NextWave Wireless continues to acquire spectrum, this time outside the US, ahead of availability of its supposedly breakthrough, multi-spectrum chip technology that will tie together a patchwork of different spectra into a single network.
This time it has acquired spectrum in Europe, by buying 65% of the shares of existing WiMAX operator WiMAX Telecom AG.
Based in Z’rich, Switzerland, WiMAX Telecom AG has nationwide wireless broadband spectrum concessions in Austria and Slovakia, and a major spectrum concession in Croatia. The spectrum is in 3.5 GHz and covers around 16.8 million people. In Austria at least there is already a provision to supply mobility from the regulator and NextWave hopes to get the same from regulators in Slovakia and Croatia. WiMAX Telecom currently has 8,500 customers in Austria and Slovakia. The deal should closed early in the third quarter of 2007, and no terms were given.
Recently NextWave demonstrated that its equipment was far closer to being ready that was previously thought when it detailed its roadmap towards entering the merchant silicon space, but it still faces an uphill struggle against more powerful players.