[Editor’s Note: Back in April, venture capitalist Paul Grim painted a somewhat bleak picture of the future of mobile WiMax networks, pointing to Sprint and Clearwire’s inability to strike a deal as one of its prime weaknesses. Last week, the Federal Communications Commission finally gave the agreement its blessing. But is this enough to rescue WiMax? Below, Grim revisits the topic in light of recent developments.]

While the world was busy celebrating the election of Barack Obama on Nov. 4, a less visible part of the government quietly pushed through some momentous changes. The Federal Communications Commission conditionally approved three milestone deals: a merger between Verizon and Alltel, the opening up of “white-space” airwaves for public use, and of course the Sprint/Clearwire deal (finally). Some observers say that, paired with a new administration promising broadband for all U.S. citizens, these deals could give mobile WiMax — which was arguably close to game over — a new lease on life.

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