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Clearwire Makes Their Coverage Maps More Useful
Coverage (and coverage gaps) made much more, uh, Clear
Paul Kapustka over at Sidecut Reports directs our attention to the fact that Clearwire has updated their Clear Mobile WiMax coverage maps with a few changes that users might find helpful. It looks like Clearwire has layered Clearwire engineering network-performance graphs on top of a Google Map -- allowing you to see more precise coverage gaps (including where towers aren't, and even highlighting areas that might see poor indoor reception) -- something we know some of you had complained about. The result is considerably more nuanced coverage maps in an era where Verizon and AT&T have spent a lot of time bickering over whose was bigger and better. Now all Clearwire has left to do is get that network built, right?
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PDXPLT
join:2003-12-04
Banks, OR

PDXPLT

Member

Best Coverage map so far.

Best map of any of the providers.

Too bad I'm still a few miles outside it.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Best Coverage map so far.

I like the way they outline areas where they have coverage, but they identify it as not being good if you are indoors.

tiger72
SexaT duorP
Premium Member
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO

tiger72 to PDXPLT

Premium Member

to PDXPLT
I agree, very good. No idea how accurate they are, but they look honest at least - unlike our friends at Verizon...

That said, their coverage map has been like this at least for a few weeks..
neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA

neftv

Member

Philadelphia Coverage

Philadelphia Coverage is still very spotty. They need more.
My location has coverage on either side of me but not where I am at. There is a Cell Tower just down the street from me but Clear not using is as of yet.
How will the WiMax phone will work when Clear introduce them later this year with such coverage? I would be interested in the phones and the features they going to have.
I not sure I willing to give up my Fios connection yet for the home service.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88

Member

Re: Philadelphia Coverage

Well thats what you get with using 2.5 ghz without a tower/access point at every intersection like muni-wifi.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

darcilicious

Premium Member

Better but not perfect ;)

That's definitely a step in the right direction. They had a town or two completely mis-labeled in my neck of the woods that wasn't ever corrected even after I emailed them about it. Twice. That just made me doubt the accuracy of their coverage in my area as well.

Now they just need to fix this new snazzy version so that when I use the zip for my town, the pin doesn't end up a few miles north outside of town

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Better but not perfect ;)

said by darcilicious:

Now they just need to fix this new snazzy version so that when I use the zip for my town, the pin doesn't end up a few miles north outside of town
Put in a street address and the map gets more accurate. If you just use a zip it centers the pin in the middle of the zip code, which may include areas surrounding the town.
sexcho
join:2009-08-14

sexcho

Member

Yeah.. okay

The maps are still beyond optimistic. You also have to take in account that if your signal is less than optimal, your speeds will be extremely poor.

Sabre
Di relung hatiku bernyanyi bidadari
join:2005-05-17

Sabre

Member

Still no mention of Baltimore.

The former Xohm areas of Baltimore are still nowhere to be found on Clear's website. Quite frustrating. I know they're out there from having looked at the old Xohm site, but that no longer exists and they seem to have forgotten about it.
ernstk
join:2001-05-08
Middle Village, NY

ernstk

Member

Re: Still no mention of Baltimore.

Try sprint.com 4G They still list Baltimore.
I'm in NY but went to Baltimore March 09 and tested XOHM with my Nokia N810 WIMAX with a $5 (promo) daypass. Very impressive.
Now (like you say) the XOHM site is gone, Clear does not mention Baltimore. And worse they don't seem to have daypasses anymore.
Also from what I read the Nokia might not work with Clear either.
And the Samsung(?) thingy they had is not listed anymore. Very sad.
Klaus Ernst

