Comcast, Time Warner, Sprint, and Clearwire could join forces on WiMAX, help from Google and Intel possible

by Joshua Topolsky posted Mar 25th 2008 at 11:35PM

As unlikely as this sounds, rivals Time Warner Cable and Comcast are apparently in talks with Sprint and Clearwire over establishing a nationwide WiMAX network. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the companies are scrambling to get a deal wrapped up by CTIA -- which takes place at the beginning of April -- and could see an influx of cash from both Google and Intel in excess of $1 billion. It seems the odd-couple partners are keen to cut into heavyweights Verizon and AT&T's ever-expanding range of at-home and mobile services by offering their own take on a high-speed data and voice system to consumers. Clearly this combination would deflate AT&T and Verizon's big FCC bandwidth-nabs a little (and it explains why the cable players weren't interested in the 700MHz auction), but it's questionable whether this rag-tag team of wild card players would seriously court the public's eye. They say America loves an underdog -- even if it's a gigantic, super-rich, corporate underdog.

[Via mocoNews]

Filed under: Sprint

Tags: clearwire, comcast, google, intel, rumor, sprint, time warner, TimeWarner, wimax, xohm

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Neutral

CB17 @ Mar 26th 2008 12:51AM

I like the part where you said "As unlikely as this sounds..."

Why would Cable give up their much faster and lower latency landlines for this? Especially with DOCSIS 3 coming. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for more, faster internet choices. Just call me a little skeptical.

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Deus Invictus @ Mar 26th 2008 10:52AM

I'm sure this isn't meant as a replacement to their cable lines. It's probably meant as a supplement. AT&T and Verizon can offer landlines and wireless internet through their cellular networks. With this Comcast, and Time Warner can have a way to offer wireless Internet to their road warrior customers without them searching for a hotstop, and get that much more money out of people.

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Yosemite Communications - Susan Lee @ Mar 26th 2008 10:34AM

As an engineering consulting company specializes in WIMAX ecosystem, this is great news if it happens, more business opportunities for WIMAX players!

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RmiXDflavoR @ Mar 26th 2008 11:37AM

Yes just wait for those WiMax set top boxes from the cable companies creating a WiMax hotspot from your tv to you cablemodem to your phones. that alone would increse coverage and cold help them channel data through the cable pipe and seamlessly integrate the networks creating the most advanced and robust ecosytem of applications. Just one example of this could be the ability to purchase lets say a song and be able to listen to the song on any of your devices. lets say you go to a friends houseyou you want to play an Xbox game but its at your house ,simple login with your Gamers Tag and all your content comes down the pipe and displayed on that system. they may be "underdogs" but they know what they are doing. And to thos fios users verizon has only been able to imitate a cable network, as stated above DOCSIS 3.0 is just around the corner.

Neutral

desmond chong @ Apr 28th 2008 10:42AM

Great intent. Executing will be the main challenge. It will not be the lack of money or technical know-how but the abundance of big egos will make it difficult to gain lift.