Knight Ridder/Tribune “Business News “
Sep. 18–Clearwire Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corp. are bringing WiMax broadband service to Chicago by year-end, fulfilling a long-awaited plan to blanket the area with turbo-charged Internet speeds accessible by mobile gadgets.
“We think this is drug-addicting kind of access,” Clearwire Chief Executive Bill Morrow said in a Thursday interview.
WiMax is a fourth-generation, or 4G, wireless technology that delivers a faster, stronger and more reliable signal than that of 3G networks or Wi-Fi. Proponents of 4G technology say the service is designed for mobility, meaning that roving laptop and smart-phone users will experience the same speeds they get through fixed broadband service.
Morrow said Clearwire’s 4G service will be available in Chicago by Christmas under the brand name Clear. Consumers will be able to sign up for service and buy equipment at retailers such as Best Buy and Fry’s Electronics, as well as Clearwire-owned stores.
Sprint uses Clearwire’s WiMax network but sells separate services under its own name. Sprint will launch 4G locally by year-end.
Clearwire and Sprint initially agreed in 2007 to jointly build a nationwide WiMax network, and Chicago was slated to get the service as early as 2008. The two companies scrapped the deal at the end of 2007, then revived their plans in 2008 by merging their wireless broadband units into a new company that retained the Clearwire name. Other investors in the company include Comcast Corp. and Google Inc.
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