Reports early last month 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 from Telecoms.com