Clearwire Boss Promises 6-15MbpsCompany tries to get nervous investors excited... ( old news - 12:06PM Friday Jun 13 2008) tags: competition · business · wireless · Clearwire WirelessClearwire is ramping up the PR hype surrounding their new joint venture with Google, Comcast, Intel and others (aka ultra-mega-uber-Clearwire). According to Unstrung, the company this morning bragged about their spectrum holdings, which will allow the WiMax operator to offer "6 to 15 megabits per second per user," mobile VoIP, and eventually wireless high-definition TV (though they offered no real launch specifics). Clearwire repeated claims that they expect to cover 100 million U.S. citizens by the end of 2010, and reach 200 million potential users by 2015. It's likely those projections are highly optimistic. But hey, they're also boldly predicting $17.5 billion in revenue by 2017. It's pretty clear the company is trying to calm the nerves of Wall Street gossip hens who aren't sure Clearwire has the funds to deliver their broadband vision; aren't sure if the technology will work; aren't sure Clearwire can compete with AT&T and Verizon; and are afraid there's too many cooks in the Clearwire kitchen. Meanwhile LTE, the competing technology that will be deployed by AT&T and Verizon, will get a later start than mobile WiMax. Still, a new report by reach ABI Research this week suggests that the speedier wireless broadband option will jump from zero to 32 million subscribers globally in just three years (2010-2013).
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 | |  | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
edit:
June 13th, @12:43PM
| Re: Clearwire does have The combined Sprint/Clearwire WiMAX spectrum is a whopping 100-150Mhz per market. In comparison, Verizon/ATT have about 20Mhz or so allocated per market for 4G.
With 100Mhz, technically 1Gbps can fit, but of course that won't be available to end users. Some spectrum could be used for WiMAX backhaul to other WiMAX sites though.
As I've said before, consumer electronics product (CEP) makers will determine the success of WiMAX. LTE, controlled by 3GGP, requires more integration with the carrier whereas adding WiMAX to any device should be as easy as dropping in a WiFi chipset, not needing any interaction with the carrier. CEPs must add WiMAX to devices en masse or it will fail. It's up to the CEPs to decide if WiMAX will succeed.
It's absolutely essential that WiMAX proponents get CEP makers on board big time or else it will fail and CEPs will be forced to deal with the complications of LTE and 3GGP control. | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
·DSL EXTREME
| Re: Clearwire does have True - WiMAX must have devices/service deployed.
While Verizon/AT&T have ~20MHz dedicated to 4G, in many markets, they have ~55-65MHz of 3G (Sprint has many markets as well, just less 3G spectrum and users).
3G is limited use spectrum currently, as voice is priority traffic, and there are many users. On the flip side - 3G is built out well for Verizon, Sprint, and to a lesser extent AT&T and even lesser extent T-Mobile.
I don't currently see any mass exodus of the existing DSL/3G market for WiMAX for consumers (and probably won't) unless WiMAX undercuts the cost of service, and offers true unlimited use (doubt that as well)
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | | | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
edit:
June 13th, @02:01PM
| Re: Clearwire does have 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. | |
| | | | | jesseb_66
join:2002-12-06
Tucson, AZ | Re: Clearwire does have 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..
| 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. | |
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HEDP
join:2008-04-27
Miami, FL | Re: Clearwire DSL? Actually you wouldn't receive any coverage at all, if you where under tower, unless it was from a nearby tower. Also known as dead spots. | |
| xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
edit:
June 13th, @12:47PM
| Coverage quote:
Clearwire repeated claims that they expect to cover 100 million U.S. citizens by the end of 2010, and reach 200 million potential users by 2015.
100m coverage by 2010 shouldn't be difficult. Now that they have access to Sprint/Nextel cellsites, it should be fairly easy to roll it out. EVDO went from 0-60m coverage in 6 months and to 150m coverage in about a year or so. After 3 years, both Sprint/Verizon each covered over 230m.
It's the CAPEX cashflow that will be needed to perform a significant rollout. Enough backhaul will be the other challenge. | |
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Lenovo Wimax
@mindspring.com | Re: Coverage Waiting for the Lenovo's to have built in WiMax with the new generation Intel chipsets.
I also will sign up.  | |
| 
Rexter
YeeHaw
join:2002-11-17
cloud 9 | Small screen HD. Yea, nothing better than 1080p on a 2.5" screen. That's quality! | |
| | EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA
| Re: Small screen HD. What makes you think WiMax will be limited to "cellphone" devices?
Sprint may have an interest in keeping WiMax AWAY from "cellphones" and towards other uses, as they own 100% of the CDMA/EVDO cellphone network but only 51% of the WiMax network.
It seems to me that they're talking about some sort of IPTV system (similar to U-Verse TV perhaps) delivered over WiMax. | |
| | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| There's a real possibility down the road that DVD/DVR players connected to an HDTV have a WiMAX connection that stream HD.
There will be a challenge to have enough backhaul to support that but it's distantly possible. Maybe with WiMAX 802.16m coming in a couple years. | |
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Matt
You can't fix stupid
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
 ·Corporate Colocation
| Re: Small screen HD. said by iansltx  :Well, iTunes downloads are 5 Mbps on HD last time I checked. Not great quality, but it's HD. I believe it's 540p though. At any rate, that's ell within the window of 6-15 Mbps. And WiMax as a standard can certainly deliver that. Sort of like how EvDO does very well at times when measured up against the actual standard for performance. Personally, I'm looking forward to aster wireless access with larger\no caps. So I don't have to just use mobile broadband when I'm not within reach of fixed broadband, but all the time, for everything. It's actually 720p, but 4Mbps, and most people are saying the quality is crap compared to everything else out there. | |
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HEDP
join:2008-04-27
Miami, FL | Ignorance at it's best. | |
| | mgbaker
join:2000-05-14
Charlotte, NC
·RoadRunner Cable
·Covad Communications
| Clearwire is unreliablle I visited a friend for two weeks a few months ago,
he has Clearwire. I found it to be almost useless in comparison to RoadRunner or Covad DSL, I've used both of them as an ISP. I am currently back on RoadRunner. But, Clearwire was just a terrible experience. He's tried moving the Clearwire modem/reciever to several different locations within the house, nothing seems to work well. It's also awful when using it for XBOX Live, terrible ping times.... worse than anything I've ever experienced using RoadRunner. The worst thing about it, he's trapped with over a year of contract time. It's so bad, he is probably going to get DSL and still pay the Clearwire bill so that it doesn't impact his credit report. | |
| | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
edit:
June 14th, @08:23PM
| Re: Clearwire is unreliablle Clearwire currently uses pre-WiMAX, which isn't anything like experience of mobile 802.16e WiMAX. They haven't rolled out true mobile WiMAX yet, which is only in Portland at the moment (and Sprint has it in Chicago and DC area but not released yet). | |
| | ernliz
join:2001-11-25
Abilene, TX
·Clearwire Wireless
| Your friend, like most consumers, don't take advantage of the "trial period" which Clearwire offers. If he had negotiated a 1 - 2 week testing period, he would have found out whether Clearwire meets his needs. Additionally, Clearwire (at least in my area) offers a month-by-month contract. This way, you won't be locked in for a year.... Amazing why people don't do the research! | |
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