Recovery Act: Clearwire Reveals Plans

As Clearwire LLC (Nasdaq: CLWR) officially launched proto-4G services in 10 new markets today, the mobile WiMax provider shed light on its plans to use broadband stimulus funds for new rollouts.

As Unstrung reported last week, Clearwire has applied for a "modest amount" of broadband stimulus funds. Today, the company revealed that those funds will be used to roll out services in underserved areas in Detroit and Puerto Rico, which are two new markets and are not included in Clearwire's current plan. But Clearwire has not put a number on how much a "modest amount" is. (See Recovery Act: Clearwire Applies for Stimulus Funds, Recovery Act: Tracking the Stimulus, and Recovery Act: The Stimulus Index.)

In addition, Clearwire also announced today that it plans to partner with "a limited number of other grants submitted, as a spectrum and technology partner," which would bring coverage to five more states.

Clearwire said that the projects using stimulus funds would have "no significant impact" on the company's current funding and buildout plans. (See Clearwire 'Confident' on Funding and Clearwire Shuffles Exec Deck.)

Today also marks the official launch of Clear's mobile WiMax services in 10 new markets in Texas, Idaho, and Washington state. (See Clearwire Enters 10 New 4G Markets.)

The towns in Texas that now have a new mobile broadband service available are Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Waco, and Wichita Falls. The other new markets where Clearwire offers service are Bellingham, Wash., and Boise, Idaho.

Clearwire started selling services in these markets at the beginning of August, but today marks the official launch. (See Clearwire Enters 10 New 4G Markets and Clearwire Launches in 10 New Markets.)

With these launches, Clearwire's total coverage is now 14 markets, spanning 10 million people. The other cities where the service is already available are Atlanta, Baltimore, Las Vegas, and Portland, Ore. (See Clearwire to Launch in Vegas on 21st, Clearwire Goes Live in Atlanta, and Clear to Roam Beyond Vegas.)

In addition, Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) launched its own "4G" service in two of the new Clear markets: Bellingham and Boise. (See Sprint Takes WiMax to Idaho, Sprint's Summer of WiMax, and Sprint's '4G' Shadow Network.)

— Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Unstrung