Open WiMAX Networks with High Speeds

We have been hearing about the benefits of WiMAX technology for years and they might be here sooner rather than later assuming there’s no more red tape.  Arstechnica has an article with Clearwire’s CEO, Ben Wolff, spouting off that AT&T’s main goal is to either delay the merger of Clearwire and Sprint’s Xohm unit or get the FCC to modify the spectrum cap limits for AT&T’s own benefits.  Wolff says the main reason they want this merger is to promote competition by providing 4G mobile WiMAX as “wholesale access”.  This wholesale access is to be resold(licensed?) to other providers.  How is this competition if Clearwire will be the one controlling the main network?  It’s almost like back in the late 90s where Verizon owned the POT systems and licensed out the CO’s to other providers for DSL services.

In any case, this upcoming WiMAX network is supposed to be “wholesale friendly” which means that it’ll be a free-for-all between carriers, manufacturers, and developers alike.  Clearwire currently has a 440,000 subscriber base and of course hope to accelerate growth from the merger.  They hope to have 6Mbps download speeds for mobile users across the US with unlimited access for a flat fee.