Sprint and Clearwire complete merger

The Clearwire/Sprint merger will lead to a new broadband network in the US

Clearwire and Sprint Nextel have officially completed their merger less than a month after the Federal Communications Commission approved the plan.

Central to the deal will be the creation of a new WiMax broadband network in the US. The two sides will team up to create a service called Clear, which will initially be phased into Clearwire's existing mobile broadband markets along with the Sprint XOHM service.

Also involved in the deal are Intel, Comcast, Time Warner, Google and Bright House Networks, which will combine to invest some $3.2bn in the project.

First announced last spring, the deal combines both companies' network infrastructure and wireless spectrum holdings. Clearwire estimates that the new network will have some 100MHz of spectrum at its disposal in most markets.

"We are bringing a new mobile internet experience to customers at speeds previously relegated to fixed locations," said Benjamin Wolff, chief executive of Clearwire.

"With significant spectrum holdings yielding unmatched network capacity, a next-generation all-IP network, and an open internet business model, Clearwire will deliver a simple value proposition aimed at improving productivity and making the internet experience more enjoyable wherever our customers happen to be."