DoRight
join:2007-07-20
East Petersburg, PA

DoRight to Sabre

Member

to Sabre
Coming soon my friends.. real soon..
francoisatl1
join:2010-03-09
Atlanta, GA

francoisatl1

Member

Best thing i ever did

well i have a tower like a block from my house can see it from my desk i get 5 bars and have not had 1 problem at all since i got clear dumped AT&T crappy dsl so happy that CLEAR is in Atlanta
bartolo5
join:2001-12-03
San Carlos, CA

bartolo5

Member

Re: Best thing i ever did

what speeds are you getting?
francoisatl1
join:2010-03-09
Atlanta, GA

francoisatl1

Member

Re: Best thing i ever did

up to 13 down and 3 up i really love clear in Atlanta
bartolo5
join:2001-12-03
San Carlos, CA

bartolo5

Member

Re: Best thing i ever did

That sounds really good. What sort of ping times are you getting?
vlad1000
join:2005-05-19
Brooklyn, NY

vlad1000 to francoisatl1

Member

to francoisatl1
really?
but do you have a good mobile coverage in atlanta?
i am in new york...still dreaming of clear coming to nyc some day:)
francoisatl1
join:2010-03-09
Atlanta, GA

francoisatl1

Member

Re: Best thing i ever did

I Live in the city and we get great coverage in Atlanta went to a meeting in a high rise and it was great

MooJohn
join:2005-12-18
Milledgeville, GA

MooJohn

Member

Still not all that accurate

The engineering surveys may show a signal but it doesn't mean you'll have service on the fringes.

The service is fine where you have coverage but they didn't handle the Milledgeville GA rollout worth a flip. The areas that are dying for service aren't served. They covered downtown (few residences) and some low-income areas very nicely. The people who want and can pay for the service are SOL.

BTW, if you want Clear, buy it from their website. The deals are better than any local schmoe who got convinced to sell their product.
jong27
join:2006-03-14
Houston, TX

jong27

Member

This map is still useless

It shows me in a non coverage area, yet I was able to get 5 bars before a new tower was activated in one part of my house and now have 5 bars all over my house after a new tower went online last week.

DoRight
join:2007-07-20
East Petersburg, PA

DoRight

Member

Re: This map is still useless

Keep in mind a tower needs to be tested before it officially is updated on maps.. You just get to take advantage of that before hand if you live close enough.. Make sense?
DufiefData
join:2006-06-13
Gaithersburg, MD

DufiefData

Member

Baltimore gone?

Odd -- Clear's maps all omit Baltimore, MD from coverage. Are they shutting down there?
jong27
join:2006-03-14
Houston, TX

jong27

Member

Re: Baltimore gone?

The map just sucks. I wish I could get my hands on the real engineering maps. A Clearwire tech came to my house and they have a google earth overlay that shows the location of each antenna, active and in testing, and the direction they are pointing with gaps that are caused by the directional antennas they use. Now that would be useful!

DoRight
join:2007-07-20
East Petersburg, PA

DoRight

Member

Re: Baltimore gone?

These are the same coverage maps that engineering uses, just not the same color coding... Trust me these are very up to date and on point
wayne8888
join:2005-10-16
Baltimore, MD

wayne8888 to DufiefData

Member

to DufiefData
It is so funny.....they have not integrated XOHM coverage areas in Baltimore with Clear's maps. They have changed over the hardware from XOHM modems to Clear modems. There is great coverage over a wide area of Baltimore but if you enter those zip codes like 21201, 21202, 21286, 21231, 21224, 21217 etc (which have great indoor coverage), you get message that there is no Clear coverage. They are really shooting themselves in both feet! They will get new customers only by word of mouth (people talking to people with good coverage then buying) in B'more. Maybe Comcast will prod them out of their slumber in Baltimore.

pende_tim
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Selbyville, DE

pende_tim

Premium Member

Colors

Need to show state/federal parks as different colors than "good signal" areas.

Both look to be almost the same shade of green to my tired eyes.

toby
Troy Mcclure
join:2001-11-13
Seattle, WA

toby

Member

Re: Colors

I agree.
ShellMMG
join:2009-04-16
Grass Lake, MI

ShellMMG

Member

Please please please!

Oh. My. Gosh. They are *literally* across the road, a fact I didn't know until I saw this new coverage map. This new knowledge TOTALLY blows me away.

I have to call them now. I cannot believe Clear is literally across the street!!! I have been looking for an alternative to Verizon when my grandfathered Alltel contract winds down this fall. I will beg, borrow and just short of steal to find an alternative that doesn't saddle me with an insane 5G cap! I'll install an antenna on my 2-story if I have to!