After a long year of waiting for Clearwire to expand out of their "home base" of Portland, they finally began offering their Clear WiMAX service in Atlanta and Las Vegas this summer. It seemed like the slow rate of expansion was going to leave many would-be WiMAX adopters waiting for a long time, but this week Clearwire announced that they will be expanding to a total of 11 US markets by September first!
An excerpt from the official press release from Clearwire:
KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clearwire Communications, LLC, an operating subsidiary of Clearwire Corporation, (NASDAQ:CLWR - News) today announced the official launch day of CLEAR™ 4G service in Boise, Idaho; Bellingham, Wash.; and eight markets throughout Texas, including: Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Killeen/Temple, Waco and Wichita Falls will occur on September 1, 2009. CLEAR offers the first super fast mobile Internet service that works as fast on the go as it does at home. Customers in these new markets interested in experiencing CLEAR today can activate service now via clear.com.Clearwire will celebrate the official launches in each market with local events, retail store openings, ad campaigns and promotional offers throughout the fall.
A CLEAR Difference
CLEAR offers the first super fast mobile Internet service that works as fast on the go as it does at home. Unlike other wireless services, CLEAR delivers a mobile broadband internet experience on par with speeds typically experienced only on wired connections, like DSL.
The CLEAR customer experience is similar to that provided by Wi-Fi, but without the short range limitations of a traditional hot spot. CLEAR uses a 4G technology that differs from Wi-Fi called WiMAX, which provides service areas measured in miles, not feet.
Clearwire's 4G network is now available in four markets, with the expected September 1st launches adding an additional 10 markets, and the company plans to bring CLEAR to 80 markets covering up to 120 million people by the end of 2010. In addition to the markets announced today, consumers and businesses can now purchase the company’s 4G services online and at various retail locations in Atlanta; Baltimore; Las Vegas and Portland, Oregon.
Some of the additional markets planned to launch in 2009 include Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia and Seattle. In 2010, Clearwire plans to launch 4G service in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Houston and the San Francisco Bay Area among others.
