As a frontrunner with one of the world's top brands, Google poses the most likely choice for people hitting Clearwire's network. Google did some groundwork already, gaining a deal with Sprint to be the portal for Xohm, the WiMax effort Clearwire will absorb.
The big G will be a presence on WiMax, without question. Put aside the talk of openness and Android for the moment. Remember where Google gets about 99 percent of its revenue.
If a low cost entry into a high-speed Clearwire-operated WiMax network is going to happen, it will be with Google providing some of the cushion. Google can afford to help its Southeast Asia hardware developers make Android-powered devices less expensive; Google can't afford not to do so.
Reaching people with a connection, content, and ads means providing the way to stay connected. The investment in Clearwire by Google shows the next step toward doing that. Who knows? If it works, Google could be on the way back to those $700 per share days they enjoyed not too long ago.
If that happens, it will come not just from having ads in people's pockets. WiMax's range provides a broadband option that should reach areas currently underserved by existing cable or other broadband providers.
See, WiMax may open up a lot of customers to using the Internet more often. Faster access leads to greater demand, which we have seen over the past decade. Imagine a whole new market of customers gaining regular high-speed access for a minimal cost, and the opportunity that presents to advertisers.
That should excite hard-working business owners. The next economic recovery could come on a wave of expansion, with Google providing some of the rush as they help WiMax expand to its audience.
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