Google and Sprint team-up on WiMAX For Mobile Web

Yesterday, Google and Sprint-Nextel announced that they are in the works of offering Internet search services via a web portal that the latter is developing for its WiMAX high-speed wireless service.


The latest partnership is by far the search giant’s closest alliance with a leading US mobile service provider. The new joint venture is anticipated to augment internet access over Sprint’s new network and enhance use of Google’s search and communications services on mobile devices.

“This seems to be a bigger deal than what [Google has] done in the past, more comprehensive,” observed Pacific Crest analyst Steve Weinstein, who expects wireless services to be a “very material driver” for Google by late 2008 and early 2009.

Even though Google has penned deals with overseas mobile providers, analysts claim it to be much behind Yahoo Inc. in the U.S. mobile Web market.

According to Google, wireless is a key to its growth and its strategy of selling Internet advertising.

The Mountain View, Calif., company is in the midst of a lobbying battle over rules governing an upcoming U.S. government auction of airwaves.

With this deal, Google becomes Sprint’s exclusive search provider for WiMAX service, maintained Sprint’s chief technology officer, Barry West. Adding, that the agreement should help raise Sprint’s image as a provider of wireless Web services.

“If you think of the Internet you automatically think of Google,” West said. “Obviously having a powerful partner on the Internet helps us become synonymous with the mobile Internet.”

Spring will be combining technology for discovering user location with the help of Google tools on devices running on a high-speed network Sprint was building based on WiMAX technology. The Google tools would be the ones such as email and chat

Though WiMAX offers Web access speeds five times faster than typical wireless networks, all the same it much slower than wired broadband.

This service would be free for access, and will earn its revenues through search-related advertising. Google and Sprint will share advertising revenue.

Sprint intends using the up-and-coming WiMAX technology to better compete with rival wireless and wired broadband networks.It plans to test the WiMAX service in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington by 2007-end, with a goal of achieving coverage for 100 million people by the end of 2008. The company is hoping that users will in due course use the service through WiMAX-embedded devices like laptops and cell phones.