Monday, 03 May 2010 14:24
Sprint Extends 4G Leadership: Launches Service in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading and York 
Fast Mobile Broadband Service Available to Residents of South Central Pennsylvania with Money-Back Guarantee
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., May 03, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Today, Sprint launched 4G service in the Pennsylvania cities of Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading and York. With 4G, customers in this pocket of south central Pennsylvania can enjoy the benefits of mobile broadband connectivity in a local park, sitting at an outdoor cafe on Main Street or riding on a city bus. Sprint 4G users will experience fast mobile downloads, streaming video without the annoyance of buffering, and turbo-charged Web browsing. This launch further accentuates Sprint's commitment to deliver 4G service to consumers across the country. Sprint now offers 4G in 32 markets nationwide. And, with the Sprint Free Guarantee, customers can try 4G for 30 days and if they are not satisfied, they can cancel service and have the opportunity to be fully reimbursed.1 With 4G service, residents of Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading or York can equip any Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as a newly purchased iPad, with a red-hot connection using the Overdrive(TM) 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless. With the Overdrive, users can connect up to five Wi-Fi devices - such as an iPad, iPod Touch or Zune HD - to speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G.2 Also, later in 2010, Sprint will launch the nation's first 3G/4G Android phone, HTC EVO 4G, which will provide a superior and robust multimedia experience. HTC EVO 4G is also a hotspot, making it possible to download music, pictures, videos in seconds - not minutes - and watch streaming video on-the-go. "We powered up 4G in south central Pennsylvania today, allowing commuters, time-stressed parents, gamers, teens or anyone the ability to make fast, mobile Internet connectivity portable and private," said Karen Paletta, regional vice president, Sprint. "You no longer have to sit at a coffeehouse on an unsecure Wi-Fi connection to enjoy fast speeds on your laptop. With an Overdrive you can enjoy a true mobile broadband experience with any Wi-Fi-enabled device." Customers interested in Sprint 4G can take advantage of the new Sprint Free Guarantee, the most robust satisfaction guarantee in the wireless industry, allowing customers to try a new line of service with Sprint for 30 days. If a customer is not completely satisfied with Sprint during that period, they can cancel service, return their device and get reimbursed for the device purchase and activation fee, get the early termination fee waived, get a full refund for monthly service plan recurring charges incurred and get all associated taxes and fees waived. In addition, Sprint will waive the restocking fee for new customer exchanges as part of this policy. The refund excludes taxes and fees not associated with the plan, premium content, third-party billing and international charges. Later this year, Sprint expects to launch service in multiple markets, including Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. Today, Sprint 4G covers nearly 40 million people and expects to have up to 120 million people covered by the end of 2010. View 4G coverage for all Sprint 4G markets at 3Gstore.com/coverage .
Friday, 30 April 2010 18:48
Are you one of the many Americans who would love to have mobile broadband service, but don't want to get stuck in a contract for 3G when 4G could be coming to your area soon? Many carriers require you to sign a two year contract for their 3G service, which is a dealbreaker for folks who expect 4G service to become available in their area before those 2 years are up. Some carriers do offer a month to month option for 3G service, but it's expensive - you have to pay full retail price ($200-$300) for the device itself and you still have to pay activation fees. With Sprint and CLEAR expanding their 4G service every quarter and Verizon promising their own 4G service soon, it's understandable that many would-be mobile broadband users are unwilling to start a 2-year contract for 3G service while they wait for 4G. 3gstore has the solution for you! We have teamed up with a wholesale mobile broadband to offer Verizon 3G mobile broadband service with NO contract. How does no contract, no credit check, no activation fees and no deposits sound? We don't stop there - how about paying only $49.95 a month for 5GB of data ($0.07/mb if you go over. Not sure how much 5GB of data is? Read this: What does 5gb get me?) instead of Verizon's monthly fee of $59.99/month? With 3Gstore's new $49.95/month Verizon Mobile Broadband plan, you lease the device for a very low price, pay no activation fee, and pay less for the monthly service - all without a contract! Because there's no contract, you can cancel any time with no penalty (just send back your leased device). If 4G becomes available in your area in a month, 6 months, a year, whenever - NO PROBLEM! You can cancel your 3G service and get set up with 4G! How it works: You lease a Verizon device from 3Gstore (either the MiFi for a one-time fee of $89.99 or a USB760 for a one-time fee of $59.99), activate the device with our wholesale provider (just a quick phone call, and no personal info is required!), and then pay just $49.95/month for the service. No credit check or personal information is required, and you can cancel any time (there are no fees or penalties for canceling, but if you cancel before your 2-year lease is up you’ll have to either send back the leased device or pay $250 to keep it). That's it - really, there's no catch! If you have more questions about our $49.95/month Verizon plan, visit the FAQ. Not sure if Verizon has 3G coverage where you need it? Check your coverage at 3Gstore.com/coverage.
Thursday, 29 April 2010 23:36
Since the early days of mobile broadband many people have asked us about using their 3G service for Voice Over IP (VOIP) services like Skype, Vonage, or Ooma. VOIP service over a 3G mobile broadband connection is possible, but with some limitations. Using VOIP over 3G requires a very strong signal for good call quality, and without a great connection there can be a noticeable lag time in the conversation due to the inherent latency of 3G technologies. Monthly usage limits have also posed a problem for heavy VOIP use - while some VOIP services don't use much data (the Ooma, for instance), others can quickly chip away at the 5GB monthly allowance most 3G providers impose. CLEAR's 4G service, on the other hand, allows you to use VOIP without the limitations of 3G. CLEAR's WiMAX service is up to 10 times faster than 3G and has much lower latency, resulting in VOIP quality that is comparable to a cable or DSL connection. Plus, 4G service from CLEAR is unlimited, so there is no need to worry about how much bandwidth your VOIP activity is using - you can talk all day.
