Items tagged with clear
Wondering what's next for Clearwire? You probably aren't alone. The company that launched with WiMAX, and then sided with LTE, is still in a state of transition, and the Sprint tie-in makes things even more complicated / interesting. In the company's Q4 2011 earnings report, they notched greatly improved revenue and subscriber counts, but that's not the major news. Total revenue for full year 2011 increased 134% year over year to $1.25 billion, primarily driven by wholesale revenue which increased 876% to $493.7 million in 2011 from $50.6 million in 2010. Fourth quarter 2011 revenue was $361.9 million, a 107% increase over fourth quarter 2010 revenue of $175.2 million. Wholesale revenue in fourth...
Read more...
While Sprint has a major stake in the company that provides WiMAX services to all of its 4G devices, Clearwire is still its own beast. It may not remain that way for long, however: a new Bloomberg report suggests that Sprint is currently "talking with cable companies about a possible investment that may lead to an acquisition of partner Clearwire." Reportedly, Sprint is talking mostly to Comcast about the investment, though a few other unnamed outfits are in the mix as well. No deal is set in stone just yet, but Sprint and Comcast both own stakes in Clearwire already. Clearwire already announced intentions to go LTE sooner rather than later, and Sprint is losing valuable time with Verizon rolling...
Read more...
WiMAX seems to have hit a stumbling block in the U.S. Not a single new market has opened up during 2011, while Verizon's LTE network seems to be expanding by the week. But Clearwire and Sprint aren't giving up, and in fact, they're producing some fairly great hardware and plans. The newest is the Clear Spot 4G Apollo, a new personal mobile hotspot that connects to Clearwire's 4G WiMAX network, and the real kicker is the pricing layout. It can provide average mobile download speeds of 3 to 6 mbps with bursts up to 10 mbps, with unlimited plans starting at $35/month. It's a 3.4" square and will sell for $99 (or leased at $6/month), and should be available as we speak....
Read more...
Well, that was short lived. Consumer electronics have a pretty short life-cycle these days. Even the HTC-build Google Nexus One only remained on sale for a few months, and now one of Clear's mobile hotspot devices has bit the dust. The iSpot was an interesting product from the start. It was a small 4G pebble that provided access to WiMAX services only, but there was one other big restriction. It would only work with Apple devices. MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, those type of devices. Basically, it was a WiMAX device designed specifically for Apple users. Because of that limitation, it was offered for just $100, with no contract attached. And then, monthly rates to WiMAX were just $25 per...
Read more...
Did you know that Clearwire provides internet services for the home? They do. Aside from offering mobile 4G access, the WiMAX company also delivers Internet service to homes, and there's a new modem out for those who are considering the service. It's called the Clear Modem with Wi-Fi, and basically, it's a Clearwire 4G modem + WLAN router built into one single unit. Buying this prevents users from having to buy a 4G modem for their home as well as separate router to send signals out over Wi-Fi. This one box does it all. It's a pretty slim one too, so it shouldn't be too worrisome to install. The WLAN portion supports 802.11b/g/n and functions on Windows Vista 32/64, Windows 7 32/64 and Mac OS8...
Read more...
The 4G rollout continues! With T-Mobile now claiming that their HSPA+ network is "4G," and Verizon Wireless claiming the same for their incoming LTE network, it's getting hard to know what's what. WiMAX is the original 4G network, and both Clearwire and Sprint are working hard to bring that network to more and more people. Every few weeks now it seems like another major market is getting Spring 4G, and that's the case again this week. Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio are the latest cities to get Sprint/Clear's 4G services, and those are definitely heavy-hitters. These major markets have historically had issues handling all of the 3G capacity, so hopefully...
Read more...
Clearwire and Sprint have been offering 4G (WiMAX) services in various parts of the United States for quite some time now, but the latest introductions are probably the most significant yet. Actually, it's a pretty safe bet that these are in fact the most prominent yet. First off, Clearwire, Sprint and Time Warner Cable are partnering to offer 4G in New York City, which is a place that knows all too well how important mobile bandwidth can be. Clearwire, Sprint and Time Warner Cable will each launch commercial 4G service in New York City on November 1, with official launch events and retail store openings to follow in each market. The actual service will be the same, but it will be resold by these...
