Mexico's MVS Comunicaciones is reported to have secured an agreement with US based Clearwire to deploy a WiMAX network covering 23 Mexican cities. The roll out is expected to start in the second half of next year, with a launch some time in the fourth-quarter.

The deployment is however dependent on the Communications and Transportation Ministry renewing the company's existing spectrum holdings in eight of the planned 23 cities.

Clearwire is a minority shareholder in MVS, and the project is separate from the US network deployment. The Mexican firm is now seeking to raise around US$700 million to fund its infrastructure rollout.

In related news, MVS's founder, Joaquín Vargas Gómez died over the weekend after a long illness.

In a statement, the Mexican President said "Mexico loses a businessman who contributed to the development of radio, a means of communication that is now a clear expression of Mexico's democratic vitality."