Look at Sprint as a current example. They were the leaders in 3g/4g cellular when they built a national WiMax network. Unfortunately, the industry eventually settled on LTE and Sprint went from first to last as they are trying to catch up. They are dismantling their WiMax network and scrambling to build LTE.
-PJ
WiMax suffered from that ill-considered lawsuit from Clear, on the stupid litigation ideas list, it probably nudges that $60 million lawsuit their record label brought against the band Boston because the third album took so long.
Also, the WiMax buildout didn’t reach much beyond urban areas, but because it has a long range (perhaps 25 miles line of sight), it was offered in areas which didn’t really have coverage, so someone got sued for that idea. WiMax would work, but the dropouts and resends drastically increase with distance.
Sprint offers LTE where I live here in the Boonies (actually, I’m about three miles past the Boonies, but anyway), and no one else does (yet, and probably won’t until LTE is itself superseded); Costco’s price on it is $67 unlimited data, I’ve definitely been thinking about it.
What is needed is 100% optic line coverage, everywhere; all the TV, phone, and web services would be offered on that; and the network would be the sole delivery channel for all land line biz, and jointly owned. The installation costs would be offset by the copper recovery and recycling value as the old lines are removed from trenches and poles.