The return of Mr. Big

Craig McCaw reportedly is behind the recent acquisition of the assets of Clearwire Technologies, a company which was, among other things, a wireless ISP.

A lot of people have been watching wireless ISPs as they have multiplied the last few years, though they have been watching mostly from a distance. There seemed to be a resurgence in the broadband fixed wireless market, though no one seemed ready to bet all their marbles that it would stick.

However, with long-circulating rumors of McCaw's interest in the sector finally appearing to materialize as an investment, some people in the wireless ISP and broadband fixed wireless vendor communities now feel that the market is fully reinvigorated. Even people who had questioned the viability of 802.16 WiMAX technology before, seem to be looking at it more positively now. One vendor executive told me last week, "People see Clearwire as company that could use WiMAX, and that if McCaw is involved, it will be very big investment."

But, if a lot of the preceding paragraph, including that comment, sounds like hearsay to you, that's because it is. McCaw has always been an extremely private public figure, and in combination of McCaw Cellular's success, his silence has always been viewed with extreme reverence, and with over-analysis of his actions.

For example, when McCaw left the Nextel Communications board of directors, people thought it spelled doom for Nextel. They thought McCaw must have known something bad was about to happen. Yet, since Nextel and McCaw parted ways last year, Nextel has done nothing less than continue to break its own records for financial results.

Through a combination of timing, standards, better technology, and a strengthening economy, broadband wireless does appear to be on its way back. But, we should be careful in assuming anything McCaw is involved with will lead the resurgence, or will solidify the future success of any specific technology.

The truth is that we just don't know what Clearwire will do yet, or even how involved McCaw will be -- and Mr. Big isn't saying either.

doshea@primediabusiness.com