Telecommunications is an ever expanding branch of information systems. There are so many different networks that provide service for customers. Telecommunications deals not only with cellular phones but also the internet. These companies use different media form to transmit and receive information. These companies include but are not limited to Verizon, Sprint and many more. One in particular ia a company called Clearwire. Clearwire came up with a new fourth generation network systems called WiMAX. “In 2008, Sprint and Clearwire merged to develop Internet access to mobile devices using WiMAX, rather than the traditional CDMA and GSM cellular technologies. Google also invested in the venture.”[i] This was supposed to be the future in the short term because the LTE technology from Verizon was not to be able to reach its full potential for many years to come. This is proven by Apple being reluctant to pick this technology for the I-phone 5; “The company is typically reluctant to adopt technology that has not yet reached its full potential, and LTE would fall into that category.”[ii] The LTE techno logy is said to be able to care more data at higher speeds.
Clearwire was the innovator of this WiMAX technology and started a fourth generation telecommunication push that has spanned three years. They first opened markets in large cities like Philadelphia and Miami. The plan was to continue introducing and launching WiMAX. WiMAX is thought as, “Since WiMAX has such as large signal range, it will potentially be used to provide wireless Internet access to entire cities and other large areas. In fact, some proponents of WiMAX predict it will eventually spread Internet access to all parts of the globe.”[iii]The problem that we are seeing today is that Clearwire is running out of money and has not even finished launching all of its WiMAX sites. “Clearwire's management acknowledged that growing sentiment, which immediately raised the question of why the company had borrowed and spent billions of dollars in support of WiMAX.”[iv] Clearwire obviously bet on being able to make WiMAX he future and that LTE would take to long to develop, this obviously has back fired on Clearwire. Clearwire is now trying a new angle where they will incorporate LTE into their WiMAX technologies. It may be hard for Clearwire to avoid bankruptcy because it has lost many of its investors like Sprint and Google. In the end the next WiMAX may be the fourth generation winner but I believe with LTE not reaching its full potential that LTE is the future.
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=WiMAX&i=54472,00.asp#fbid=fsXhvkvpAf6
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/102879.html
http://www.techterms.com/definition/wimax
http://seekingalpha.com/article/298942-clearwire-may-go-bankrupt-by-next-year
