Travel Technology - Clear internet service?

Anyone know anything about Clear? http://www.clear.com

It's a WiMax network, whatever that means. I'm curious. It's currently only available in Las Vegas, Portland, and Atlanta. The website says it provides both mobile and home service. I would love to dump Cox as my internet provider (TV, too, but that's another story) but I've just never heard of this. Is it reliable? It says for basic home service for $20 per month it provides download speeds of 786Kbps and upload speeds of 384Kbps. Usage is unlimited.

Thanks.

WiMax is a new wireless technology, which might make less reliable than DSL or cable modem service. Nobody in the US has much experience with it.

According to what I read, service was just turned on in Atlanta, and Las Vegas won't start until later this year.

If you look at some of the tech blogs such as gizmodo.com or engadget.com they have extensive reviews of the service. They both like it though point out its real lack of coverage. Again however, if you are just primarily using as a home router then as long as you have it where you live it doesn't really matter. Supposedly there is a lot of bandwidth that is being untapped right now that leaves room for improvement in the future. I also like how you could use it at home then take it with you on the road as you travel around town.

I guess it all comes down to what exactly you need and where you live.

For me, anything less than a megabit transfer is pretty slow and painful.

Thanks for the info. I'll check out the other websites. I am still questioning the transfer rate and reliability so I may stick it out until something else comes, like FiOS.

I've been working in Portland for the last few months, and have used Clear exclusively for my office VPN, browsing and streaming from the UK (Orb & Slingbox). For $50 a month you can't grumble.

However, you really need to check the coverage where you are likely to be using it. It works great when I'm at my desk (9th Floor, near a window), but I get no coverage at all in the middle of the office on the ground floor.

Same with the hotel - it works great on the upper floors, but no so well on the lower floors. The first hotel I stayed at didn't seem to have any coverage at all (near the Lloyd Center).

Cheers,
Rick

Last time I looked, the contract terms and customer service were very, very bad - be sure to check that out with an internet search. There are horror stories of people signing up and then not being able to get out of a contract if they don't have service where they need it, or if they move out of coverage. On the blogs I saw, the official customer service line was that 'you should sell your modem and contract to someone on eBay..." if it isn't satisfactory.

Not something that I want to deal with...

RFTraveler :td::(

The older version "pre-WiMAX" had been working in many medium size cities for the past ten years offered by Clearwire and carriers here and in other countries. These are mainly "fixed wireless access" without mobility.

Clearwire and Sprint Xohm had merged to become Clear and Xohm currently covers Baltimore area. They will offer mobile WiMAX going forward. For the next few years likely use will be "nomadic" (i.e. access from coffee shop) instead of "mobile" (i.e. in a car) due to basestation build out schedule.

San Jose has a "private" coverage for intel and other developers planned.

I am testing the laptop and desktop service from the them.

Pros:
3 Mbps on Laptop, 6Mbps on Desktop
Friendly salesperson
Bargain basement price of $45 / month for life
No contract plan available at same price as 2 year committment plan

Cons:
$35 Activation Fee
Salesperson was out to maximize their commission rather than ask any probing questions
No coverage outside LAS proper
No roaming in Clear, Sprint, Xohm, or competitors markets

Be advised that I work in the industry and not for Clear. Accordingly, these are only my opinions and not those of my employer or any other associated entity. blah blah blah.

Anyone else tried this out lately? I was just approached in the mall about this today, and it seems enticing - I can dump my cable internet, get the USB dongle and freely get internet in a growing number of cities including Austin (quite a few in TX). Only hesitating since I will probably be graduating next year and not sure if I will be moving to a city with coverage. Their website doesn't list the long term outlook, but at least one of my major post-doc options is in a city they are rolling out very shortly, according to the rep.

Are the given speeds fairly accurate in multiple markets?

Anyone with a mac tried it- is it working seamlessly in Snow Leopard?

As mentioned above, be SURE to check the blogs and internet forums carefully. I haven't even considered Clear after what I heard about their customer service a few months back. Hopefully they have improved, but ya never know.

http://clearwiresucks.com/blog/

http://5thirtyone.com/archives/800

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/429542/clearwire_clearpremium_internet_service.html?cat=1 7

http://www.voipreview.org/node/250113

http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=64624

Still looks pretty bad...

RFTraveler :td:

The pretty overview maps show service throughout the DFW metroplex and also Vancover, WA east to Mill Plain.

The reality is that the detailed maps the rep had on GoogleEarth at the local WorstLie showed there is no little to service in my home area (Lewisville/FlowerMound/HighlandVillage) (humorous to have a rep selling the product FROM an area w/o coverage) and my office on the Eastern edge of Vancouver (i.e. west of Mill Plain) is 34' (that's right, 34 feet) outside the coverage area.

Interesting...I used to office in Plano and live in Vancouver...

Also, Mill Plain runs E-W...where does the Clear signal supposedly end?

RFTraveler