The first is another proprietary technology, called Flash-OFDM, made by a firm called Flarion.

ECONOMIST: And then there were four

Now, he says, if Intel wants to push Wimax, it may have to license Flarion patents from Qualcomm.

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IPWireless and Navini, Flarion lacks genuine telephony support, gambling that internet services will be more important in the long term.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR

Besides, mobile WiMax is still science fiction, notes Ronny Haraldsvik of Flarion, an equipment maker that is the leading advocate of 802.20.

ECONOMIST: Wireless telecoms

IPWireless, Navini and Flarion have also shipped systems to smaller service providers in America and to larger carriers in Japan and South Korea.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR

This is sometimes referred to as a 4G technology, but is already available: Nextel has a small Flarion network running in North Carolina.

ECONOMIST: And then there were four

The combined firm will be able to use this prime wireless real estate to build a 4G network, perhaps using Flarion's technology or WiMax, an emerging wireless-broadband standard.

ECONOMIST: And then there were four

OFDM, made by a firm called Flarion.

ECONOMIST: Sprint and Nextel