Despite losses this quarter and predictions that rival LTE will overtake Clearwire’s WiMax service sometime over the next couple of years, the wireless service provider is optimistic about future growth.
clear wimax
Things in California’s state capital have been a bit rocky over the last few years, with the “Last Action Hero” playing the role of “the worst-governing action hero,” the money situation in the Golden State can best be described as precarious. Now as the tumultuous term of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger winds down, there’s a bit of light on the horizon in the city of Sacramento. No, that light isn’t the result of an explosion emanating from the set of Terminator 5: The Rise of Jerry Brown, but rather from the switch being flipped on CLEAR’s WiMax network in the River City.
Fresh off the announcement that Los Angeles and San Francisco would be latching onto the service come December, Clearwire has launched their brand of 4G WiMax in the city surrounding the governor’s mansion– making it the 63rd city to do so. And with the state’s financial woes in mind, they’ll be offering quite a proposition to the area’s 1.2 million customers in the form of an online only deal. Those who make their way to the CLEAR web portal will be eligible for 50 percent off their service plan for the first two months. We know the “Super Fast Mobile Internet” service won’t help alleviate all of the state’s financial woes, but it’s a start.
The writing isn’t exactly on the wall for the future of Clearwire, as much as it’s in the words of they’re most recent quarterly report:
“…we do not expect our available cash and short-term investments as of September 30, 2010 to be sufficient to cover our estimated liquidity needs for the next 12 months. We also do not expect our operations to generate positive cash flows during the next 12 months…”
The WiMax providers building on Sprint’s backbone to spread “4G” to the American masses, have effectively put themselves on life support with Verizon and AT&T standing close by to pull the plug once they rollout LTE coverage nationwide. To anyone keeping a close eye on the broadband service provider’s stagnant stock value over the past 2 years, reaching $9.25 at its highest point in September ’09, Clearwire’s financial prospects were always somewhat of a question.
Fresh off the launch of their mobile broadband service in New York,you’d think there might be a little more optimism emanating for their corporate office; their expected number of subscribers by the end of 2010 is upwards around 4 million, which is twice their initial prediction. But the bottom line remains, unless they can secure some additional funding, Clearwire may go quietly into the 4G night. It’s estimated they’ll need to raise $1 billion. In the meantime the WiMax provider has cut 15 percent of its workforce, to stave off more immediate financial ruin.
Sprint Nextel, which owns a majority stake in Clearwire and runs their WiMax service off the same network, will take a big hit if the brand becomes extinct and defaults on their loans. It could deliver a blow to Sprint’s own liquidity as a parent company. Time Warner and Comcast are also depending on Clearwire for their own branded 4G service, yet have declined to invest any more money in the technology. It would seem a curious move to not step in and help, but it shows just how little confidence they have in Clearwire’s survival instincts. As much as it would appear that WiMax is dying a slow death in its U.S. incarnation, there’s always the chance the fat lady will lose her voice before singing that final aria. Perhaps a foreign investor can swoop in and rescue WiMax from the burning building that is Clearwire’s financial woes. … Read the rest
A recent decision by the International Telecommunication Union to not consider WiMax and LTE valid 4G incarnations has ironically given way to a rash of unjustified 4G quality claims.T-Mobile is the latest in the long line of service providers to proudly boast the next step of Internet quality with an ad campaign that lays claim to “America’s Largest 4G Network.”
T-Mobile’s proclamation highlights an interesting issue for the likes of CLEAR, Sprint, AT&T, Verizon and other supposed 4G peddlers. While those companies have invested billions of of dollars building out nationwide network, T-Mobile simply slapped a pretty dress on its 3G technology and called it “the sexiest Internet you’ve ever seen.”
So, how can they do that, without the ITU’s approval? Well, they can do that for two reasons: One, because the other companies did it first without living up to true 4G standards; and two, because it’s kinda (and I stress “kinda”) true. Their HSPA+ mobile broadband network has been shown to be comparable or faster than WiMax and LTE in some instances with “theoretical” download speeds of up to 21mbps.
