When it comes to Sprint and its 4G or WiMax network in New York City, news of the speedy next generation being live in some areas wouldn't be the first, or even second time we've heard about it. But now that more folks are latching onto WiMax capable devices like the Overdrive 3G/4G and the new Samsung Epic 4G, everyone is beginning to take notice. Is Sprint's 4G/WiMax network ready to go live in the Big Apple?

Under pressure from stockholders to improve their financial performance, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA -- the third and fourth largest U.S. mobile phone carriers, respectively -- are reported to be discussing the possibility of T-Mobile investing in Sprint's Clearwire operation.

NEW DELHI: India's second-largest telco by customers, Reliance Communications has poached CS Rao, who currently heads WiMAX Forum's initiatives in India, an executive in the company told ET.

The promise of 4G and its anywhere, anytime mobile broadband coverage is driving carriers and their support community of technologists and manufacturers to explore the expanding universe of WiMAX, Long Term Evolution and beyond.

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC)'s acquisition of Infineon Technologies AG (NYSE/Frankfurt: IFX)'s Wireless Solutions business was a long time coming, but while some have interpreted the move as Intel's strategic shift from WiMax to Long Term Evolution (LTE), one industry analyst says the deal isn't about 4G at all. (See Intel Looks to Infineon for the Full SOC.)

Speedy LTE mobile broadband networks are on tap to unite the world, based on a map showing current and planned LTE coverage by country. A total of 132 operators in 56 countries are currently investing in LTE for next-generation networks, says the Global Mobile Suppliers Association, indicating a 71-percent increase in the number of carrier commitments from six months ago. Given that nearly 90 percent - or 4.45 billion - of the world's mobile handsets already use the GSM standard on which LTE is based, the GSA map paints a bleak picture for alternative futures, involving WiMAX and other standards.

For Ron Resnick, India is the biggest battleground in the war to secure the future Wimax technology.
With the US market heading for the co-existence of Wimax and its competitor LTE and Chinese firms lodged behind TD-LTE technologies, India remains Wimax's only hope for counterbalancing the size of the Chinese market.

Neubiberg, Germany and Santa Clara, Calif., Aug. 30, 2010, CEST (Aug. 29, U.S. PDT) - Infineon Technologies AG and Intel Corporation have entered into a definitive agreement to transfer Infineon's Wireless Solutions (WLS) business to Intel in a cash transaction valued at approximately $1.4 billion.