While Yahoo and Microsoft are both in retreat and licking their wounds after their little tiff, Google has been looking for new opportunities to take it's broadband search capability mobile, and into the far flung reaches of the WiMax frontier.

The investment in the new broadband consortium which brings together Clearwire and Sprint Nextel creating a $14.55 billion mega company, will simply be known as Clearwire. This is a shrewd way of ensuring that Google has an open broadband network, that works with all Android handset devices, extending its boundless search empire. This way Google also avoids having to spend huge wads of cash developing its own network, while still maximizing its reach.

The investment by Google pools together with a $3.2 billion package investment from Intel, Comcast, Time Warner Cable Inc. and Brighthouse Networks. Sprint Nextel will remain the majority shareholder with a 51 percent stake.

Clearwire will also receive an investment from John Stanton-led Trilogy Equity Partners. The agreement is expected to close sometime during Q4.

On the surface, it looks like a smart money bet to me, for all parties, well that is of course, if Clearwire doesn't go belly up.