend.com/briefs.asp?n ... 1&story=26

Additionally, Clearwire is building a Silicon Valley 4G network as well. What better way to get the techies hooked on WiMax and, hopefully, talking it up and or contributing in one way or another to the process.

Incidentally, I think that triband phone will be a Google Android phone. There's a very interesting patent that Google filed some time ago that I'll try to dig up.

[fortunz]

I was excited about wimax when nokia launched its n810 wimax edition. Not only was that device not followed up by anything, it was quickly discontinued.

My hope is that if 4g ever really gets off the ground, 3g will become a budget data option. Right now, smartphone mobile data plans just aren't worth their cost to me.

[SharonW]

I don't think you're aware of the number of devices that have WiMax chips already embedded in them. I think WiMax has a big chance of success also because of Obama's broadband for all of America initiative. WiMax is perfectly suited to reach rural portions of the U.S. that the telcos and cable providers don't want to spend infrastructure money on the last mile.

In fact, in much of the world that is precisely why WiMax is taking off. Many developeding countries don't have the infrastructure in place to cover broad expansives of their terrain. WiMax solves this problem with less investment.

[SharonW]

Here:

Intel wants WiMAX to lead Obama's tech initiatives

Last week at CES, Intel chairman Craig Barrett said that Intel would advise the new administration of Barack Obama to focus on wireless broadband and WiMAX in its tech initiatives.

Intel has made significant investments in WiMAX technology, a wireless high-speed broadband technology that can potentially provide inexpensive Internet access to consumers and businesses over large distances without the need for local wifi antennas.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Foremski/?p=338

Additionally, think about this. Who is one of Obama's tech advisers? Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, also an investor in Clearwire.

[fortunz]

Additionally, think about this. Who is one of Obama's tech advisers? Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, also an investor in Clearwire.

That doesn't sound too ethically kosher. Wasn't it bad to have oilmen advising the president on energy policy?

Anyway, more power to Sprint. I hope WiMax and LTE succeed, and I hope that does end up pushing 3G into a budget product.

[SharonW]

I suppose it could be somewhat non-kosher if they were recommending something that couldn't do the job and wasn't currently available and was expensive to build compared to alternatives. However, WiMax is doable now for less infrastructure investment. LTE is not. Cable and DSL aren't either.

[fortunz]

I was using Google News to search for items about Google Voice, and I came across this:

Andrew McLaughlin’s departure from Google to the Obama administration has prompted a little grumbling among some consumer advocates and the search giant’s corporate foes.

Mr. McLaughlin, who was Google’s head of global public policy and government affairs, is leaving Silicon Valley for Washington, D.C., to become a deputy to Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, who’s in charge of advancing the president’s tech agenda.

The White House has declined to confirm Mr. McLaughlin’s appointment. Google has confirmed he’s left the company but remained mum about where he’s going.

On Wednesday, two consumer advocacy groups sent a letter to the White House asking administration officials to reconsider hiring Mr. McLaughlin, since he previously oversaw Google’s lobbying efforts.

“We do not object to Mr. McLaughlin’s appointment because he is associated with Google per se. The problem is that he has been a lobbyist for the biggest digital marketing company in the world, and we believe no special-interest connected person should assume a position of vital importance to the country’s future,” wrote John M. Simpson, founder of Consumer Watchdog, and Jeffrey Chester, founder of the Center for Digital Democracy.

Other similar articles mention Schmidt and other googlers taking jobs in government.