Wireless broadband service provider, Clearwire Communications, says it has added China's Huawei Technologies to its vendor mix, for a new high-speed wireless network it is building.

Under the three-year agreement, Huawei will supply Clearwire Communications, LLC, an operating subsidiary of Clearwire Corporation, WiMAX radio access network (RAN) equipment to facilitate Clearwire's rollout of super fast mobile Internet service across 14 US cities by 1 September 2009 called CLEAR.

Apart from Huawei Technologies, Clearwire's current vendors include Motorola, Samsung, Cisco, Ciena and DragonWave.

Shenzhen, Guangdong-based Huawei, will provide several key infrastructure pieces, including base stations, element management system (EMS) components, and related network hardware and software.

''Our new network is specifically designed to deliver an unmatched combination of 4G speeds, capacity, and mobility to meet the growing demand for wireless broadband services,'' said Dr. John Saw, chief technology officer for Clearwire.

''As such, we have designed an all-IP network that is efficient, low-cost and scalable using standards-based technology from industry-leading providers. Our existing agreements with Motorola, Samsung, Cisco, and DragonWave, plus today's addition of Huawei, provide us with the capabilities and support necessary to deliver super fast mobile Internet in more ways for both our customers and strategic wholesalers,'' he added.

Clearwire, which is 51-per cent owned by Sprint Nextel, plans to invest at least $3 billion to build a national WiMAX network, which includes installing about 20,000 wireless base stations costing approximately $150,000 each.

Kirkland, Washington-based Clearwire selected Huawei for building its network because it is the first company to make a multicarrier, four-transport base station that will provide extra capacity and streamlined installation.

Since Huawei's receiving stations performance has been enhanced recently, Clearwire would be requiring fewer base stations, which would also reduce Clearwire's cost by as much as 20 to 30 per cent, said Clearwire.

Although Huawei is a vendor to smaller North American carriers like cable provider Cox Communications, Leap Wireless and Telus, it has yet to make a breakthrough with large US wireless operators like AT&T and Verizon Communications.

Huawei, the privately owned company with 2008 revenue of $23.3 billion, has over 75 per cent of its business coming from overseas. The company derives its strength from its 2,000 qualified engineers working on WiMAX R&D and has already sold more than 1 million WiMAX base stations globally.

Wan Biao, president of Huawei Wireless Product Line said, ''Today's announcement is an important milestone and represents a significant step toward establishing Huawei's presence in North America and further demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-quality products and services to our customers.''