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Aug. 3, 2009

Clearwire said that it is planning a huge launch of its new 4G service in ten of its pre Wi-MAX markets. Planned for September 1st, the launch will occur in Boise, Idaho; Bellingham, Wash.; and in 8 separate markets, all located in Texas.

The upcoming launches are in relatively small markets where Clearwire already has some infrastructure in place, making it easier to upgrade its network to 4G.

The company plans to launch in major markets like Chicago and Dallas/Ft. Worth by the end of 2009, but those cities lack Clearwire’s pre-WiMAX equipment and the lead time is expected to be considerably longer.

Clearwire has already launched mobile WiMAX in Atlanta, Baltimore, Las Vegas and Portland, Ore., and expects to spend between $1.5 billion and $1.9 billion in 2009 to expand its network.

The wireless operator plans to have its mobile WiMAX service in eighty markets covering up to 120 million people by the end of next year.

The company recently upgraded the upload speeds for its network in Portland, doubling it to as much as 1 mbps. Clearwire's upload speeds had been as fast as 500 kbps prior to Saturday’s upgrade. Download speeds range between 3 to 6 mbps, with bursts over 10 mbps, which is standard in the industry.

Comcast and Sprint are also offering the same service under their own brands in select markets, including Atlanta and Portland. Time Warner Cable, which invested $500 million in the company, last week told investors that it would begin reselling the wireless service this fall in Dallas and Charlotte, N.C.

Clearwire backers have poured billions of dollars into the business in a bid to get a foothold in the emerging 4G market. Clearwire has been losing money as its tremendous expenditures outstrip sales growth, but some resellers are still managing to benefit from the deal by offering the mobile WiMAX service.

Clearwire will provide more information about its 2009 launches during its second-quarter financial release on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

Over the next coming months, it will be interesting to observe how many other mobile service providers will start offering a similar service.

Competition is really getting tougher in this segment and this piece of news is a stark reminder of it.

We will keep you posted.

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    This article was featured on Business 5.0 and on Tech Blog.

Source: Clearwire Wireless.