4Ginfo.com - your source of 4G News, Reviews, Products for WiMAX & LTE

 

Sprint announced today that they have expanded their 4G coverage to the following cities:

• Merced, California
• Visalia, California
• Rochester, NY
• Syracuse, NY
• Eugene, OR
• Tri-Cities, Washington
• Yakima, Washington

In Merced, Sprint 4G covers nearly 580 square miles and more than 180,000 people. Regionally, service extends as far north and northeast as Livingston and as far south and southwest as Merced. CLEAR will also cover Chowchilla, Dos Palos and Los Banos. In Visalia, Sprint 4G covers more than 550 square miles and more than 288,000 people with service extending from the northwestern community of Goshen along Hwy 99 to Tipton in the southwest. The northeast border is Ivanhoe, and the southern border extends through East Porterville. The Sprint 4G coverage footprint encompasses the cities of Exeter, Farmersville, Woodlake, Lindsay and Visalia. 

In Oregon, Sprint 4G now covers more than 105 square miles and more than 75,000 people in the Eugene and Springfield areas. Service extends along the I-5 corridor from the McKenzie River to Franklin Blvd; and from 73rd & Main in Springfield to Green Hill Road west of Eugene.

In Rochester, Sprint 4G covers approximately 560 square miles and more than 600,000 people with service extending as far north as Lake Ontario, as far south as Canandaigua and Geneva, as far west as Spencer Port, and as far east as Webster. In Syracuse, Sprint 4G covers nearly 230 square miles and more than 265,000 people with service extending as far north as Brewerton, as far south as Nedrow, Auburn, and Cortland; as far west as Village Green, and as far east as Fayetteville and Manlius.

You can search Sprint 4G coverage by address at 3Gstore.com/coverage.

With today's seven metro launches, Sprint now offers 4G in 43 markets and expects to have 4G service in many more - including Los Angeles, New York and Miami - by the end of 2010.

---

Related Links:

• Order Sprint 3G/4G products & service from the experts at 3Gstore.com
• Check 3G/4G Coverage in your area
• Discuss Sprint Launches More 4G Markets in New York, California, Oregon and Washington on 4Gforums.com

CLEAR has released two new hotspot devices, each of which are essentially a mobile broadband aircard and router in one convenient unit. Like the Series S 4G+ modem announced earlier this month, both of the hotspots are Mac compatible - this is great news for Mac users, as CLEAR's early devices were not Mac friendly. Read on for more info about the new hotspots:

1) The "Clear Spot 4G Infomark Biscuit" (above) is a 4G-only portable hotspot that operates similar to the 3G MiFi available from Sprint and Verizon. It features a built-in rechargeable battery that runs for 4-5 hours on a single charge and provides wireless connectivity for up 8 WiFi devices. It uses a standard wireless "G" radio for broadcasting WiFi, so the wireless range is likely 80-150' (depending on walls, interference, etc). The Clear Spot 4G is available for $99.99 or $4.99/month if you choose a 2-year contract.

2) The "Clear Spot 4G+ Sierra Eagle" (above) is CLEAR's version of the Sierra Overdrive, which has been available from Sprint for several months now. Unlike the Clear Spot 4G, the Clear Spot 4G+ can connect to both the 4G WiMAX network and Sprint's nationwide 3G network, making it a great choice for folks who need coverage outside of 4G-covered areas. It features a built-in rechargeable battery that runs for around 3 hours on a single charge and provides wireless connectivity for up 5 WiFi devices. It uses a standard wireless "G" radio for broadcasting WiFi, so the wireless range is approximately 80-150' (depending on walls, interference, etc). The Clear Spot 4G+ is available for $249.99 or $5.99/month if you choose a 2-year contract.

---

Order CLEAR devices and service from 3Gstore

Discuss the Clear Spot 4G on the 4G Forums

Discuss the Clear Spot 4G+ on the 4G Forums

CLEAR 4G WiMAX has launched in several new markets today: Merced and Visalia, California; Eugene, Oregon; and Rochester and Syracuse, New York. 

In Merced, CLEAR covers nearly 580 square miles and more than 180,000 people. Regionally, service extends as far north and northeast as Livingston and as far south and southwest as Merced. CLEAR will also cover Chowchilla, Dos Palos and Los Banos. In Visalia, CLEAR covers more than 550 square miles and more than 288,000 people with service extending from the northwestern community of Goshen along Hwy 99 to Tipton in the southwest. The northeast border is Ivanhoe, and the southern border extends through East Porterville. The CLEAR coverage footprint encompasses the cities of Exeter, Farmersville, Woodlake, Lindsay and Visalia. 

