WiMax Technology

The leading WiMax investment - building all-American network - runs up against difficulties. Sprint Nextel and Clearwire in July 2007 signed Letter of Intent to partner on nationwide WiMax network. The plan was to join forces to build the first all-American mobile broadband network using WiMAX technology, and make it available for about 100 million Americans by the end of 2008.

The budget for the first stage of the project amounted to 3 billion USD, the total expenses should not exceed 5 billion USD. Sprint Nextel was due to build out 65% of the network, Clearwire - the remaining 35%. Unfortunately, in November Clearwire withdrew from the project. It was one month after Gary Forsee, the CEO of Sprint Nextel and chief WiMax cheerleader, had stepped down. Sprint intends to pursue the venture, but the details will be announced next year.

Compared with that situation, the news from Russia and India are very optimistic. Comstar, the Russian telecommunication operator, has signed with Intel the agreement on launching WiMax network in Moscow by end of 2008. It will use IEEE 802.16e mobile standard and enable the subscribers to access Internet, VoIP , and TV - both in the case of fixed and mobile users.

Many experts think that the best prospects for WiMax are in the countries having underdeveloped telecommunications infrastructure. A good example is India. In this market, the leading world manufacturer of WiMax chipsets, Beceem, with its main R&D center located just in India, will supply Tata Communications company which, basing on WiMax, plans to revolutionize Indian telecommunications.