Very comprehensive post, Alan. It will be interesting to see if the rumored Google Phone is available as a WiMAX only offering. This rumor has been spreading around the Internet lately. It could help, but by itself, it probably wouldn't be a WiMAX savior.

The other interesting comment is the use of WiMAX as sort of a backbone for various applications. Wouldn't this compete with the the MSO investors that also are providing backbone services via their cable networks?

The interesting question is will CLEAR go the way of @Home, which was used as the MSO's vehicle to being delivering high-speed Internet applications. The one thing CLEAR has, that the MSOs can't easily get today is the spectrum. Will be interesting to see where this goes.

This is a little off-topic, but it would be ironic if Cisco sponsors a baseball stadium in San Jose (for the A's) that sits across the street from the HP-sponsored Pavilion (home of the Sharks).