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Clearwire Offers PC Card Modems
Out of Seattle trial, across all markets....

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Recently, Clearwire started quietly offering Motorola PC card modems in the Seattle market as part of a trial, and today announced that the cards are now available across all of their markets for $229.98, or leased for $6.99 a month.

The cards allow users to take the normally fixed 1.5Mbps service out and about, though users still need to be sitting still for the service to work. Clearwire's Helen Chung offers us this correction and insight:
quote:
Users can use the card while in motion. Our current network does support portability and mobility between base stations by means of rapid re-selection. In this scheme, when the Clearwire pc card leaves the range of its serving base station, a new link is rapidly established with a new base station. This re-selection scheme is optimized to be very fast so that Clearwire pc card users can typically maintain their data sessions while they roam in our markets. Our future mobile WiMAX networks will facilitate mobility in a different way, which we believe will be more seamless and efficient than we offer today.
The cards arrive almost a year after the service first launched in the Seattle market. Our user reviews of Clearwire's fixed wireless product haven't been particularly impressive, with customer service and a limited footprint being particular sticking points. We profiled the service last week in a product spotlight.
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caco
Premium Member
join:2005-03-10
Whittier, AK

caco

Premium Member

sitting still?

Do most people run around holding their laptop when they use them?

Lumberjack
Premium Member
join:2003-01-18
Newport News, VA

Lumberjack

Premium Member

Re: sitting still?

Trains, cars, busses, etc...

elboricua
El Subestimado
Premium Member
join:2001-08-12
Bronx, NY

elboricua to caco

Premium Member

to caco
I am guessing what they mean is that the service will not work while on a train. I make several trips to the DC area via Amtrak and connect to the corp network while on the train with my AT&T wireless network card. Not the speediest of connections but functional.
BPLSUCKS9
join:2006-04-26
Grand Ledge, MI

BPLSUCKS9

Member

Re: sitting still?

You can be moving so long as you are within range of a clearwire tower. I am hoping for the MobileWiMAX network because the town I work in (not the town I live in unfortunatly) is getting the new MobileWiMax network. If the pings and latency aren't too bad I may give it a shot.

starreem
Premium Member
join:2000-12-22
Raleigh, NC

starreem to caco

Premium Member

to caco
I might possibly, consider thinking about maybe getting the service if they had a USB stick modem. Very remote possibility though.

S_engineer
Premium Member
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL

S_engineer

Premium Member

Maybe...

I wonder just how fast this "rapid reselection of basestation" really is. I can't see a seamless transition while downloading something while on a train...not without interference.
Pricing seams kind of goofy too...i'd take the monthly lease.

Swingerhead
Premium Member
join:2004-04-06
Richmond, VA

Swingerhead

Premium Member

Bundle with home clearwire

Looks like you can either pay 59.99 for the service per month or get it bundled with a home connection for 79.99 and save yourself 18 bucks. Looks decent. Ive tested the connection and it seems to hold up, at least while stationary.

Lil Jon
Premium Member
join:2006-06-26
Cincinnati, OH

Lil Jon

Premium Member

Re: Bundle with home clearwire

why not just use wi-fi? I don't understand...

ROCINANTE
Original Member 007
Premium Member
join:1999-06-29
Hartsdale, NY

ROCINANTE

Premium Member

Blackberry = Free Modem

With a few tweaks, I can use my T-Mobile Blackberry as a modem for free (no additional charges to my monthly service fee). The speed isn't bad for checking emails and light browsing.
ineedatech
join:2002-07-10
Fort Washakie, WY

ineedatech

Member

Re: sitting still?

You know I have been testing mobility and with clearwire it really sucks. In some areas out here in the Stockton CA and Modesto area you can get some streaming video ok for maybe a few minutes. now if you are trying to send something just forget about it because it will just time out. Every time it switches a tower I loose my connection. When I go from one market to another (Stockton to Modesto) I have to reset the modem or else it just doesn't work. Even Sitting still with full signal. I would much rather use evdo network because that has much better tower hand offs.