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'Clear' Launches In Portland Next Week
Customers getting an early look at speed, pricing...

Clearwire's new "Clear" WiMax service won't officially launch until next Tuesday, when media coverage is sure to bubble over. The mobile version comes in four flavors, all of which offer 4Mbps/384kbps connectivity, but with different bandwidth caps ($30/month for 200MB, $40/month for 2GB and $50/month for unlimited). The home plans come in three flavors with no caps: 768kbps/128kbps for $20, 3Mbps/384bps for $30, and 6Mbps/512kbps for $50. The Oregonian is the latest to offer an early look at speeds:

quote:
Click for full size
...My speeds are generally between 3 and 4mbps down and around 500kbps up. That's roughly in line with the 4mbps/384kbps that Clearwire advertises for its mobile connection. My total price was $134.99 for an unlimited account, billed month to month, including a $35 activation fee and $50 modem.
There's also a $10 day pass for mobile users. You can save $10 per month for 6 months from the mobile tiers if you sign a long term contract, with additional savings if you bundle mobile and home. All tiers (both mobile and home) have a $35 activation fee. The Clear website also makes reference to a home voice product they'll be selling for $25 per month eventually. Clearwire's complete pricing breakdown is here.

Clear's pricing varies somewhat from XOHM pricing. The two products will ultimately become one as part of Sprint and Clearwire's joint venture, which aims to reach 140 million people within thirty months. The completion of the network will be greatly aided by a $3.2 billion cash infusion from Comcast ($1.05 billion), Intel ($1 billion), Time Warner Cable ($550 million), Google ($500 million), and Bright House Networks ($100 million.)

Has anybody in Portland given the service a spin yet? Does anybody plan to?
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JJV
Premium Member
join:2001-04-25
Seattle, WA

JJV

Premium Member

Yuck!


Scatcatpdx
Fur It Up
join:2007-06-22
Portland, OR

Scatcatpdx

Member

$10.00 question

I will stick to Comcast but the $10.00 plan may come in handy when doing the auction ebay thing.
jdjbuffalo
join:2004-01-17
Denver, CO

jdjbuffalo

Member

Are You Kidding?

"$30/month for 200MB and $40/month for 2GB"

This can't really even be called broadband. You can get more out of a dial-up account for $9.99.

These aren't reasonable. I would balk at these prices if they were cell phone data plans to say nothing of using this with a PC.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc

Re: Are You Kidding?

Looks like they are trying to pretend that the mobile version is a cell phone data plan...

Ben
Premium Member
join:2007-06-17
Fort Worth, TX

Ben to jdjbuffalo

Premium Member

to jdjbuffalo
said by jdjbuffalo:

"$30/month for 200MB and $40/month for 2GB"

This can't really even be called broadband. You can get more out of a dial-up account for $9.99.

These aren't reasonable. I would balk at these prices if they were cell phone data plans to say nothing of using this with a PC.
I understand your point about those prices, but $50 for no cap doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
jdjbuffalo
join:2004-01-17
Denver, CO

jdjbuffalo

Member

Re: Are You Kidding?

Agreed. But the other ones are a joke.

I could maybe see the $30 for 5GB and $40 for 30GB. But I still think it would be too low, however I could see people paying for these packages.

Smile__
Premium Member
join:2008-10-10
New Freedom, PA

Smile__

Premium Member

Re: Are You Kidding?

We will see who comes out on top.. XOHM plans or Clear plans.. I wonder..
pabster
join:2001-12-09
Waterloo, IA

pabster

Member

Re: Are You Kidding?

Who will come out on top? Whoever has a larger coverage area. Certainly they aren't as fast as Xohm but what good is speed if you can't get a signal?

Xohm rocks but the limited coverage will hinder it. It remains to be seen how 'Clear' will do in this regard.

Smile__
Premium Member
join:2008-10-10
New Freedom, PA

Smile__

Premium Member

Re: Are You Kidding?

Coverage isn't a huge factor yet in Baltimore... Devices can be used in other markets now as you have probably read from other posters... Portland is the only Clear 4G market so far. I am talking about pricing by the way.. Do people prefer XOHM plan's or Clear plans.

