A number of industry players - Sprint Nextel, Clearwire, Comcast, Time Warner, Bright House Networks, Google, Intel and Trilogy Equity Partners - have formed a $12 billion technology consortium to build out a WiMAX network with the spectrum that Sprint and Clearwire own. It is not clear what each player will get, but it is clear that all the partners are hedging their bets against the wireless future:

- Sprint Nextel needs a path to 4G.
- Clearwire needs a mobile element that is nationwide.
- The cable players need mobile to compete with the telcos.
- Google needs an alternative to promote its open access agenda.
- Intel needs success in wireless technology because it has not done well with mobile wireless chips in the past.

These types of arrangements with various players have not worked in the past, because each of the players has different and sometimes conflicting needs. The final outcome of this consortium will most likely not look like the initial consortium. But with all the backing behind this agreement and the motivations of the various players, a WiMAX network is very likely to get built.