Broadband wireless provider Clearwire has reached beyond the ocean by launching a commercial network in Belgium. The company has deployed a kit from NextNet Wireless which, the company says, currently offers coverage of 60 percent of Brussels and about 75 percent of Mont St. Guibert. The company is not releasing the number of subscribers it has attracted but says that it plans to expand the service throughout Belgium.

Clearwire uses a pre-WiMax kit in the 3.5GHz spectrum band and has deployed about 40 base stations. Clearwire will likely continue to use equipment from NextNet once official WiMax products are available later this year. The company offers two different data packages for Belgian customers, one with downlink speeds of up to 1 Mbps and uplink speeds of up to 256 Kbps, the second with downlink speeds of 3 Mbps and 512 Kbps on the uplink. Monthly tariffs range from €28.99 for the slower package and €78.99 for the faster one.

For more on Clearwire European offerings:
- see Justin Springham's Unstrung report