Counting on the promise of increasing demand for hi-tech portable devices, streaming video and interactive media, local telecommunications firm Clearwire said they will continue to expand their network.

Releasing quarterly-earnings last week, Clearwire CEO Benjamin G. Wolff outlined his strategy to continue growing during a call to discuss quarterly earnings with media March 5.

He said measured growth was the company’s game plan for now.

“In this difficult economic climate, our objective is to continue to balance the prudent use of our significant financial resources,” he said.

The WiMax network operated by Clearwire is capable of supporting 4G-ready (“Fourth Generation”) devices with a high-speed multimedia Internet service, fully taking advantage of the latest in handheld and portable electronics.

The company plans to spend $1.5 to $1.9 billion in 2009 as they expand their “Clear” broadband service in Baltimore, Seattle, Honolulu and Charlotte and offer new service metro areas such as Las Vegas, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas/Ft. Worth.

But the expansion plans are a slightly-less ambitious vision than the company had announced late last year after amassing more than $3.2 billion in capital. Clearwire is targeting the development and construction of mobile WiMAX networks covering 75 million people and the hope is to cover 120 million to 140 million people by the end of 2010. Quarterly revenue increased 32 percent year-over-year to $59.7 million. The company is still losing money overall, but lost less than last year, ending $153.7 million in the red.

For the year, subscribers increased from about 394,000 to 475,000.

The Kirkland telecom company hopes nearly 100 mobile WiMAX devices – such as laptops, netbooks, handhelds, USBs and modems – will be available to customers by the end of the year, boosting the company’s bottom line.