Deal shakes wireless world

It may not be a household name yet, like Wi-Fi. But with a growing number of consumers wanting their information on the go, at home and at work - WiMax may be the next big thing in wireless.

At least that's what Sprint and a new group called Clearwire are betting on.

WiMax is shorthand for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. The technology aims to provide broadband wireless service over a much greater area than current WiFi.

David Schatsky is President of Jupiter Research.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID SCHATSKY, JUPITER RESEARCH, SAYING: "There is interest on the part of consumers in consuming media "on the go". We've seen that with i-pods and i-phones. And this will provide the infrastructure necessary to make that a more mainstream phenomenon and consumers are looking for that."

Seven different companies are investing 14 and a-half billion dollars in (the launch of) Clearwire.

Besides Sprint Nextel, which will own 51-percent of the company (and Clearwire in its current form), the new, joint venture (Clearwire) will (receive)(get) investment from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Intel, Google and Bright House Networks.

Analysts say WiMax could provide several new benefits for consumers.

For people who can't get broadband now because they live in rural areas, (they may be able to access it once WiMax rolls out.) (WiMax may offer an answer. )

Also..

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID SCHATSKY, JUPITER RESEARCH, SAYING: "It can provide an alternative competitive offering to broadband service at home. You might be able to get it from your phone company today. You might be able to get it from your cable company. In the future, you may be able to get it over WiMax, even in your house. It could spur price competition."

Clearwire hopes to have Wi-Max services available to about half the U.S. population by 2010.

Sasha Salama, Reuters.