Sprint is talking with cable companies about a possible investment that may lead to an acquisition of partner Clearwire, three people familiar with the talks told Bloomberg. Under one scenario being discussed, Sprint would use the money to buy the equity in Clearwire it doesn't own. Talks are preliminary and no deal is imminent, the sources said. Sprint and Comcast, which are already investors in Clearwire along with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, are discussing ways to provide funding to the money-losing Wimax operator so it can build out its network. Clearwire plans to spend about USD 600 million to upgrade its network to LTE. The size and timing of the investment in Sprint haven't yet been determined, the people said. The discussions involve various scenarios, including a Clearwire buyout or an investment in the company through Sprint. Cox Communications and Cablevision Systems have also been in discussions with Sprint, according to the report. All of the companies declined to comment.
