Sprint, Clearwire To Build Next-Gen Mobile WiMAX Network

Sprint Nextel and Clearwire have joined forces to build a next-generation broadband wireless data network they say will "enhance the speed and manner in which customers access all that the Internet has to offer at home, in the office and on the road."Helping to finance their efforts to the collective tune of $3.2 billion is Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner and Bright House Networks, all of which weighed in in a statement about the new WiMAX network. Sprint Nextel and Clearwire have formed a new company, also called Clearwire, in which Sprint Nextel will be the majority owner. The network will be built within two years, the companies say, but details regarding pricing and availability have not be determined.

Clearwire's major yet very different backers "underscores the convergence of Internet, entertainment and telecommunications services," according to The New York Times. Some analysts, however, are questioning whether competing interests could lead to conflicts over operating and managing the network.The New York Times