WiMax pioneer Intel is teaming up with Russian telecommunications operator Comstar to build a network that will cover the city of Moscow with the broadband wireless technology. The move is a prelude to spreading WiMax to other cities and regions in the Commonwealth of Independent States, which is made up of members of the former Soviet Union.

The ambitious network project, announced Tuesday, is scheduled to be launched by the end of 2008. The network will utilize the IEEE 802.16e standard in the 2.5-2.7-Ghz range. Previously, Intel has said 2008 will be the year when WiMax will achieve an important initial deployment.

Intel has moved to jump-start WiMax in different countries with different rates of accomplishment. The U.S. semiconductor company is participating in the funding of partners in Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. in hopes of stimulating the spread of the broadband wireless technology.

In its announcement, Comstar noted that Intel plans to launch its embedded mobile WiMax/Wi-Fi technology in its Centrino processors for use in laptops and ultramobile devices in mid-2008.

"By combining our efforts, we plan to substantially increase the availability of mobile wireless communications for our subscribers and provide the efficient Internet access for all clients at any place," said Sergey Pridantsev, president and CEO of Comstar UTS, in a statement. Dmitry Konash, Intel's regional manager in the CIS, added that Intel's agreement with Comstar calls for the companies to work to deploy WiMax in other various cities and regions in Russia as well as in Moscow.

Intel's major WiMax partnership in the United States, a $600 million investment in Clearwire, sputtered recently when Clearwire's deployment partner Sprint pulled out of its commitment.

The commonwealth includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.