Is the global economic outlook getting you down? Does the business section of your local newspaper depress you? Fortunately, there’s hope, in the form of a quick Google search: there is plenty of news on WiMAX technology floating around the Internet this week, and most of it positive.

Our first item, from the Washington Business Journal, announces the final merger of Clearwire Corp. with Sprint’s WiMAX business, Xohm. If you’ve had your doubts about the ability of Sprint to pull off a successful WiMAX network, this news might boost your confidence. Clearwire comes to the table with $3.2 billion in investments from a group of heavy-hitters in media and telecommunications, including Google, Intel, Comcast, Bright House Networks, and Time Warner Cable. Though Sprint and Clearwire have both seen their stock prices decline further after the announcement of their merger, the final approval of the merger by Clearwire shareholders is a resounding vote of confidence in the long-term promise of WiMAX technology, bolstered by the significant investment of a consortium of industry giants. Google in particular has demonstrated a pattern of quietly rolling out products which offer the greatest convenience and value for the consumer, even when their development requires Google to expend more time, effort, and money behind the scenes. Though many analysts and commentators suspect that other 4G technologies will emerge as easier and cheaper options for companies to pursue, the support of Google and other industry leaders for the Clearwire/Sprint venture sends a message of belief in WiMAX as a strong business venture, worth pursuing with billions of dollars in investments even in the midst of a turbulent financial climate.

More recently, Airspan has offered up another positive news item, announcing that it has successfully demonstrated a seamless handover from one frequency band to another on a mobile WiMAX network in the UK. Airspan’s demonstration of the ability of WiMAX devices to switch between frequency bands with no interruption in service will undoubtedly make WiMAX even more attractive – and affordable – for network operators, who will have the potential to build single networks of two or more frequency bands in order to expand coverage. Enhanced roaming capabilities may also make WiMAX mobile broadband more enticing for end users, which can only help carriers to market WiMAX technology as unique and ground-breaking, and to draw a clearer line between the promise of WiMAX and the lingering specter of failed efforts at providing long-range, high-speed wireless service.

Airspan received some negative publicity back in March from Buzz Broadband but continues to be a respected provider of WiMAX solutions. Vodacom Lesotho, a subsidiary of the Pan-African cellular communications company, has officially selected Airspan to be its WiMAX provider.

Vodacom offers world class GSM service, a standard collection of applications and features available to mobile phone subscribers, to more than 23 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and Mozambique. Partnering with Airspan will allow Vodacom to provide subscribers with IP data services as a substitute to fixed line broadband access. “Airspan will supply its MicroMAX base stations in the 3.3 - 3.5 GHz frequency band in addition to CPEs (customer premise equipment).” Vodacom believes that Airspan’s solution is perfect, particularly in rural areas, for rapid deployment.

Airspan’s MicroMAX system provides a low-cost, high-performance point-to-multipoint IEEE 802.16 compliant solution. This OFDM based architecture is suited to deliver high-speed data, Voice Over IP (VoIP), and multimedia services to residential, SOHO (small office/home office), and SME (small medium enterprise). MicroMAX offers service providers an integrated access solution, providing quick-to-market deployment and low-market entry cost for broadband services in an expandable “pay as you grow” model. CNN Money News

Given the failure of Airspan’s partnership with Buzz Broadband, Airspan hopes winning this contract with Vodacom will highlight the flexibility and scalability of Airspan’s base stations and CPEs.

The negative comments shared by Garth Freeman, CEO at Buzz Broadband, in regards to WiMAX technology have spurred Airspan, the WiMAX equipment supplier to retaliate and defend its technology. According to Airspan, Buzz Broadband lacked the technical and financial resources required to operate a performing network. In regards to Freeman’s specific qualm concerning the short distance that the WiMAX network was able to operate successfully in, Airspan blamed Buzz Broadband’s decision to purchase less-expensive micro-cell base stations. Cheaper base stations resulted in a trade off of range performance.

The future of WiMAX is still to be discovered and will continue to stir debate but I find the most insightful observations concerning the Buzz Broadband/Airspan situation was made by Nordic Nowire CEO Michael Blomqvist. Blomqvist acknowledges the mistakes made by Buzz Broadband. However, he also notes that such mistakes are typical and therefore Airspan and other WiMAX vendors need to take greater responsibility when it comes to educating carriers.

As far as Blomqvist’s opinion of WiMAX, he feels that:

vendors have over-hyped WiMAX, promising features and then not delivering. At the same time, WiMAX does offer a better price/performance ratio compared to competing mobile broadband technologies—when done right.” TMCNet, Arvind Arora