4G Wireless Reaches the New York Area

On Monday, Clearwire, a wireless broadband company, introduced its Clear 4G WiMax wireless Internet service in New York City and other areas of the country, including Connecticut, Florida and New Jersey.
The service, which until now has been available in limited areas, offers a speed boost over 3G service and can be broadcast over large areas, sometimes miles wide, using a limited number of wireless antennas.
And it’s fast. The 4G available through Clearwire has an average mobile download speed of 3 to 6 megabits a second, which is nearly four times faster than the 3G network used by most wireless providers. The company says that in some instances speeds can reach 10 megabits a second.
Clearwire is trying to win over customers by offering unlimited data plans and lower prices than 3G. In a press release issued by the company, Clearwire said it would offer 4G coverage starting at $35 for home use, along with $45 mobile plans that can be used with laptop computers and some 4G-enabled mobile phones. There are a range of service options that continue to rise in price based on use.
Clearwire will eventually aim at more mobile phones, but in light of to the limited number of 4G-capable devices in the marketplace today, the company seems to be focusing on customers who want access to fast wireless service from a laptop or home computer. Some computers already have a WiMax 4G chip built in, but most laptops will require a dongle that slips into a computer’s USB port.
In a Web site dedicated to enticing New York customers to switch to the new service, Clearwire is offering customers 50 percent off their service for the first two months, and says customers will be able to “stream TV, download music and video chat anywhere in our new mobile Internet coverage areas.”
Sprint, the wireless network, also began a 4G service in New York City on Monday. The carrier said it would offer two 4G-enabled mobile phones for the network which will include the Samsung Epic and HTC Evo. Customers will also be able to purchase the Overdrive Hotspot which can be shared with can broadcast WiMax speeds to non-4G devices.