clearwire

MetroPCS Communications opened its second 4G LTE market today, this one in the Dallas-Forth Worth area.

The new service follows the carrier's initial 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) launch in Las Vegas last week. As in Vegas, the Dallas-Forth Worth service will offer prepaid monthly plans starting at $55, which include unlimited talk, text, and data, and require no contract.

But Dallas-Forth Worth customers will also get a few additional features. MetroStudio, available through the $60 monthly plan, will offer downloads and ringtones as well as video content from NBC Universal and other providers, MetroPCS said. A new combined … Read more

MetroPCS launched the nation's first Long Term Evolution 4G wireless broadband network today in Las Vegas along with the first-ever commercial LTE handset.

Like all MetroPCS services, the new 4G wireless broadband service is prepaid and it doesn't require a contract. For $55 a month, users get unlimited talk, text, and data. And for an additional $5 a month, they also get 18 channels of streaming video.

The prepaid wireless operator is launching the new service with the first LTE handset: the Samsung Craft.

But before you get too excited, there are some important caveats. For now, the … Read more

As it enters the final stages of its 4G expansion in New York City, Clearwire finally acknowledged today that its 4G WiMax service is already intermittently available in the Big Apple.

In a carefully worded statement, the company said it has started "operational readiness activities" not only in New York, but also Los Angeles and San Francisco. During the final construction phase, and as some New Yorkers have discovered, 4G service will be available in select areas.

Clearwire did not announce specific dates for when the cities would be fully covered, though it repeated its earlier promise that … Read more

Clearwire announced a new pay-as-you-go brand for its 4G wireless service on Monday.

The new brand is targeting 18- to 24-year-olds who are recently out of college, urban, and looking to stay connected. The service will not require a contract, and customers can sign up for unlimited data usage for just $5 per day, $20 per week, or $50 a month.

The Rover Puck will offer download speeds of 3Mbps to 6Mbps. The Puck is available for $150. And the Rover Stick is $100 and will work on MacBooks using Mac OS X, as well as Netbooks and laptops using … Read more

It's not an overstatement to say that Sprint pulled off a significant coup earlier this year when it introduced America's first 4G smartphone to rave reviews. The HTC Evo 4G not only attracted new customers to a carrier that had long been losing them, but it also gave a much needed boost to a struggling brand.

Though the Evo 4G, and the newer Samsung Epic 4G, are sold across the country, Sprint's 4G WiMax network still does not cover some of the nation's largest cities. And for 4G handset owners paying an extra $10 per month for service they don't get, the coverage gaps can seem endless, inexplicable, and frustrating.

Why the wait? So what is the holdup? Why does it take so long to get 4G and when will Sprint add new cities? Indeed, we've asked those questions for months, so we don't blame CNET readers for doing the same. Though acquiring the necessary spectrum plays a huge part in bringing 4G service to a new area, Sprint and its partner Clearwire also have to surmount a multitude of logistical and legal barriers before they can acquire the land, build the tower, install the equipment, and switch on the service. Depending on the community, that can take months or even years, and in the process, customers are left waiting.… Read more

Clearwire announced plans Thursday to start trial testing 4G LTE technology this fall. The move will not only allow the company to showcase the capabilities of the technology but also allow it to "examine a variety of potential future technology combinations."

The tests will be conducted through early 2011 in the Phoenix area.

With this move, Clearwire is shooting to be a major player in 4G technology--specifically both WiMax and LTE. Until recently, Clearwire had been restricted, via a deal with Intel, from using any 4G technology other than WiMax. But that deal is dead and Clearwire, with … Read more

Clearwire is rolling out a 4G hot spot designed dubbed the iSpot to appeal to Apple users.

The WiMax service provider on Wednesday launched the iSpot, a personal hot spot with dedicated support for the iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone. In many respects, the Clearwire move makes a lot of sense. Most Apple plans are tethered somehow to AT&T. Clearwire is looking to tap into disdain for AT&T among Apple users to poach a few accounts.

How does the iSpot support Apple gear? Clearwire said the iSpot is made exclusively for Apple devices with a casing … Read more

Sprint and Clearwire announced Monday the expansion of the 4G wireless network in markets in four states.

The new cities where the 4G service will be available are Modesto and Stockton, Calif.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Wilmington, Del.; and Grand Rapids, Mich. With these latest deployments, the 4G wireless service, which uses a technology called WiMax, will be in 48 markets. Sprint, which is reselling the service and bundling it with its 3G wireless service, said Clearwire is on track to add Boston, Miami, New York, and Los Angeles later this year.

By the end of 2010, Clearwire's 4G mobile broadband … Read more

Best Buy is beefing up its recently launched wireless broadband service in a deal with 4G provider Clearwire.

Through its Best Buy Connect service, which debuted just a few weeks ago, the electronics retailer plans to offer customers a new 4G tier starting in 2011. The company says Connect network coverage is currently available in "dozens of cities" across the United States, with a further expansion in the offing.

"This agreement paves the way to providing one-stop shopping and support for mobile broadband as more people become more connected across all kinds of devices," said Jed … Read more