Huawei Technologies could get a firm foothold in the U.S. market if an important contract with Clearwire pulls through.
The Shenzhen, China-based telecom equipment maker is in the final running to get a network contract with Clearwire, sources told The Wall Street Journal. Huawei faces big-name competition for the contract, as Motorola, Samsung Electronics and Nokia Seimens Networks are still in the running.
If it follows the traditional multi-vendor approach, Clearwire probably will select multiple vendors to build out the network, and it is not clear who will get the largest contract. Clearwire was not commenting on the report, and it hasn’t disclosed when it will announce its vendors.
Clearwire will spend $1.5 billion to $1.9 billion in 2009 to build out its mobile WiMAX network, which will cover 120 million people in 80 markets by 2010. The company plans to launch service in Las Vegas and Atlanta this summer, adding more than 4.5 million people to the company’s coverage footprint.
Huawei could not be reached by press time to confirm the report.
Huawei already won a network infrastructure contract with cable operator Cox Communications, which plans to launch a wireless service this year in its cable TV markets on its independently-owned spectrum. The vendor hasn’t done much business in the U.S. market, with its infrastructure clients limited until recently to discount carrier Leap Wireless International.
