Clearwire selects Cisco to help build 4G network

Clearwire named networking equipment maker Cisco Systems as a key supplier to help it build its nationwide 4G wireless network, the companies announced Wednesday.

As part of the new strategic partnership, Cisco will provide IP routers and other equipment to build Clearwire's network, which uses a technology called WiMax. Cisco will also develop some consumer devices that can be used on the network. Cisco wouldn't provide specifics about the new products, but a Cisco representative said that these devices will be sold under the Linksys brand and are expected to be introduced later this year.

Cisco, which is the world's largest supplier of Internet infrastructure equipment, has also been developing WiMax radio gear for a while. The company bought WiMax equipment maker Navini in 2007. But the company has mainly focused its WiMax radio products on fixed WiMax offerings that deliver broadband service to businesses and homes in areas where traditional land-based broadband infrastructure is unavailable.

Suraj Shetty, vice president of worldwide service provider marketing for Cisco, said that Cisco will still focus its WiMax business on building radio equipment for fixed broadband in the developing world. And he added that the deal with Clearwire is only to supply Internet infrastructure and consumer devices for Clearwire.

The companies did not disclose financial terms of the agreement.

Clearwire is building a nationwide wireless broadband network using WiMax. Late last year, it merged its wireless assets with spectrum from Sprint Nextel. And it has received billions of dollars in investment from Google, Intel, Comcast, and Time Warner.

The company has said that by the end of 2010 it expects to have service in over 80 markets with access to more than 120 million customers.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the two largest cell phone operators in the country, have already said they plan to use a competing technology known as LTE to build their 4G networks. Verizon will begin testing its this year and expects to begin commercial deployments of the service early in 2010.

[uarunprasad]

LTE is the way to go. There are umpteen advantages in using LTE over WiMAX. Clearwire will rue their decision about going with WiMAX as their 4G network.

[regulator1956]

I guess you work for a non-Sprint cell phone company.

I want a longer range mirror of WiFi. Not a "Suck every last penny out of the customer" LTE.

I want a laptop that connects wirelessly at my house, wirelessly in free areas and wirelessly in my office ALL for free with a range of up to a mile or two.

If I want to pay a cell company for some data, the same radio on a different channel works with Sprint. With the massive increase in range, I'll be able to get on open WiMAX sites most any time once the rollout occurs.

Screw LTE.

[uarunprasad]

hey guys im sry for the incomplete comment. When I think again, i think its better for Clearwire to go for WiMAX considering the business domain in which Clearwire operates. But if it were Verizon or some other company, they better stick to LTE.

Uarunprasad, i am really disappointed to hear you say that "there are umpteen advantages in using LTE over WiMAX" without providing a little more substance. That view is unbalanced. For instance; you didn't mention that Verizon only has a little over 20MHz of spectrum for LTE in 700 MHz - with that they will bearly be able to supply high bandwidth to 2 or 3 users per cell sector. The network will be in congestion in urban area and throughput rates will be slow once people start to use it. Clearwire has in excess of 100 MHz of spectrum in most markets and will not have those problems. Please, either be more specific in your value statements or give a balanced view, or refrain from comment.

[DosEquisXX]

Wait, so you're saying that with 20MHz of spectrum you can only support 2 or 3 users with high bandwidth, but you think that 100MHz which per your math would support 10 to 15 users is much better. Sounds like your math on the number of users by spectrum is pretty flawed.

[tech_crazy]

That is the theoretical minimum. In reality, not all users will be connected all the time and using every last drop of the bandwidth. So, practically the numbers should be much higher per cell - in the hundreds if not the thousands.

[enidesigns]

Without being over-technical, anyone want to explain the pros and cons of both technologies - preferably in a semi-unbiased way?

This has my interest because im a Verizon cellular subscriber however, I live for Linksys consumer network hardware as well...