Clearwire and Towerstream are two companies currently offering pre-WiMax services but they cater to different clients: Clearwire serves the consumer market and Towerstream focuses on businesses.

Clearwire co-CEO Ben Wolff said subscribers to the company’s fixed wireless service now number 162,000. The operator looks to cover 34 markets by the year’s end and has launched a trial of mobile WiMax in Oregon along with Intel and other partners. It has licenses for 2.5 GHz spectrum in the U.S. as well as nationwide licenses for Poland, Romania and Spain. It has also built networks in several European cities, namely Brussels, Copenhagen and Dublin.

Towerstream’s small and medium business clients are located in large U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Providence in Rhode Island. CEO Jeff Thompson said the goal is to expand the company’s reach by one or two new markets annually. Although it owns some 2.5 GHz spectrum, Towerstream primarily uses unlicensed bands and hinted at joining the anticipated auction of 700 MHz spectrum in the coming years.
Via [wirelessweek.com]