Read more...
3G is booming, and the expansion won't stop for years to come. But 4G is already on the minds of tech enthusiasts, and Sprint/Clearwire already have it commercially available to those who live in very specific areas and are willing to pay the premium. LTE, which is the primary WiMAX rival, is expected to launch next year, so Clear is doing as much as they can to expand WiMAX and take advantage of their first-mover status. Recently, the company announced that there will be WiMAX wireless deployment in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Texas and Florida, and it will be FiberLight helping them with the cause. FiberLight is known for providing high-performance fiber network infrastructure, and Clear will...
Read more...
With LTE coming soon from Verizon Wireless, Sprint and Clear are both going on a full-out assault to get WiMAX into as many hands as possible while they still have an edge on time. On nearly a weekly basis now, we're seeing many new 4G markets introduced and even more 4G hardware to choose from. Sprint has just this week issued a new 4G USB modem (works with 4G only), in the U1901. This dongle is a small, simplistic device that works with Windows 7, Vista, XP and OS X (10.5 and 10.6), and when you're in a 4G zone it can provide throughput of up to 10x faster than Sprint 3G. The company suggests that this modem is ideal for "companies wanting to deliver high-bandwidth solutions to workers on-the-go...
Read more...
Now this is how you expand your horizons. Clearwire, a company that has provided 4G WiMAX services to select areas in America for the past years and months, is considering a somewhat different approach in the future. Rather than just sticking with WiMAX, they may actually dip into another form of 4G: LTE. LTE is generally considered to be the 4G wireless protocol with the most industry support. In the long run, it's likely that more carriers will push LTE than WiMAX, and Verizon Wireless is already promising a huge rollout by next year. The company has just announced quite publicly that they will be conducting 4G LTE technology trials, which should showcase wireless speeds of 20-70 Mbps. That's...
Read more...
Slowly but surely, Clearwire is becoming more and more of a household name. It wasn't long ago that only the hardcore wireless followers knew what Clearwire was, but now that this particular device is on store shelves, we suspect a lot of Apple users will be peering over just to see what the buzz is all about. The new iSpot is an interested, if not limited, device. It's the first 4G HotSpot that is actually only suitable for use with iPad, iPod touch and iPhone. That's right. Just those 3 devices are allowed to be used on the iSpot. There's a MAC address check that can tell what kind of device is attempting to connect over Wi-Fi, and unless it's one of those, the device simply will share its...
Read more...
WiMAX is still a fledgling service in America. Even though Sprint and Clearwire have invested tons of money in the 4G service, it's still spotty at best and only available in a few locations. But as with anything, it grows in time, and there's no better way to really grow than to get your service in the faces of consumers. And there's hardly a better way to get in the faces of consumers than to get into Best Buy. Best Buy and Clearwire just unveiled a new relationship that will enable the big box retailer to sell 4G services to consumers, which could lead to a sharp increase in mind share and market share. The service will actually be branded by Best Buy as "Best Buy Connect," with the services...
Read more...
It's a broadband world, and the rest of us are just trying to catch up. LTE is all set to become a widely adopted 4G technology once Verizon Wireless begins to roll it out later this year and in 2011, but for now, it's WiMAX or nothing if you're in need of 4G. The HTC EVO 4G is the country's first 4G smartphone, but if you're in no need of a new phone, Clearwire has a bunch of new products that are all designed to your get your notebook (or any other Wi-Fi device) onto these 4G waves. The company already has a few WWAN modems and mobile routers on the market, but they have yet to reveal a 4G/3G dual-mode modem that's compatible with OS X, and of course, having more options for surfing at 4G is...
Read more...
Gadget lovers have a particular hate for airport security. Even if they're trained professionals who fly on a weekly basis, there's just no quick way to get through the rigors involved in passing onto the sterile side. Those grey buckets become your worst enemy: before you know it, you've claimed five or six of them and taken up the whole belt, and the passengers behind you are glaring and growing increasingly impatient. Anyone who travels with numerous notebooks, cameras, hard drives, battery packs and lenses knows the pains of passing through airport security. Each laptop has to go in its own bin, and if you have too many cables, drives and other gizmos in your carry-on, you'll have to set...
Read more...