The claim of “America’s Largest 4G Network” is a monster Sprint, Clear and company created themselves. If there ends up being a service migration to T-Mobile, they’ll have nowhere else to point the finger. The fact of the matter is, the term “4G” is fast being rendered meaningless by its saturation in advertising juxtaposed against actual network specs. If these service providers truly want to wow their customer base, they’re better off improving their individual technologies and boasting their own brands of Broadband Access technology (WiMax, LTE, or HSPA+) to differentiate from their competitors. Perhaps providers could even increase their allure by playing the easy transition card, highlighting current versions of WiMax and LTE ability to upgrade once their actual 4G relatives become available.
Even if they do do that, there’s a chance it won’t necessarily matter to consumers who just want a faster connection to go along with quality service. And are they really that much more desperate for a faster connection? If people are satisfied with the price they’re paying and the speeds at which their cell phones and Internet connect now, then no label promising greener grass on the other side of wireless broadband is guaranteed to garner any takers. People might be more inclined to wait for the real thing (WiMax … Read the rest
WiMax may be the cheaper 4G technology to deploy, but doing so on a national level somewhere as spread out as the U.S. still requires a healthy dose of capital. Though tied to Sprint Nextel and dependent on the 3rd-ranked U.S. wireless carrier for its network backbone, Clearwire is obviously in need of more investors to assist with the rollout of its nationwide operation.The mobile broadband provider has confirmed that they've been whispering some sweet nothings into T-Mobile USA's receiver in the hopes of drawing additional funds from the cell service to help spin their 4G WiMax web across this great land.
This is not Clearwire's first flirtation with T-Mobile USA, but after kibitzing with them and Sprint late last year, their negotiations faded as soon as enough money was secured for them to go ahead with their network launch. While no one is saying T-Mobile's involvement in the proliferation of CLEAR is a sure thing, there are those who question Sprint's enthusiasm for the discussions. Currently, T-Mobile behind Sprint in the overall rankings of U.S. wireless service providers, so the fear of giving a competitor–who has been noticeably been lagging in the 4G department– any sort of leg up, can put a damper on the process of making any capital gains.
While Verizon and AT&T have staked the future of their 4G networks on the LTE standard, T-Mobile has yet to take a definite stance on which dueling 4G technology to side with. Their current solution is to offer an HSPA+ fix and more commercials with Catherine Zeta-Jones (Wait, are those commercials still running?). It makes some sense that T-Mobile would want to focus on the attainable goal of pushing the number three carrier for WiMax supremacy rather than engaging in a pricey fight, expecting to leapfrog those with the a soon-to-be established, more expensive LTE network. It almost seems silly that Sprint would open the door to increased competition, while providing so much infrastructure for Clearwire.
Either way, if Clearwire is planning to plant its 4G seed all over the nation, they're going to need money to do so. As for T-Mobile, they're going to have to start talking 4G sometime soon or risk becoming completely irrelevant– no matter how attractive their spokesperson is.
Not a lot of people know this, but the main reason so many Nashville residents have a tear in their beer has nothing to do with the Hank Williams song playing on the jukebox; rather, it’s the less-than-stellar wireless service that’s been driving those in the Music City to drink and cry.
Sprint is hoping to change that somber tune echoing from the Bluebird Cafe to the Grand Ole Opry, now that their 4G WiMax network is officially available in “the Country Music Capital of the World.”
With the announcement, Nashville becomes the 52nd city (in 22 states) to have access to the 4G service. Sprint has two phones currently capable of effectively utilizing the high-speed offering, including the new Samsung Epic; and for those that want to take advantage of the network on the go, they’re offering the Overdrive mobile hotspot.
Sprint isn’t the only big name making improvements to Nashville’s wireless scene. They are accompanied by their WiMax partner, CLEAR, who is pushing their distinct brand of affordable, fast, “take-it-with-you Internet” to the musical masses. And with an online only limited time offer to take 50% off their service plan over the first two months, Nashvillians may start noticing the watery taste of tears of joy in that bottle of beer just yet.… Read the rest
“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,”
Sprint has announced the launch of their USN U301, the carrier’s first dual-mode 3G/4G wireless USB modem. The device works on the new Clear WiMax network and allows for customers to connect with Sprint’s 4G WiMax network or its 3G mobile broadband network while on the go. Prior to the launch of the U301, Sprint’s official WiMax lineup has consisted of only one single modem, the U300.
