Vendors Including Intel and Cisco Form WiMAX Alliance

Six big names in high-tech are joining forces to license WiMax patents to limit royalty rates and make the technology more affordable.The Open Patent Alliance (OPA) comprises Intel, Cisco, Samsung Electronics, Sprint Nextel, Alcatel-Lucent and Clearwire. The group plans to form a WiMax patent pool to help participating company access patents from their owners at a "predictable cost."

"The OPA will advance a competitive and open intellectual property rights model, thus stimulating a larger WiMAX industry that supports innovation through broader choice and lower equipment and service costs for WiMAX technology, devices and applications globally," according to a statement on Intel's Web site.Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal