Clearwire to Take 4G WiMAX to New York, LA and San Francisco

The 4G WiMAX (News - Alert) network offered by Clearwire is soon to be a reality in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Clearwire (News - Alert) is relying on its partnership with Sprint to ensure it launches fully in three of the most metro areas in the United States.

According to a Daily Tech report, New York City will receive the high-speed data network first and it could be ready as early as Nov. 1. Los Angeles expects to go live one month later and late December will bring the network live to San Francisco.

Clearwire noted in recent press releases that some consumers in New York City or Los Angeles may already be able to connect to WiMAX. The company said that dual-mode 3G/4G service is now available to consumers in select areas of Los Angeles and New York City in anticipation of area launches.

"This targeted pre-launch promotion provides early adopters with broad 3G coverage and limited 4G coverage while final work on Clearwire's 4G network is completed," said company officials.

The high-speed network offered by Clearwire/Sprint is already available in 56 major metropolitan areas throughout the country. By the end of the year, Denver, Miami, Cincinnati, and Cleveland are all expected to be added to the list, bringing the total to 63 major metros with 4G WiMAX capabilities.

According to Clearwire officials, its network services are currently available to roughly 66 million people; which includes the services the company extends through partnerships with power players, Comcast (News - Alert) and Time Warner Cable.

At present, Sprint is the only major carrier to offer WiMAX for 4G, which has allowed the third-largest carrier to become the first to offer branded 4G services to consumers. The challenge in the long run may be that WiMAX is often considered inferior to LTE (News - Alert), which three other major carriers plan to launch for their own 4G networks.

Recent dealings between Clearwire and Sprint have not all been rosy as Sprint executives resigned from Clearwire’s Board. Sprint, owning 54 percent, is the majority shareholder of Clearwire. With three empty seats on the board and Sprint CEO Dan Hesse (News - Alert) available to perhaps sit on another board, have more investment options been opened for both Sprint and Clearwire?

It may be too soon to tell, but industry experts close to the situation cite anti-trust laws as the reason for the board split. Clearwire and Sprint seem to be very much in tune with each other as they continue to launch 4G services in high demand areas. Will that change with the rush of LTE launches expected from other carriers?