Intel and cellular phone billionaire Craig McCaw have joined forces to deliver a new high-speed wireless Internet service.
Intel said Monday that it is investing an undisclosed amount of money in McCaw"s company, Clearwire. The Kirkland, Wash., company is creating a high-speed wireless Internet network that uses a technology called WiMax.
WiMax offers speeds that are as fast or faster than cable modems or digital subscriber phone lines. Intel, which has developed a WiMax chip for computers, says WiMax can be deployed far more cheaply and efficiently than traditional broadband services offered by phone and cable television companies.
A WiMax network extends Internet service wirelessly anywhere from a half mile to 10 miles from an antenna, depending on how many people it serves. That means that any home or business within range could access the network by connecting computers to WiMax networking gear.