The word's out: Clearwire plans pay-as-you-go service

Some people just can't keep a secret. After building suspense over what it might say today when it holds a media and analysts webcast, Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR) leaked the news: It's planning a pay-as-you-go service.

The company is a joint venture of majority owner Sprint (NYSE: S), cable partners Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC-WI) and Bright House Networks, Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). Obviously intending to tamp down speculation that the announcement would be a Sprint (NYSE: S) takeover of the service (which has been rumored for months), Clearwire put out the word that it would start offering on-the-go mobile wireless for $25 to $55 a month, primarily to compete with Virgin Mobile which just announced its own plan.

Where this will sit with the cable industry is still to be determined. Comcast Business uses Clearwire's Clear WiMAX service as its wireless play--including fixed and mobile services--and also has a roaming deal with Sprint for 3G service when WiMAX is not available, as it often is not. It seems likely that the cable partners will make the Clear pay-as-you-go package a part of their wireless play as well.

For more:
- see this blog post
- Technorati has this story
- and see this story

Related articles:
Comcast takes aim at business customers
Clearwire planning prepaid WiMAX offering
Coming attractions: Clearwire, Apple announcements fuel speculation
Analysts: Sprint prepared to buy out some Clearwire partners