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More Reasons for Optimism in This Week's WiMAX News
Is the global economic outlook getting you down? Does the business section of your local newspaper depress you? Fortunately, there's hope, in the form of a quick Google search: there is plenty of news on WiMAX technology floating around the Internet this week, and most of it positive.
Our first item, from the
Washington Business Journal, announces the final merger of Clearwire Corp.
with Sprint's WiMAX business, Xohm. If you've had your doubts about the
ability of Sprint to pull off a successful WiMAX network, this news might boost
your confidence. Clearwire comes to the table with $3.2 billion in
investments from a group of heavy-hitters in media and telecommunications,
including Google, Intel, Comcast, Bright House Networks, and Time Warner Cable.
Though Sprint and Clearwire have both seen their stock prices decline further
after the announcement of their merger, the final approval of the merger by
Clearwire shareholders is a resounding vote of confidence in the long-term
promise of WiMAX technology, bolstered by the significant investment of a
consortium of industry giants. Google in particular has demonstrated a
pattern of quietly rolling out products which offer the greatest convenience and
value for the consumer, even when their development requires Google to expend
more time, effort, and money behind the scenes. The support of Google and
other industry leaders for the Clearwire/Sprint venture sends a message of
belief in WiMAX as a strong business venture, worth pursuing with billions of
dollars in investments even in the midst of a turbulent financial climate.
More recently, Airspan has offered up another positive news item, announcing
that it has
successfully demonstrated a seamless handover from one frequency band to
another on a mobile WiMAX network in the UK. Airspan's demonstration of
the ability of WiMAX devices to switch between frequency bands with no
interruption in service will undoubtedly make WiMAX even more attractive – and
affordable – for network operators, who will have the potential to build single
networks of two or more frequency bands in order to expand coverage.
Enhanced roaming capabilities may also make WiMAX mobile broadband more enticing
for end users, which can only help carriers to market WiMAX technology as unique
and ground-breaking, and to draw a clearer line between the promise of WiMAX and
the
lingering specter of failed efforts at providing long-range, high-speed
wireless service.
Ari Zoldan
Quantum Networks, LLC
A WiMAX Company
70 West 40th Street
7th Floor
New York, New York 10018
Toll Free +1 877 25 W i M A X
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