In Oregon, CLEAR now covers more than 105 square miles and more than 75,000 people in the Eugene and Springfield areas. Service extends along the I-5 corridor from the McKenzie River to Franklin Blvd; and from 73rd & Main in Springfield to Green Hill Road west of Eugene.

In Rochester, CLEAR covers approximately 560 square miles and more than 600,000 people with service extending as far north as Lake Ontario, as far south as Canandaigua and Geneva, as far west as Spencer Port, and as far east as Webster. In Syracuse, CLEAR covers nearly 230 square miles and more than 265,000 people with service extending as far north as Brewerton, as far south as Nedrow, Auburn, and Cortland; as far west as Village Green, and as far east as Fayetteville and Manlius.

You can view a list of cities with CLEAR coverage at 4Ginfo.com/wimaxmarkets, or you can search coverage by address at 3Gstore.com/coverage.

In addition to the new markets launched today, CLEAR also announced their new 3G/4G modem, the "Series S 4G+" modem (AKA the Sierra Wireless 250U). The Series S modem had previously been available in a few test markets, but is now available nationwide. It is compatible with Cradlepoint routers and is the first 3G/4G modem to feature a 3G antenna port! Read our full review: Sierra 250U 3G/4G Modem Review

Order CLEAR products and service from 3Gstore

The Samsung Epic will be launching on Sprint's network in the coming months (no official launch date has been announced yet).

You can discuss the new Samsung Epic on our 4G forums: Sprint Announces Samsung Epic, First 4G Phone With Slide-Out Keyboard

Next generation wireless service to enable rich multimedia experience, robust Internet browsing and live video-chat capabilities

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Sprint (NYSE:S) launched 4G wireless service in Richmond, Va., Salt Lake City and St. Louis. This new technology enables Sprint customers to enjoy a rich mobile experience with faster Internet download speeds, the ability to conduct live video-chats, and easy access to multimedia content.

Customers in Richmond, Salt Lake City and St. Louis can now use the 4G capabilities of Overdrive™ 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot, Sprint 3G/4G USB Device 250U from Sierra Wireless and Sprint 3G/4G USB Device U301 to connect to the Web for blazing fast data speeds or the recently released HTC EVO™ 4G, America’s first 3G/4G wireless phone. With today’s launches, Sprint 4G is now available in 36 markets across the country.

Unlike “concepts” and “lab tests” from other wireless companies, Sprint is the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology. Additionally, Sprint offers simplicity and savings vs. competitors, making it easy for customers to get the most out of their phones with Everything Data plans, which include unlimited Web, texting and calling while on the Sprint network for one low price. With Sprint, there’s no need to tally up prices for each feature or guess how much data you’ll use in a month. With the Sprint Free Guarantee, customers can try 4G for 30 days. If they are not satisfied, they can cancel service and have the opportunity to be fully reimbursed.¹

“Sprint continues its leadership in the 4G space by delivering to customers fast wireless speeds, a 3G/4G smartphone and unlimited data plans – everything wireless customers want and need in today’s world,” said Matt Carter, president of 4G, Sprint. “With Sprint 4G, the mobile Internet potential is virtually limitless.”

As Sprint customers begin their summer travel, they will find that 4G is available in many markets across the country: Georgia – Atlanta, Milledgeville; Hawaii – Honolulu, Maui; Idaho – Boise; Illinois – Chicago; Maryland – Baltimore; Missouri – Kansas City, St. Louis; Nevada – Las Vegas; North Carolina – Charlotte, Greensboro (along with High Point and Winston-Salem), Raleigh (along with Cary, Chapel Hill and Durham); Oregon – Portland, Salem; Pennsylvania – Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading, York; Texas – Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Waco, Wichita Falls; Utah – Salt Lake City; Virginia – Richmond; Washington – Bellingham, Seattle. For more information on coverage, visit 3Gstore.com/coverage.

In 2010, Sprint expects to launch 4G service in multiple markets, including Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

---

Related links:

• View a list of cities with Sprint 4G coverage
• View/search Sprint coverage by address
• Order Sprint 3G/4G devices and service from 3Gstore 
• Discuss the latest coverage rollouts on the 4G Forums

During an interview with examiner.com, Sprint's VP of Network Development & Engineering Iyad Tarazi confirmed that 4G WiMAX will be available in Los Angeles soon! While an exact date wasn't mentioned, he promised that the first implementation would be "sometime this year" which will include part of Orange County (from Irvine to the north and west). Tarazi also stated that they have completed the testing phase for WiMAX in Los Angeles and it is now in the implementation stage!

