AT&T’s Apple iPhone and Sprint’s Instinct touch phone is not the only rivalry brewing between these two foremost cellular networks. AT&T has been bullying Sprint for a long time now, trying to prevent the Sprint and Clearwire union from merging both of their assets in order to create a nationwide broadband wireless network.

The only difference is that this time, Sprint is fighting back. Sprint recently filed a response, declaring that “The New Clearwire transaction presents an unparalleled opportunity to accelerate broadband deployment in the United States,” Sprint declared.

Furthermore Sprint has addressed AT&T’s false claims against the WiMax wireless network. They stated that only three parties objected to the Sprint and Clearwire transaction or anticipated conditions. According to Sprint, “Their claims lack merit and provide no basis for denying, delaying, or imposing conditions on the approval of the New Clearwire license transfers,” Sprint stated.

This 59-page document is full of proofs against the erroneous claims being brought by AT&T, in essence Sprint has put on their gloves and is fighting back to preserve their right to launch their powerful broadband wireless network.

Hundreds of religious and educational institutions have rallied behind Sprint and Clearwire, now Intel , Google, Comcast and Time Warner are not alone. They all realize the importance of a WiMax wireless network and the great opportunities that could arise as a result. According so Scott Sloat, a Sprint representative, “The transaction poses no competitive concerns, and the public interest strongly weighs in favor of quick Commission approval.”

It is interesting to note that as of now AT&T is one of the largest telecommunications company in the world. Hopefully, the commission will reject their unadorned complaints and see them for what they are; an attempt to distort the public’s view of a powerful broadband wireless network for their own ruthless self-interests.

AT&T Phone Company is once again challenging the imminent merger of Sprint Nextel with Clearwire, whose aim is to merge both companies’ WiMax assets in order to create a nationwide broadband wireless network.

This merger would be huge for Wimax, estimating a deal worth 14. 5 billion dollars, and is promising to be a huge success. Just ask Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Time Warner (NYSE:TWX), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), all companies who are currently backing this magnanimous merger.

This union would be a grave threat to AT&T’s future success and longevity as a company, and therefore they are claiming that Sprint and Clearwire are “failing to make the required showings necessary for the commission’s review.” They are hoping that this new claim against Wimax would prohibit the FCC from approving its launch.

AT&T clearly understands the importance of mass mergers, seeing as how the company exists today solely because of a mergence between their company and Bellsouth. This alliance has allowed AT&T to grow and reach profound heights in profit margins and overall global accessibility. The same could all too easily occur as a result of the coalition between Sprint and Clearwire, an outcome that obviously leaves AT&T worried.

And AT&T has more than one reason to be nervous about the Wimax wireless network. AT&T is currently working on their own 3G wireless technology, but it is still light years away from the technology currently being deployed by the Sprint and Clearwire union.

With advanced technologies and unparalleled support from large corporations such as Intel and Google, it is no surprise why AT&T is scared about its ineludible launch.

The Sprint-Clearwire deal gave Clearwire undeniable credibility in WiMAX development, and the company is moving forward with the technology in a big way. Beta tests are underway in Portland, with “more than 70 percent of [the] WiMAX sites for Portland…in construction or on air.” Completion is slated for the end of year, with commercial deployments in that city and 3 others in 2009.

But now they have more than just the hardware; as of July 2nd, Clearwire has leased 3 one-year licenses on the 39 GHz spectrum from IDT Spectrum, 2 of which are in the Oregon-Washington area. You may not have heard much about IDT Spectrum recently, but expect to hear the name much in the near future; they own spectrums nationwide, mostly in the 28 and 38/39 GHz range. As we come upon the dawning age of wireless, the value of spectrum cannot be understated: you need spectrum to do anything wireless–especially for WiMAX, which is contentionless. (That means it can only operate on licensed spectrum because it is built to assume the air is clear. If it isn’t, the equipment just doesn’t work! ). Naturally, some companies are trying to develop equipment to change that, but for now, that is the nature of most WiMAX equipment. Those who bought spectrum when a majority of it was auctioned off by the FCC in the 80s are finally seeing their investment bear fruit, whether they intend to lease or sell –  remember the 700MHz auction earlier this year, which grossed a total of $19 billion?

So Clearwire has hardware, spectrum, and is well underway in deployment; what’s to follow ? If all goes well, 2009 will see Las Vegas, Grand Rapids, Atlanta, and Portland commercial launches as the first four commercial markets for Clearwire’s WiMAX service, primed to follow at the heels of the Xohm launches in Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington D.C. in the fall of this year. The start of the WiMAX nationwide buildout is only months away.