We reported on the Sprint/Clearwire merger back in August, but the merger is still not quite complete. Thanks to the complaint filed by AT&T (a desperate attempt on their part to slow down XOHM and give them a little more time to get their own technology rolling... in my opinion), regulatory approval has taken a bit longer than they would have liked, but Clearwire CFO John Butler has stated that he expects the deal to be finalized by the end of the year.

In addition to teaming up together, Sprint/Clearwire is also partnering up with Google, Intel, Time Warner Cable and Comcast to create their network. It looks like "the more the merrier" is what Sprint/Clearwire thinks will make their XOHM plan a success - and I think they're on to something. Comcast and Time Warner will be able to add WiMAX service to their "bundle" packages available to customers, Intel will provide things like chipsets, and Google, of course, can offer everything from search to maps.

The merger also gives Sprint/Clearwire a lot more cash to work with: the new company is estimated to be worth $14.55 billion! Development and wide-range deployment of a new network is going to cost them, and with money at their disposal they'll be able to move forward much more quickly. With yesterday's news that LTE might not be ready for widespread use until 2015, this partnership and the money they'll have to use is going to give Sprint/Clearwire a huge jump on their competition. Will LTE ever be able to catch up?

Discuss the merger on 4G Forums
Read the press release on 4Ginfo.com