Clearwire, the US networking company has said that it will bring a high speed WiMax network to the heart of Silicon Valley this summer.
Its co-chairman Benjamin Wolff made the announcement to encourage developers to create new software applications for Clearwires's wireless service. Cisco Systems will provide the equipment for the wired connections between the network's wireless towers.
Clearwire, backed by wireless pioneer Craig McCaw, said its network based on WiMax, an emerging technology that promises to blanket entire cities with high-speed wireless Web access, said it will initially cover more than 20 square miles in Silicon Valley, home to many high-tech companies.
Wolff announced the plan during his keynote speech at the CTIA annual wireless technology showcase where one of the top themes under discussion has been application storefronts for wireless services.
He said that the company would bring its wireless service to campuses of two of its financial backers Google and Intel and will provide the service free for "qualified developers."
It said that the mobile WiMax network service is expected to be available to developers by late summer of this year ahead of commercial service launching in the Bay Area in 2010.
In addition, Clearwire plans to cover up to 120 million people with its wireless service in more than 80 cities by the end of 2010.
They will include Atlanta, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia, and Seattle.
A recent reports from Juniper Research suggest that WiMax rival LTE is likely to generate $70 billion in revenues in the next five years.
