With $3.2 billion in investments from the likes of Comcast (CMCSA), Intel (INTC), Time Warner Cable (TWX), Google (GOOG) and Brighthouse Networks, the new Clearwire has quite a few masters to serve, though CEO Benjamin Wolff insists none will have a direct hand in the company’s operations. “We have very little in common with a joint venture,” he said during a conference call on Monday, claiming Clearwire’s investors have no say in the timing of network launches. Hard to believe that’s the case when a $1 billion investor like Intel holds a seat on Clearwire’s board. But if it is, Wolff’s lucky. Because with Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) planning to bring a competing fourth-generation network called LTE (long-term evolution) online in the next year or so, Clearwire can’t afford any unnecessary distractions lest it lose that all important time-to-market advantage. “The credit markets are lousy” will only work as an excuse for slowed deployment for so long …

Still, it sounds promising. With downlink speeds in the 2-4Mbps range, Xohm is about twice as fast as current cellular broadband networks. Sprint’s service plans include a $25 monthly home subscription, a $30 “on-the-go” plan and a $10 day-pass program. All three require a PC card or modem and a subscriber agreement permitting Xohm to “use various tools and techniques designed to limit the bandwidth available for certain bandwidth-intensive applications or protocols, such as file sharing.”

So much for that “open network” promise. Well, at least Xohm is up and running, right? Sprint Nextel (S) first announced plans to deploy a nationwide WiMax network in August 2006.