WiMAX networks, on land sea and air.

Craig McCaw founded McCaw Cellular – later purchased by AT&T Wireless. Now he has set up Clearwire an Internet access service using a WiFi modem (WiMAX high speed) connecting to the Internet through Mobile phone towers (Intel & Motorola have chipped in US$900Mn.)- so far this includes e-mail (5 addresses included),web hosting,static IP and online account management which can include Internet VOIP telephone with unlimited local and long distance calling to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada for only $29.99/month.

Coverage is limited so far (see US map here) but is growing rapidly. ... airspace is free but cables either copper or fibre cost a lot of money.

Sprint Broadband Direct SM in the US also provides wireless Internet access and services, through Earthlink Sprint which provides what Clealink does but with 10MB of free personal web space.

A downside ( for some) is that you require a rooftop Digital Transceiver 13.5" square weighing 6 lbs.

In August Sprint announced they would be installing a nationwide WiMAX IEEE 802.16 technology network, at a cost of $4.5 Bn. over the next 2 years, to compete with national cable and DSL operators. They have also been collaborating with Clearwire in swapping parts of their 2.5 GB spectrum allowinfg Clearwire to build rapidly especially in rural areas.

Now on top of this (literally) ground based layer Wi-SKY Networks a North Carolina-based start-up has demonstrated an IEEE 802.16 air to ground system providing wireless Internet access on the ground, standard WiMAX offers data rates of up to 70Mbit/sec (compared with 802.11 WiFi’s current maximum of 52Mbit/sec.

Proxim Wireless (wholly owned subsidiary of Terabeam Inc. (NASDAQ: TRBM) have helped them develop the system and report a continuous WiMAX-based 3Mbit/sec connection between a ground base station and a helicopter over Victoria BC. The link supported simultaneous videoconferences, VoIP phone calls and data downloads at distances of 30 miles from the base station, altitudes of over 10,000ft and aircraft speeds of up to 126kt.They were also able to provide the same service to vessels at sea up to 25 miles from the coast.

Donald Alcorn the President of Wi-SKY talks of a national network linked to upward-looking antennas piggybacking on the base stations being planned by Clearwire and Sprint and so could be able to support a true passenger airline broadband service. This could offer 1 Mbit/sec to each simultaneous user, as well as providing a link to the aircraft operating at up to 60Mbit/sec for applications such as IFE content uploads, such as Live TV and Film.

With competitors like AirCell, AeroMobile and OnAir the North American broadband passenger connectivity market is getting very crowded.

It is said that Rupert Murdoch (who owns a few TV Stations and papers) fresh from the huge success of his INternet investment in MySpace is looking closely at Clearwire.