It's official: the mega-billion dollar company created by Sprint and Clearwire and funded in part by Comcast, Google, Intel, Time Warner, and Bright House Networks is a done deal. The new company, which will operate under the name Clearwire, will take over all of Sprint's existing 4G assets, from towers to spectrums, and all future developments will be under the Clearwire umbrella.
The biggest change that this finalization brings is that the XOHM brand is being absorbed by the new company. Clearwire will be using the name "Clear" to brand their WiMAX network, and the existing XOHM network and products will be re-branded to match. If you have XOHM products or service, don't worry: the change is only in the name! Your modems will still work and you shouldn't see any interruptions in the service itself.
Despite the fact that WiMAX service is available to just a very small section of the country, Sprint has celebrated the merger by adding 4G coverage to their maps. A map of the Reston, Virginia area shows the WiMAX coverage in addition to EVDO (click for full size):
As we just mentioned, WiMAX is only available in a few select areas of the country, but Clearwire has plenty of money to start expanding the Clear network - and they want YOU to tell THEM where to start building! They have asked customers to email them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and let them know what cities you'd like to see Clear in first.
What would be your first pick? Discuss on the 4G Forums.
