WCA Conference Notebook

Clearwire has won more new broadband customers than cable and telco competitors in all but one of its 25 U.S. markets the past year, a senior executive said Wed. “We are getting more than our share with the new subscribers,” CTO Nicolas Kauser told the Wireless Communications Assn. conference in San Jose. Predicting the trend would continue, Kauser said he foresees a “3-way race… maybe 4-way… with the mobile operators… We think we will have our God-given right to a 35% market share.” Kauser didn’t say which market will be the exception. Other bright signs are markets showing month-over-month sales growth and strong word of mouth, he said: “60% of sales seem to come from referrals.” Clearwire, founded by wireless pioneer Craig McCaw, offers wireless broadband access using 2.5 GHz spectrum. It’s mostly in small cities in Fla. and the western U.S.; among its larger markets are Anchorage, Boise and Jacksonville. The company sees its niche as between those of fixed broadband and of 3G, which will have ubiquitous coverage Clearwire will lack, but not as much bandwidth, said Kauser. He spoke generally of company efforts to evolve past proprietary technology “to make it more open… to join the WiMAX trend.” The firm has been talking with WiMAX proponents about convergence, he said. Rollout will gain speed this year in the U.S. and abroad, where Clearwire has 16 markets in northern Europe, and via a partnership in Mexico, said Kauser, also pres. of Clearwire International. “We're looking forward to an aggressive growth this year, which will be many times as large” as in 2005, the company’s first full year offering service, he said. Clearwire is rolling out VoIP in the U.S. this quarter, he said. And the company soon will pursue allowing roaming throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Kauser said. -- LT