Clearwire In No Rush To Test 'WiMax 2' 120 Mbps downstream, 60 Mbps upstream... According to sources at the IEEE, the 802.16m Mobile WiMax standard should be finalized sometime in the middle of this year. According to the WiMax forum, the technology can deliver 120 Mbps downstream and 60 Mbps upstream by using a 4X2 MIMO antenna configuration with a single 20 MHz TDD channel -- with even faster speeds possible using more sophisticated antenna configurations. However, according to Clearwire, the States' biggest Mobile WiMax carrier, they aren't in any hurry to test or deploy the technology, and company executives get vague when asked for a solid date: Clearwire's CTO, John Saw, told Unstrung last week that the Kirkland, Wash.-based operator is watching the specification and won't be rushing to test the technology. "I don't think it's going to be this year. I think it's going to be much more likely 2011," says Saw of any trial timeline. Saw thinks that 2012 is "possible" for commercial deployment of 802.16m. One of the chief benefits of the new specifications would be more "spectrally efficient" 20MHz channels -- as opposed to current 10MHz channels -- for delivering voice, video, and data. Samsung and Russian WiMax operator Yota are already testing the technology overseas, and Yota hopes to offer service sometime this year. Still, serious deployment of "WiMax 2" isn't expected until 2011 -- right around the time LTE technology will begin ramping up here in the States courtesy of Verizon and AT&T.
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  funchordsHelloPremium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Yarmouth Port, MA
kudos:6 |  Won't Upgrade? No Spectrum For You!!
Why is it that wireless companies can keep a straight face and ask for 800 MHz of new spectrum (CTIA, .pdf) and, at the same time, hold off on improvements like this (or 3G to LTE) that would exponentially improve the use of the spectrum they already have?
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Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- District of Columbia -- KJ7RL
Test your Broadband connection today! -- »measurementlab.net/ | |
|  | Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
1 edit | Re: Won't Upgrade? No Spectrum For You!! This is exactly what Clearwire needs to do. Wait for LTE to come out from at&t and Verizon, who (at&t/vzw) don't have any significant portion of the wireless market, and then upgrade. Rather they should, and this is a better idea, invest now and sway the bandwidth hungry and users who want a better mobile experience. Once at&t and VZW roll out LTE, WiMax will be nothing more than a niche market. | |
| | | | Because building infrastructure is expensive. Most companies like to see some ROI before upgrading their equipment. | |
| | | | | Re: Won't Upgrade? No Spectrum For You!! I thinks that sums it up especially with all the amount Clear is putting into marketing.
In addition there is the lesions of Verizon with FIOS. I think Verizon hobbled itself with rapid growth of FIOS without a good return of investment. | |
| | | | | | Re: Won't Upgrade? No Spectrum For You!! said by Scatcatpdx:I thinks that sums it up especially with all the amount Clear is putting into marketing. In addition there is the lesions of Verizon with FIOS. I think Verizon hobbled itself with rapid growth of FIOS without a good return of investment. Then why is Yota so intent on testing and implementing it?
Also, Verizon hobbled itself? It's ensured it will be able to compete with cable without any worries for the long-term future. It's managed take-up rates of over 30% during initial roll-out, and that's despite excessively high prices. They're still making billions of profit every year, despite FIOS. How exactly have they hobbled themselves? | |
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|  tiger72SexaT duorPPremium
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO
kudos:1 | Not sure, but maybe it has something to do with Clear's desire to be open to switching to LTE in the future, as well as the desire to expand their footprint first. Clear still doesn't serve a good number of cities, and it makes more financial sense to have a larger network than one that doesn't serve entire markets of millions of possible customers.
