Geddy

The WiMax Deal Is a Disaster: How Google Got Snookered

I don't really believe the other major carriers are too worried about this "new" competitor (can't really call Sprint a competitor to AT&T and Verizon with the hemorraghing of customers they've had lately). Both Clearwire (Portland) & Sprextel (Chicago & DC) have had WiMax markets built out for almost a year now & still have yet to release them to the public....smells like they're having troubles getting it to work to me. Even if they already broken promise to launch by end of year comes to fruition, the supposed "first to market" advantage will be greatly negated as LTE is literally (in wireless terms) right around the corner. At most all the new Clearwire is promising is less than half the population covered by 2010, which just happens to be when the other carriers start LTE launch. I can promise you they will not take as much time as Clearwire is taking to fully launch & cover their markets. I also want to comment it takes MUCH more money to deploy a new nationwide technology than the pittance the bidders (Google, Intel, cable companies, etc.) have committed to so again, doesn't look pretty to me.

The WiMax Deal Is a Disaster: How Google Got Snookered

Folks, it is indeed still an unproven technology. Everyone keeps touting how it works overseas but as he even mentions, not many customers (not just in Korea, anywhere). It has not been proven to work in a large market yet, though Sprint (Chicago) & Clearwire (Portland) already have markets built for many months now & still haven't launched...smells like trouble to me.
And yes, there are mobile devices already working on Clearwire's "Expedience" technology, just look at the numbers on their sales as well as google their customer complaints, they're horrible. By the time they figure out how to run things (Sprint REALLY needs to go back & fix their very glaring customer defection issue before branching out) LTE will be deployed & the small advantage of "first to market" they should have taken advantage of LONG ago (even by 2010, about when LTE will start deploying, they'll have only half their population covered with WiMax) will be gone. It takes a TON of money to deploy a new techology & that little pittance that the cable companies, Google, & Intel provided won't cover diddly.

What Happens to WiMax with Sprint on the Ropes?

Lord, I hope they don't count on Clearwire to save them. Talking about a company operating the "MacGyver" way!