Cisco to purchase Navini Networks

Cisco Systems Inc. is snapping up privately held Navini Networks Inc. for $330 million, extending an acquisition streak and providing the latest validation for the wireless network technology called WiMax.

Networking equipment maker Cisco, based in San Jose, said Navini’s technology would help it build high-speed Internet networks deep in emerging markets where traditional Internet infrastructure doesn’t exist or is spotty. Navini is based in Richardson, Texas.

Unlike Wi-Fi networks, which typically have a range of a few hundred yards, WiMax networks can extend for miles.