 To put CLEAR's service to the test for VOIP, we had one of our team members make two calls with his VOIP phone - one over 4G (he used the CLEAR 4G USB Modem [left] connected to a Cradlepoint MBR1000 router), and another while connected to his uber-fast cable connection. Listen to the call recordings below to hear how each one sounded - there is NO discernible difference in quality or latency between the two calls! If CLEAR is available in your area, it is a great option for replacing wired connections at home like cable or DSL for all your internet needs - including VOIP! CLEAR 4G plans are affordably priced, starting as low as $30 per month. You can check your coverage using our coverage tool, and you can also view real-world speedtest results from actual users at 4gmaps.com. Related Links:
Thursday, 29 April 2010 17:02
Since the release of the iPad on April 3rd, many iPad owners have been having issues with connecting to WiFi networks that use WEP security. Since the Sprint OverDrive uses WEP security by default, it has been a problem for some Sprint Overdrive owners who use the device to provide a 3G/4G mobile hotspot for the iPad. If you are having problems connecting your iPad to your OverDrive via WiFi, then we have a solution that will fix the problem! Since the problem is only related to WEP security, you will simply need to change the OverDrive's wireless security mode to WPA instead of using WEP. To change this setting, you will need to connect to the OverDrive from a computer and follow the steps below: 1. Connect to your OverDrive on your computer 2. Open a web browser and go to the following address: http://192.168.0.13. Enter your administrator password, by default the password is password4. Click on Advanced Settings at the top of the page 5. Click on the Wi-Fi tab 6. Select Security from the Wi-Fi sub-menu 7. Change the security to WPA/WPA2 Personal [as shown below] 8. Enter a Wi-Fi password that is atleast 8 characters or more 9. Click on Save
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Wednesday, 28 April 2010 22:18
Many people are skeptical about whether mobile broadband service can really compete with the performance you receive from hard-wired home broadband like DSL or Cable. While it is true that DSL and particularly cable services are much faster than older mobile broadband technologies, many users are surprised to find out that 4G WiMAX is capable of providing speeds fast enough to rival home DSL and cable! Both CLEAR and Sprint use the same 4G WiMAX network, and with good signal can provide average download speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps (with bursts over 10 Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 1Mbps. Those speeds are definitely fast enough to stream video, download large files, video chat... everything DSL/cable users rely on! Thanks to the super fast speeds that WiMAX can provide, and the fact that both CLEAR's and Sprint's 4G service plans include unlimited use, WiMAX is a great alternative to fixed-line home broadband. Plus, CLEAR's 4G plans start at just $30/month! Here is how WiMAX compares to other common internet technologies: - EVDO Rev A (Sprint & Verizon 3G): 600 - 1,400Kbps Down (with bursts to 3.1Mbps); 500 - 800Kbps Up (with bursts to 1.8Mbps)
- 1xRTT (Sprint & Verizon 2G, AKA "NationalAccess"): 50 - 100Kbps with bursts up to 144kbps Down/Up
- EDGE (AT&T 2G): 50 - 100Kbps Down/Up
- HSPA (AT&T 3G): 700 - 1700kbps Down; 500 - 1200kbps Up
- Satellite: 512 - 1500Kbps Down; 128 - 256Kbps Up
- Dial-Up: 56Kbps Down/Up
- DSL: Varies based on provider. Average appoximately 1.5-2Mbps Down; 200-500Kbps Up
- Cable: Varies based on provider. Average appoximately 1-5Mbps Down; 200-1000Kbps Up
- WiMAX: 3-6Mbps Down (with bursts over 10Mbps); up to 1Mbps up.
Still skeptical? Take a look at these recent CLEAR speedtests posted to our forums:
For more WiMAX speedtests, check out 4Gmaps.com. This is a tool run by 4Ginfo where where actual users can post their real-world speed results - you can filter through the map by the state, carrier and speeds to see how WiMAX service is working for actual users across the country. If you are using WiMAX, we encourage you to post your results to 4Gmaps and share your experience with 4G in the 4G Forums!
CLEAR's WiMAX service is currently available in about 30 cities around the country, are they are rolling out coverage in new markets all the time. Check the coverage maps to see if its in your area already, and stay tuned at 4Ginfo.com for all the latest updates on coverage and all things 4G!
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Wednesday, 21 April 2010 00:00
The upcoming 4G-Capable HTC EVO Several websites are reporting this week that Sprint has announced plans to showcase the upcoming HTC EVO 4G in New York on May 12, 2010. Full details about the event were not available from Sprint at this time, but it sounds like they will be using the event to demonstrate and show off the HTC EVO, which will be their first 4G-capable phone (and in fact the first WiMAX-capable phone in the USA period). Sprint has not released details about when the EVO 4G will launch - other than to say that it is coming "this summer" - but perhaps more details will emerge at the event on 5/12/10!
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Tuesday, 20 April 2010 23:10
In response to the recent release of the Apple iPad, Sprint has started bundling a new case (or sleeve) with their 3G/4G OverDrive units that are being sold at only 13 select Best Buy locations in the United States. It is an iPad case that also doubles as a case for the Sprint Overdrive, allowing you to have 3G/4G mobile broadband for your iPad anywhere Sprint coverage is available. While we do love using our Sprint Overdrive with our iPad, there are several reasons why we are not a fan of Sprint's iPad/Overdrive case. Check out our video review below to find out why we're not impressed with Sprint's iPad 4G case!
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