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"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara | |
| | | | said by funchords:I'm a Clearwire fan, but I have to ask... Why is it that wireless companies can keep a straight face and ask for 800 MHz of new spectrum (CTIA, .pdf) and, at the same time, hold off on improvements like this (or 3G to LTE) that would exponentially improve the use of the spectrum they already have? Your a ClearWire Fan?? Your the first I have ever seen.... | |
| | | | | Re: Won't Upgrade? No Spectrum For You!! I actually have Clear's 4G service as my primary internet connection at home. I've been very pleased with the performance and reliability, especially at $30/month for 6-7 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up. | |
| | | | | | Re: Won't Upgrade? No Spectrum For You!! said by soccerguy:I actually have Clear's 4G service as my primary internet connection at home. I've been very pleased with the performance and reliability, especially at $30/month for 6-7 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up. I have their Clear 4G+ mobile 4G/3G card and at home only works when connected to Springs 3G Network (but then on a 5GB Month Cap) now out and about the 4G/WiMax works fine not as fast as I would like but works... So at home I haven't canceled my Cox Cable just yet... Moving next month to the other side of town so see maybe if its better there.. | |
| | | | | | | Re: Won't Upgrade? No Spectrum For You!! I hope it works out for you. Clear's 4G network in Seattle metro seems to be rock solid...hope it holds. I can't speak to their 3G network, but have heard almost universally bad reviews of it. | |
| | | | | | tiger72SexaT duorPPremium
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO
kudos:1 | Re: Won't Upgrade? No Spectrum For You!! said by soccerguy:I hope it works out for you. Clear's 4G network in Seattle metro seems to be rock solid...hope it holds. I can't speak to their 3G network, but have heard almost universally bad reviews of it. their 3g network is Sprint.
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"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara | |
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| | | | I'm definitely a Clearwire LV fan. I only have the unlimited mobile plan (Cox Ultimate 50mb at home and T1 in office) but I use Clear all over town and I never get less than 4 mbps - usually 6-8 mbps. I'm able to watch at least two concurrent video streams at the same time pretty much everywhere in town, even near the strip. Several of my friends and co-workers have it as well and they have all been very happy except for the occasional hiccup every few months.
Just my .02 | |
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chgocoltPremium
join:2004-07-10
Chicago, IL | Why not start with 20MHz for new makets They have so few markets deployed, why not go forward with the new standard in the new roll-out markets and then go back and upgrade current markets later? | |
| decifal
join:2007-03-10
Bon Aqua, TN
kudos:1 Reviews:
 ·Verizon Broadban..
| fail Most of the clearwire available users have comcast/cable or ATT/dsl providers already being its being deployed in saturated markets.. If they wait for ROI from this, they will never reach markets that they could immediately see some return on.. Why? Hell, anyone deprieved of options would at least try out the service.. If clearwire can make a good first impression without tons of hassles, they could make an impact. But delivering salt water to people already stranded at sea isn't gonna get any takers.. | |
| |  TsumePremium
join:2004-02-23
Johnson City, TN | Re: fail said by decifal:Most of the clearwire available users have comcast/cable or ATT/dsl providers already being its being deployed in saturated markets.. If they wait for ROI from this, they will never reach markets that they could immediately see some return on.. Why? Hell, anyone deprieved of options would at least try out the service.. If clearwire can make a good first impression without tons of hassles, they could make an impact. But delivering salt water to people already stranded at sea isn't gonna get any takers.. +1 I'm about to pay a good amount of cash to Comcast for faster Internet. I would use Clear instead but they have not deployed anywhere near where I live, and by the time they do I will already have better Internet and no need to switch.
I imagine I am not the only one in this situation. | |
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| | clear rock solid Consistent 12Mbps DN / 1Mbps UP here at my house in Austin, TX. Rock solid with a good mobile connection to boot. | |
| | | Speed? What Speed? I tried them out last month here in Chicago for the home. Despite having 4 bars on the modem, we couldn't get more than 2 Mbps download with the average being about 800 kbps. I would have loved to keep them because the $45/month they wanted was a lot less than Comcast. But we weren't willing to settle for only a small fraction of the speed when I'm getting 10-15 Mbps with Comcast. Their tech support were useless. | |
| | | | Re: Speed? What Speed? I am in philadelphia, I had some issues with verizon dsl so at the same time, I started using clear service. I had one clear modem where the download was not going over 3. After calling their tech support also and changing to a new modem, I am getting some burst over 5mg. I am not sure if some clear engineers made some adjustments or I had a defective modem. I am going to decide which provider that I am going to keep verizon dsl or clear for another month. I am testing my vpn connection and my voip which seem to drop off a bit more under clear even with the higher speed than verizon dsl. | |
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 SkipdawgThe OriginalPremium,ExMod 2001-03
join:2001-04-19
Mount Vernon, WA | Worthy to keep and eye on. One month into my Clear WiMax Home and Mobile service and for something fairly new I am happy with it so far. Blows my DSL out of the water. Wish there was more consistency but hopefully that will come.
Would be nice to get into the ultra fast broadband game by 2012 if not sooner.
Time will tell, time to cross fingers and knock on wood.
Saw some mention of WiMax 2 in Google news when looking around and that led me to this story. Good to see DSLR on this. | |
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