Clearwire Announces WiMAX Expansion Markets, New 4G Mini 10 Netbook

This year's CTIA show in Las Vegas is all about what's next: 4G. What's interesting is that most carriers don't even have 3G figured out; AT&T's 3G network still isn't robust enough to handle bursts of traffic in major cities, and yet the mobile world seems set on moving on to WiMAX, LTE, neither, or both. Clearwire is the major provider of WiMAX in the U.S. today, and there's no surprise to see the company making a number of major announcements at America's largest wireless show.

Throughout 2010, Clearwire plans on expanding their footprint in a big way. New markets that will see 4G service include Los Angeles, Miami, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City, and those markets are on top of ones already announced for 2010: New York City, Houston, Boston, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Denver, Minneapolis and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Another debut that really caught our eye was an all new Inspiron Mini 10 from Dell. This very netbook has seen quite a few iterations, and nearly every carrier has a model available with built-in WWAN. The only major carrier left out? Clearwire, but that changes today. Now, a 4G-equipped Mini 10 is slated to ship on April 1, 2010, and while the machine will look exactly like every other Mini 10, it will be able to surf on 4G airwaves if you're in a 4G location. The machine will cost $249.99 after an instant rebate, and it will be sold through both Clear and Dell channels.

ADDITIONAL 4G MARKETS

Clearwire currently provides 4G service in 27 markets across the United States. The company expects to cover up to 120 million people by the end of 2010. The CLEAR customer experience is similar to that provided by Wi-Fi, but without the short-range limitations of a traditional Internet hotspot. CLEAR uses a wireless 4G technology that differs from Wi-Fi called WiMAX, which provides service areas measured in miles, not feet. Today, CLEAR delivers speeds comparable to DSL connections, with average mobile download speeds of 3 to 6 mbps and bursts over 10 mbps.*

The company previously indicated that some of its new 4G markets scheduled to launch in 2010 include: New York City, Houston, Boston, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Denver, Minneapolis, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Today, the company disclosed the names of some additional cities where Clearwire plans to launch 4G service in 2010, including: Los Angeles, Miami, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Salt Lake City. Additional cities will be announced later this year. As previously announced, Clearwire will launch service in Houston in the coming weeks and the majority of the new 4G markets will launch toward the end of the year.

ADDITIONAL 4G DEVICES

On April 1, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook featuring the Intel® Atom™ processor N450 with embedded 4G technology will be available for customers through select CLEAR retail locations, telesales and www.clear.com. This addition will further extend the company’s leadership in 4G mobile computing. Today, Clearwire customers can select from one of 30 different 4G-ready Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 embedded netbooks and notebooks from leading manufacturers including Dell, Lenovo, Fujitsu, Samsung, and Toshiba. The Mini 10 will be available for $249.99 after instant rebate.

In addition, consumers unsatisfied with the speeds and limitations of 3G networks, or the need to seek out Wi-Fi hotspots, can use the upcoming Apple iPad on Clearwire’s open 4G network. With the portable and battery-powered CLEAR Spot, any off-the-shelf Wi-Fi device (compatible with 802.11b/g) – including the Apple iPad – can experience 4G wireless speeds at home or on the go. When coupled with a CLEAR USB modem, the CLEAR Spot ($139.99) creates a personal Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight users that travels with consumers anywhere they happen to be within Clearwire’s 4G service areas. Later this year, Clearwire expects to introduce a next generation CLEAR Spot with integrated 4G technology.