Mactron
el Camino Real
Premium Member
join:2001-12-16
PRK

Mactron to jdjbuffalo

Premium Member

to jdjbuffalo
The $50 Mobile and Home No Caps plans look pretty good to me. I'd go with it if they were here.

asdfdfdfdfdfdfdf
@Level3.net

asdfdfdfdfdfdfdf to jdjbuffalo

Anon

to jdjbuffalo
That's for the mobile service. The $50 service is unlimited. How is that so terrible relative to what other companies charge for mobile data services? Seems like it is better than what most of the others are charging.

jdfdlkj
@algx.net

jdfdlkj to jdjbuffalo

Anon

to jdjbuffalo
Those are data usages not speeds.....but good try

ejhioenvbmgs
@comcast.net

ejhioenvbmgs

Anon

Look

Hey keep in mind your comparing the mobile plans

Look at the Home plans - those compare nicely with Comcast and ext
decifal7
join:2007-03-10
Bon Aqua, TN

decifal7

Member

Dickson, TN

Bring it on! I'll pay 50 for unlimited in a heart beat... Beats 45 a month for isdn, plus roughly 24 for isp.. Not to mention the speed boost!!

Bring it!!!
travelguy
join:1999-09-03
Bismarck, ND

travelguy

Member

Something's Funky...

Karl's note states "The home plans come in three flavors with no caps: 768kbps/128kbps for $20, 3Mbps/384bps for $30, and 6Mbps/512kbps for $50" but the graphic next to the text above states that the home rates are $20/$30/$40"

mystryfiostk
join:2008-07-17
00000

mystryfiostk

Member

Interesting move on Portland

That area down there was also an early FiOS market and is Comcast territory. A lot of tech folks in the western suburbs and the city of Portland is chock full of young educated hipsters. No surprise on their decision to launch in Portland.

I can see the $30/3Mb plan getting action for the home plans.
People are cutting back, and face it, 3Mb would cut it for alot of the internet users out there.

But $50 for 6Mb is over the top since FiOS is available at that price for 20Mb - and then there's Comcast.

Intel is the largest private employer in Oregon with their operations in the western Portland suburbs.

sepdx
@clearwire-wmx.net

sepdx

Anon

Re: Interesting move on Portland

I just switched to Clear home service(6mb/$40)from comcast simply for the fact that it gives me more than enough speed for my use, yet I have the option to take my modem with me and get service in other locations. I'm located in Portland, and have already used my modem in Beaverton and Hillsboro. Heck, with a power converter, I can even use it in my car. Also, I'm month to month, so, worst case, I'm out just a $35 activation fee, and I can go back to comcast. Now, it'll be interesting to see the speed and connection consistancy as more users begin to sign up.

dadkins
Can you do Blu?
MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA

dadkins

MVM

$50 looks doable

The $50 unlimited mobile plan would be the ideal plan.
4/384 unlimited and you can even do it "away" from home? Looks good!

phoneboy3
@telus.net

phoneboy3

Anon

Intel

Portland is the home of Intel so that probably has something to do with it too.

mystryfiostk
join:2008-07-17
00000

mystryfiostk

Member

Re: Intel

said by phoneboy3 :

Portland is the home of Intel so that probably has something to do with it too.
Although the Intel presence is quite significant in Oregon,
they are based in Santa Clara, CA.

They have plants all over the United States and the rest of the world.

SHABAZZ
join:2008-07-13
Seattle, WA

SHABAZZ

Member

Re: Intel

Intel's R&D for Wimax is based in Oregon. Thats why they're down there.
sierradays
join:2008-12-31
Beaverton, OR

1 edit

sierradays

Member

Need Competition

I just signed another year with Fios/Verizon. I live near Portland. My old rate was 39.99 for 5/2, which they no longer offer. My new package is 10/2 @47.99,double my speed for 8 dollars. In these times Verizon need to offer lower speed for a lower cost. I dont need to go faster.

Flummoxed
Premium Member
join:2002-01-24
Wright City, MO

Flummoxed

Premium Member

$30 for 200MB?

Wow for $30 I get 5GB from ATT on my IPhone, Its not 4Mbps downstream but I'm at 155MB network usage and I'm not on it all the time. I'd feel sorry for anyone with a 200MB cap on a notebook.

kieranmullen
Premium Member
join:2005-12-12
Portland, OR

kieranmullen

Premium Member

Bad Marketing?

They have several large billboards on the highway that say

stel eb raelc (Or jumbled to that effect)

clear.com

Who is going to check it out? What are the selling?

They are not creating a "buzz" It it so stupid I wouldn't mention it to anyone except for BBR.
jswinner
join:2005-12-23
Portland, OR

1 edit

jswinner

Member

I switched to this

after an eternity with EL. Service is as as advertised so far