Reports early last month [1] claimed that Intel was interested in investing about $1 billion to $2 billion into a rumored Sprint-Clearwire WiMAX joint venture, but one analyst is throwing cold water on Intel's potential role in such a JV.

"There is very little precedent for Intel making a $1 billion to $2 billion investment in a non-core business," JP Morgan analyst Jonathan Chaplin said after attending an Intel analyst event last week.

Chaplin pointed out that Intel's entire R&D budget is in the $1 billion to $2 billion range, and WiMAX is but one of several initiatives. Chaplin said it was far more likely that Intel would join a consortium of investors, which could include Google, handset makers and wireline or cable operators, to fund a Sprint-Clearwire joint venture.

For more on the comments:
- read this report [2] from Telecoms.com

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