Brooklyn Park first to benefit as WiMax moves in

Brooklyn Park had been looking for a feasible way to bridge a digital divide in the city: to offer high-speed Internet service to people with lower incomes and to pockets where residents couldn't get the service.

So it was a pleasant surprise, city officials said, when Clearwire Corp., a communications company with a track record, approached them last year with this offer: The company would provide high-speed service across Brooklyn Park without any investment by the city (customers would have to pay for the service, however).

"In communities where socioeconomics have created somewhat of a digital divide, building a system like this is going to be very good for the community," said City Manager Jamie Verbrugge.

Clearwire plans to use Brooklyn Park as a beachhead to build a wireless network throughout the Twin Cities by the end of this year. If successful, that would make the metro one of the nation's most-wireless areas. Clearwire first began installing wireless networks last year and completed them in 27 metro areas, including Chicago, Philadelphia and Atlanta, said company spokeswoman Debra Havins.

The benefits could be significant: The wireless network would offer faster Internet speeds and broader geographic reach than telephone company Qwest, and would charge lower monthly fees than cable TV company Comcast, a comparison of prices shows. It also would give on-the-go laptop users faster speeds than they currently get from cellular networks.

WiMax, not Wi-Fi

Clearwire uses a relatively new technology called WiMax, which has the advantage of longer range than the Wi-Fi technology used in Minneapolis and a few other cities with wireless Internet such as Chaska and Buffalo. The disadvantage is that WiMax has a weaker signal that can cause Internet speeds to vary from place to place.

If Brooklyn Park approves permits for Clearwire, which is expected, the company would be able to serve all of the city with relatively few antennas, some on tall poles and others atop existing buildings or water towers. The antennas broadcast signals for up to four miles, while Wi-Fi antennas reach only a few hundred feet.

However, WiMax comes with no guarantees. In Minneapolis, a contract with the city required the Wi-Fi network to serve at least 95 percent of the city. In Brooklyn Park, there is no contract between Clearwire and the city, and Havins says Clearwire can't promise that everyone will be able to receive the wireless service.

Favorable reception

Brooklyn Park Mayor Steve Lampi said he heard about the Clearwire plan this fall. City staff liked the idea, he said.

"It really serves two things: It fills in some gaps in service and it's another high-speed Internet connection to use besides Qwest and Comcast" and CenturyLink, he said. The latter is a phone company that serves the northern half of the city. Lampi hopes that competition will keep user costs down.

Clearwire told Brooklyn Park officials that its WiMax service should be running by summer's end, said city planning director Cindy Sherman. The city's only obligation is to review and act on Clearwire's permit requests to erect antennas, she said. The city even would gain some revenue from Clearwire by leasing antenna space on its park lighting poles and water towers.

"I believe we will be the first in the metro to get [WiMax] wireless," Lampi said. "The great thing is it doesn't cost the taxpayers a thing."

So what is Clearwire and why did it, uninvited, offer to provide wireless Internet service in Brooklyn Park?

It was created six years ago to bring WiMax service to market, and is more than half-owned by cellular company Sprint. Another investor is Comcast. That raises the question of whether Clearwire really is a new competitor, or a partner with existing broadband companies.

It seems the answer is both. Clearwire will sell its service under its own "Clear" brand name, while Sprint and Comcast will resell the Clearwire wireless service under separate brand names, and not necessarily at the same price.

"In the cities where they've installed WiMax, the reviews have been favorable in terms of speed and reliability," said Michael Nelson, a Wall Street analyst who follows Clearwire for Soleil Securities Group in New York.

Twin Cities competitors aren't saying much about Clearwire.

"We feel like we're a strong competitor here, and that a lot of customers will stay with Qwest because we've been here so long," said spokeswoman Joanna Hjelmeland.

"I'm sure Clearwire will come into Minneapolis, although I don't know when," said Joe Caldwell, marketing vice president of US Internet of Minnetonka, which runs the Minneapolis Wi-Fi. He says he can compete on price and technology. "It doesn't bother me a bit."

What if WiMax doesn't work?

jadams@startribune.com • 612-673-7658