The U301 offers 3G and WiMax the same way the U300 did, but it is smaller and comes with Mac and Windows 7 support. It offers peak downloads of more than 10Mbps with the WiMax network and peak downloads of 3.1Mbps on Sprint’s 3G network. The device will also connect to EVDO Rev. 0 and 1xRTT networks when not in a WiMax coverage area.
An authentication system ensures top-notch security. Additionally, GPS is on board for use with Sprint Navigation, Blackberry maps, and other location-based features. The U301 is compatible with PC and Mac computers. Retail price for the adapter is #349 but Sprint is offering a $299 instant rebate and $50 mail-in rebate, bringing the net hardware cost to zero. With 3G plans starting at $59.99 a month, the hybrid plan offers cheap coverage insurance an additional $10 a month – $69 monthly gets you both 3G and 4G service.… Read the rest
Sprint announced the launch of Sprint 4G mobile broadband throughout the Philadelphia area. Philadelphia is one of the first cities to enjoy 4G wireless connections from Sprint 4G. Philadelphians will no longer be confined to just a home or office or coffee shop in order to browse the web. Sprint 4G customers can enjoy fast wireless mobile broadband experience across the city, for just a $10 per month premium over current Sprint 3G mobile data plans.
Sprint customers in Philadelphia can start enjoying 4G today with the 3G/4G USB Modem U300, the first device from any national wireless carrier to offer access to both 3G and 4G. Sprint customers can take advantage of America’s most dependable 3G network2 when outside of 4G coverage. For a limited time, customers can benefit from a 4G promotion allowing them to get the dual-mode device for free after a $50 mail-in rebate for consumers and instant rebates for business clients (excludes taxes) with a two-year agreement. Sprint is currently offering new 4G/3G data plans for consumers at $69.99 monthly with unlimited 4G and 4G/3G data plans for businesses at $69.99 with unlimited 4G and unlimited 3G on the Sprint network3 (price plans exclude surcharges and taxes).
Sprint is the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology. Sprint uses Clear’s WiMAX network for their 4G service“Sprint continues to lead the charge in rolling out wireless 4G in cities across America and the momentum continues to build,” said Todd Rowley, vice president of Sprint 4G. “Our aggressive expansion of Sprint 4G will include many new devices and capabilities that create increased performance and productivity while enhancing personal lifestyles on the go.”… Read the rest
The Samsung Mondi SWD-M100 WiMAX mobile tablet is now available to Clear WiMAX customers in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Portland.
The Mondi features a 4.3-inch touchscreen display and a 3.0 megapixel camera. Users can fire off messages to friends and family on social networks and instant messaging systems like Fring and Live Messenger with the Mondi’s full-QWERTY slide-out keyboard. The SWD-M100 runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition and users can surf the web using Opera 9.6. The device, certified by the WiMax Forum earlier this year, also includes WiFi data connectivity in addition to the WiMAX offering, Bluetooth, and 4GB of internal memory. The Mondi also comes packed with Microsoft’s Office mobile, which could enable mobile professionals to get work done on the go.
The Samsung Mondi SWD-M100 is available at samsung.com or at select Samsung retailers. It will be in Clearwire and Best Buy retail outlets beginning August 1. Pricing information was not immediately available. The Mondi was first unveiled during CTIA 2009 in Las Vegas.
“The Mondi is a perfect example of the powerful and stylish innovation that Samsung is bringing to the U.S. mobile market,” said Omar Khan, Samsung Mobile’s senior VP of strategy, in a statement. “The Mondi packs productivity tools, entertainment options, and content management applications into a compact device that is flexible and intuitive.”
The Mondi comes as Sprint and Clearwire are making a bigger push to expand their WiMax networks. Clearwire expects to have live networks in about 10 major markets before the end of the year, and these should offer peak downlink speeds of more than 10 Mbps.
Quantum Wimax builds turn-key WiMAX systems from concept to execution, including wimax feasibility studies, hardware, installation and maintenance. With over 30 years of combined experience in the wireless space, Quantum Networks provides high quality, cost effective services for corporations, governments, municipalities, business owners and focuses also on bringing wimax to rural regions.
Quantum Networks, LLC — Tel: 212.993.5899 — Email: info@quantum-co.com
