DigitalBridge Communications (DBC) announced the launch of WiMAX service in Hailey, Idaho. This is DBC’s third Idaho market, which also includes Rexburg and Pocatello. DBC’s WiMAX product is branded as BridgeMAXX. DBC claims BridgeMAXX delivers download speeds of up to 3Mbps and upload speeds of up to 2Mbps. DBC says they plan to launch BridgeMAXX service in over 15 cities in early 2008, including Idaho Falls and Twin Falls, Idaho; Butte, Montana; and Jackson, Wyoming.

Stelera Wireless, a new Oklahoma City, OK based wireless provider, has launched service in Floresville & Poth, Texas. Stelera is one of the first companies to launch service using the recently auctioned advanced wireless service (AWS) spectrum. Stelera claims their network can offer up to 7.2 Mbps download and up to 2 Mbps upload speeds. AWS operates in the 2.1 GHz and 1.7 GHz bands. Stelera has 42, mostly rural, markets with AWS spectrum and intends to slowly roll out service across their footprint.

Stelera joins DigitalBridge Communications who are also targeting rural markets, but with a WiMAX play in the 2.3 GHz spectrum bands. DigitalBridge has launched service in several rural markets in Idaho, Montana, and Indiana. Other pending rural wireless plays include Crossroads Wireless and Open Range. All of these companies are targeting “underserved” rural markets with a broadband alternative. Underserved generally is a code word for markets served by large RBOCs and/or MSOs who have not invested in local broadband networks. These markets are often identified as a part of the “digital divide.” DigitalBridge says they have reached 10% penetration within 6 months of one their first market entries, Rexburg, ID. These growing rural deployments are leveraging quickly evolving broadband wireless technology and pent up demand for broadband in markets where little or no broadband competition exists. This trend will definitely continue. There is certainly no guarantee of success. These new companies will have to prove their business case and execute well.

Much of the attention surrounding WiMAX focuses on larger carriers including Sprint and Clearwire. But much of the early WiMAX momentum is being carried by smaller players. We highlighted DigitalBridge Communications’ WiMAX launch in an earlier post, and now Horizon Wi-Com (no active website yet), headquartered in Alexandria, VA, is making noise about their Northeast U.S. WiMAX trials. Using Navini equipment, Horizon Wi-COM plans to implement service in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Richmond, and Cincinnati with WCS A Block spectrum purchased from Verizon. Quoting from a Navini press release, Ron Olexa, President of Horizon Wi-Com says, "We are first. We have completed Phase I and are now trialing subscribers in some of the most exciting cities.”

It will be interesting to watch companies like Horizon go into tier 1 cities and compete in very mature competitive markets. They will need to get an early foothold and hold it. As larger carriers refine their broadband strategies in large markets with tools like 700 Mhz spectrum, smaller carriers like Horizon may have a tough go at it. Clearwire’s strategy is to focus on tier 2 markets (at least for now), where larger carriers won’t be for a while. And it appears as if companies like Digital Bridge see opportunities in much smaller tier 3 and 4 markets, where competitive pressures are far less.