Why it went right: Initially, the spinoff of Sprint's WiMAX business, Xohm, and the combination with Clearwire, was an interesting curiosity. It was rumored that Intel Capital would provide $2 billion in backing, giving solid support for WiMAX as a mobile broadband standard. As it turned out, the deal to create the "new" Clearwire was a lot more complex and substantial than was initially thought. The final deal included $3.2 billion [1] in investments from Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Trilogy Equity Partners. On Nov. 4, the FCC gave regulatory approval [2] for the deal. On Nov. 20, Clearwire shareholders gave their assent [3], and on Dec. 1, Clearwire CEO Ben Wolff said that the venture's new name would be [4] "Clear."
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/introducing-the-new-clearwire/2008-05-07
[2] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/fcc-clears-sprint-clearwire-deal-create-new-clearwire/2008-11-04
[3] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/old-clearwire-stockholders-say-ok-new-clearwire/2008-11-20
[4] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/new-clearwire-announces-clear-brand/2008-12-01
[5] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/rumor-mill-intel-investing-2b-in-sprintclearwire/2008-02-15
[6] http://www.fiercewireless.com/special-reports/blackberry-storm-will-sell-219
[7] http://www.fiercewireless.com/special-reports/run-mill-rumor-mills-went-right-and-wrong
[8] http://www.fiercewireless.com/special-reports/t-mobile-pre-sells-1-5-million-g1-phones