US WiMAX service provider Clearwire has launched a commercial network in Malaga, Spain, its first venture outside of its home market. The service – dubbed ‘Instanet’ – covers an area of nearly 600,000 people and is targeting consumers and enterprises with claimed average download speeds of 3-6 Mb/s with bursts over 10 Mb/s. Pricing starts at EUR29.90 a month. Clearwire’s data services are going up against the mobile broadband offerings of the country’s HSPA operators, with Clearwire promising speeds “several times faster than 3G.” The company is also expected to launch another 3.5GHz WiMAX network in the Spanish city of Seville soon.
Clearwire’s European developments come as the company’s CEO, Bill Morrow, said last week that it is in talks with US-based satellite, telecom and consumer electronics companies about using its WiMAX network. Operators such as T-Mobile USA, Leap Wireless and Metro PCS could make sense as wholesale clients, Morrow said, according to Reuters. Clearwire’s owners include Sprint Nextel, which has a roughly 55 percent stake, and some of the biggest US cable operators, Comcast and Time Warner Cable. These companies use Clearwire’s network to offer services. Clearwire has so far built its WiMAX network in US markets with a total population of 30 million and is targeting population coverage (though, not subscribers) of 120 million by the end of this year. It recently raised US$2.3 billion to support its US network buildout.
source: GSMA MBB
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