Well if you were wondering what would be the next big thing from Google, well heres' your answer, Google is all set to enter the mobile market. It has approached Sprint to be a partner and has reportedly offered Sprint an undisclosed amount of money to work alongside it on the future US broadband wireless network Wi-Max. The deal makes Google the exclusive provider for Web search on the portal and the preferred provider of Internet chat and e-mail. Google also will be providing mobile ads, along with its search results, and sharing the revenue with Sprint.
Sprint is developing a nationwide advanced wireless broadband network that is being designed to mobilize the Internet, bring wireless innovation to devices and deliver new mobile multimedia applications to customers. The pact with Google is a milestone in Sprint's mobile Internet strategy, and it builds upon current WiMAX ecosystem infrastructure and device agreements to establish an Internet destination for user-generated content and multimedia offerings.
Sprint announced plans to invest up to $3 billion in the new WiMax network. WiMax has a range of up to 10 miles and can transfer data at speeds similar to cable and DSL. Sprint plans to test Wi-Max services in areas across the US by the end of the year, including in Chicago, Washington DC and Baltimore. By the end of 2008, the service, which will be run in conjunction with Clearwire, will cover 100 million users. Although the plans of both the companies are ambitious, only time would tell the degree of success.