Kirkland, Wash. –
Three new wireless 4G products planned by Mobile WiMAX carrier
include the company’s first
dual-mode 3G/4G USB modem for Macs and the company’s first two one-piece mobile
Wi-Fi hot spots.
The carrier hasn’t
yet revealed details about its first two dual-mode 3G/4G handsets, which it
said earlier this would be available by year’s end.
The
are one-piece models that
will replace a two-piece hot spot solution launched early last year. That model
consisted of a battery-operated Wi-Fi router that required the insertion of a
separate 4G USB modem or dual-mode 3G/4G USB modem. The two new models feature
embedded cellular-data modem.
The dual-mode 3G/4G
hotspot is the Clear Spot 4G+, which connects up to five Wi-Fi-equipped devices
simultaneously to Clearwire’s Clear-branded 4G network as well as to Sprint’s
3G network. The Sierra Wireless-made device will be available in July in
Clear-branded stores and authorized dealers for sale at $224 or for lease at $5.99
per month. It is available for preorder.
The other new hot spot is the Clear Spot 4G, a
4G-only hot spot that connects to up to eight Wi-Fi devices at a time. The InfoMark-made
device will be available for purchase in July through Clear stores and
authorized dealers for $99.99 or for lease at $4.99 per month. It is also
available for preorder.
The two-piece hotspot
solution could connect to up to eight Wi-Fi devices.
In USB modems, the
carrier already offers two 4G-only USB modems for Macs, but the new Clear
modem will be the
carrier’s first dual-mode 4G/3G modem available for Mac users. It’s also
compatible with Windows-based laptops.
The 4G+ USB, made
by Sierra Wireless, is available for $114 to purchase or $5.99 per month to
lease. It is available on the company’s website and in stores in Atlanta,
Dallas and Hawaii, as well as in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading and York, Pa. The
device will be available in all Clearwire 4G markets beginning July 1.
The 4G+ Mobile USB
is compatible with MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops using Mac OS X Versions
10.5.x and 10.6.x. The USB also supports netbooks and notebooks running Windows
XP SP2, Vista and Windows 7 in 32- and 64-bit versions. The new 4G+ Mobile USB
is manufactured by Sierra Wireless.
Clearwire’s
network delivers average mobile download speeds of 3 to 6Mbps with bursts exceeding
10 Mbps through unlimited data plans that do not require service contracts. In
most markets, unlimited 4G service starts at $30 for home modems, with unlimited
mobile plans starting as low as $40.
Clear service is
available in markets where around 51 million people reside, and the company is
expanding its network to 120 million people by the end of 2010.
