Today Sprint and Clearwire are merging their mobile broadband business to ultimately create the first nationwide mobile broadband Company. "The new company, named Clearwire, will be expediting the deployment of the first nationwide high-speed mobile WiMAX network.
MSOs hope this deal will be what they need to starting putting the pressure back on Fios, and satellite cable providers. Imagine getting wireless high speed internet, a wireless cablebox(True-two way), and wireless phone service - it could be called...lets be clever here, think hard, THE WIRELESS TRIPLE PLAY. I'm calling 1-800-353-4444 ahora.
But to take it a bit further - this deal will also allow MSOs to aid their efforts towards reducing bandwidth usage on their fiber optics systems. Competitors have promoted heavily on the platform of offering more channels than Cable, particularly in the HD realm. Look to cable companies to be able to offer more content - by pursuing tiered bandwidth reclamation and re-appropriation further aided by the switch from analogue to digital.
For more on the details of the strategic investments, read below.- Intel will work with manufacturers to embed WiMAX chips into Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology-based laptops and other Intel-based mobile Internet devices, and will market the new company's service in association with Intel's performance notebook PC brand.
- Google will partner with the new Clearwire in the development of Internet services, advertising services and applications for mobile WiMAX devices. In addition, Google will be the search provider and a preferred provider of other applications for the new Clearwire's retail product.
- Google will partner with the new Clearwire on an open Internet business protocol for mobile broadband devices. The new Clearwire will support Google's Android operating system software in its future voice and data devices that it provides to its retail customers.
- Sprint, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks will enter into wholesale agreements with the new Clearwire, becoming 4G providers of new Clearwire's mobile WiMAX service.
- Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks and, after completion of the transactions, the new Clearwire, will enter into 3G wholesale agreements with Sprint, becoming bundled providers of Sprint's wireless voice and data services, expanding the reach of Sprint's network to more customers, while providing the cable companies a simpler, more effective vehicle to bundle wireless services.
- Sprint and Google have also entered into an agreement related to Sprint's mobile services, whereby Google will become the default provider of web and local search services, both of which will be enabled with location information, for Sprint. Sprint will also preload several Google services - including Google Maps for mobile, Gmail and YouTube - on select mobile phones and provide easier access to other Google services.
- Google and Intel have options to enter into 3G and 4G wholesale agreements with Clearwire and Sprint respectively and have no current plans to do so.