WiMax took another step to strengthen its lead to be the next mobile broadband technology in the US, with the announcement of the launch of its service in ten select areas of the country next month.

Clearwire, the leading proponent of WiMax in the US, has announced that the service would be launched in areas of Idaho, Washington and Texas. The footprint will cover an estimated 1.6 million users. Though this looks like a small step compared to the total population of the US, or even the UK, it will put WiMax ahead in the best broadband race against its leading competitor, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology which is yet to make a mark among the American users.

Incidentally, LTE, which is being promoted by American company, Verizon Wireless is yet to see a commercial launch. Clearwire, on the other hand has announced that it would reach a potential 120 million customers by the end of 2010. LTE will also be ready for a commercial launch by the time, according to industry sources.

Though WiMax currently leads the pack of wireless technologies in terms of deployment, the industry believes that LTE may create a revolution in the long run. WiMax may not be able to hold its leadership once LTE is launched, according to technology and communications market analyst, Juniper Research, which estimates that by 2014, the spending on LTE is likely to be five times that on WiMax.

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