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xenophon
join:2007-09-17
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to jesseb_66
Re: Clearwire does have
Pricing will depend on how the connection is used.
If it's a laptop card or built into laptop, you will supposedly be able to do hourly/daily/weekly/monthly charges, with no contract. They've hinted at $30-$50/month in the past.
If something like an eBook reader, like Kindle, the cost of the connection is in the price of the eBook. Kindle charges $10 per book, which includes the connection charge. You are billed by Kindle service, not the carrier.
If something like an iPod player, the cost of the connection could be in the song download. IE, iTunes could charge 99cents for download to computer and an extra 50cent to download direct to device or something like that. Again, you'd be billed by iTunes, not the carrier.
If something like a camera, imagine Canon setting up a service that automatically stores your pictures directly to an imaging site and you pay some fee for the service. Again, billed by Canon or picture hosting site, not the carrier.
There's another possible model where you subscribe to Clearwire WiMAX and have multiple devices on one account - a laptop card, streaming MP3 player, refrigerator, DVR, camera, GPS device, etc.
For the initial release though, we'll probably just see laptop cards/embedded laptops that allow periodic use charges with no contract. | |
en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
| reply to xenophon
I agree - WiMAX should be targeting the densely urban market for these items though. I.e. Japan, South Korea where embedded devices would be used on everything from billboards to subway advertising to mobile anything. Typical rural areas could still make use, however the cost/connection is more prohibitive. Items like vehicle navigation or other similar embedded systems could do well.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
jesseb_66
join:2002-12-06
Tucson, AZ | reply to xenophon
What kind of pricing are we looking at?
If they can be competitive and are not going to cap the service to badly I can see it being a hit. | |
xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
3 edits | reply to en102
Well it may not work in the way of people 'moving over' to WiMAX from other 3G/cable/dsl. In some cases that will happen but in order for WiMAX to work, people need to be using it and not even know it.
The way it needs to work is that consumers buy some generic device like a camera or streaming MP3 player that happens to have WiMAX and they don't even know it. Or it may be built into a laptop. When they turn it on, some obscure 'hotspot' appears to them and they sign up to use it (or the service may be included in the device, like a camera that includes a service to store pictures on the Net or think Kindle ebook reader). They may not even know it's WiMAX, many will probably think it's WiFi.
This model is what WiMAX is eventually going after. It's not just about people consciously moving from 3G or cable service to WiMAX, except for those currently using laptop cards.
This model can only work if CEPs produce a wide variety of devices that happen to have WiMAX. Intel needs to make dirt cheap WiMAX/Wifi chipsets, at the same price or less than current Wifi only chipsets. It would then be a no brainer for CEPs to drop in the chipset and they wouldn't have to involve carriers (as with LTE).
For the short term though, consumers will probably have to consciously subscribe to WiMAX as opposed to some other service, like with laptop cards and base stations. It don't think WiMAX usage will expand significantly until WiMAX is sold behind the scenes, somewhat unbeknownst to end users. | |
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