 

When the Sierra Overdrive 3G/4G hotspot first became available from Sprint, many users (including our testers) experienced a number of frustrating problems: problems switching between 3G and 4G, trouble accessing the MicroSD card, random disconnects, and more. Other users has no problems at all, but the folks whose Overdrives weren't performing properly were understandably quite frustrated.

Almost immediately after the Overdrive's release, Sierra Wireless (the manufacturer) acknowledged the problems and began working on a firmware update that would solve them. Earlier this month, they finally released firmware version 2.06.06, which was intended to address many of the key problems Overdrive users were experiencing. Our 3Gstore tech staff were among the unlucky users who were experiencing problems with the original Overdrive firmware, so we were very eager to install version 2.06.06 and perform testing to see if the problems were indeed solved. Below are our performance test results of the Overdrive after upgrading it to version 2.06.06:

Original Issue: Overall stability of the device
Results after 2.06.06 upgrade: The 2.06.06 upgrade absolutely improved the overall stability and performance of the Overdrive. We tested extensively while connected to both 3G and 4G and were pleased to see that the random lock-ups or freeze-ups that were so frustrating with the previous firmware are no longer occurring.

Original Issue: Delays/Problems when switching between 3G and 4G
Results after 2.06.06 upgrade: Sierra Wireless's release notes about firmware 2.06.06 promised "Significant improvements in 3G and 4G WAN stability", including "improved response time when changing the WAN mode setting". Unfortunately, even after upgrading to firmware 2.06.06, we still saw issues with the Overdrive not seamlessly switching between networks. For example, we powered up the Overdrive in a basement where 3G signal is strong but 4G is weak, and allowed it to connect to 3G. We then took the Overdrive upstairs and outside the house where 4G signal is strong, but even after waiting quite a while the Overdrive never switched to connect to 4G. The Overdrive should always be looking for the best possible network and automatically connect to a faster network when available, but even after the firmware upgrade this functionality was still not working properly in our testing. However, it is important to note that this was one of the issues that we theorized to be location-based - since the launch of the Overdrive, the 3G/4G handoff issues have plagued users in certain markets but not others. For the record, we were in the Chicago area during our testing.

Original Issue: Power button would not power down the device.
Results after 2.06.06 upgrade: Resolved! We found that holding down the power button the Overdrive now powers down the unit as one would expect.

Original Issue: Devices connected to the Overdrive over WiFi were randomly disconnecting for no apparent reason.
Results after 2.06.06 upgrade: Resolved! After upgrading, we tested a wide variety of devices with the Overdrive over the course of many hours, and no longer experienced this issue.

Original Issue: Overdrive very slow to power up
Results after 2.06.06 upgrade: Resolved! The Overdrive now powers up from "off" when you hold the power button for 3-4 seconds.

Original Issue: Various issues with sharing files from the MicroSD card
Results after 2.06.06 upgrade: Resolved! We tested with a variety of both Mac and Windows computers and found no issues using the shared storage feature (accessing files on the card, transferring files, etc).

Original Issue: Power switch unresponsive when Overdrive prompts user to press the power button to connect to 3G or 4G.
Results after 2.06.06 upgrade: Unfortunately, after upgrading to 2.06.06 our testers saw no improvement with this problem.

Original Issue: Timer display counting up despite the Overdrive not being connected to either network.
Results after 2.06.06 upgrade: Resolved! With the old firmware, some users experienced an issue where the timer on the LCD screen would be counting up as if the Overdrive were connected to 3G or 4G when the device was not actually connecting at all. This issue has now been corrected - the timer now only counts up when the device actually is connected to 3G or 4G.

As a whole, we are very pleased with how much better the Overdrive performed after upgrading to 2.06.06. It's still not "perfect" - but it is much, MUCH less problematic and more enjoyable to use. If you've upgraded your Overdrive to firmware 2.06.06, share your experience in the EVDO Forums: Sierra Overdrive Firmware 2.06.06 Discussion

---

3Gstore.com is now selling the Sprint 3G/4G Overdrive for just $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new Sprint contract. As always, 3Gstore customers receive superior customer service and tech support from Mobile Broadband Experts that actually use and test these devices on a regular basis! Additionally, 3Gstore updates the firmware to the latest version for FREE for all Overdrives ordered with Sprint service!

---

Related links:

• Read our complete Overdrive review
• Order the Overdrive with Sprint service for $49.99 (after rebate)
• Order the Overdrive WITHOUT service (no-contract upgrade) for $319.99
• Discuss Overdrive 2.06.06 Firmware on the EVDO Forums
• Check 3G/4G Coverage Maps