Clearwire's WiMAX Subscribers Consume 7GB per Month

Clearwire Communications outlined plans to expand its WiMAX rollout to cover up to 120 million people by the end of 2010. The company previously indicated that some of its new 4G markets scheduled to launch in 2010 include: New York City, Houston, Boston, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Denver, Minneapolis, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Additional markets to be reached with the 2010 rollout include Los Angeles, Miami, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Salt Lake City. Additional cities will be announced later this year. As previously announced, Clearwire will launch service in Houston in the coming weeks and the majority of the new 4G markets will launch toward the end of the year.


Significantly, Clearwire disclosed that its users are now consuming 7GB of wireless data per month.


"Across our 4G markets today, we're experiencing data usage levels that could shake the rest of the wireless industry to its core," said Bill Morrow, CEO of Clearwire. "On average, our mobile 4G customers are using more than 7 GB of data per month, and we're very pleased about the implications. Those who want to have a misguided debate about competing 4G radio technologies are missing the bigger picture. To deliver true mobile broadband requires deep spectrum resources and an all-IP network, and Clearwire remains unrivaled on both fronts."


"In fact, the efficiency of our IP-network and scale of our spectrum holdings have not only enabled us to launch our own successful CLEAR(TM) service, but they have enabled us to become the 4G 'Network of Networks,'" Morrow said. "Whether customers sign up for 4G service through us, Sprint, Comcast, or Time Warner Cable, it is our network and our spectrum making it all possible. And, we continue to look ahead. Today, we announced advancements across markets, devices, and our network, that we believe will continue to keep Clearwire at the forefront of 4G leadership and innovation."


Clearwire also announced plans to increase its microwave backhaul capacity and significantly improve the energy efficiency of its thousands of base stations across the United States. Employing advanced antenna signal processing technology, Clearwire will expand its cell site capacities by doubling the number of transmitters and receivers per site, thereby boosting potential end user speeds by approximately 20-30 percent. Upgrades will be made on a rolling basis across Clearwire's 4G network and have already been completed in some of the company's existing markets, including Seattle, Honolulu and Maui.


Ongoing enhancements to Clearwire's microwave backhaul network are expected to increase total backhaul capacity by 250 percent or more, with long-term capability to support gigabit per second speeds in high-density, high-traffic areas.


CLEAR delivers speeds comparable to DSL connections, with average mobile download speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps and bursts over 10 Mbps. Clearwire also announced the launch of the 30th 4G-embedded computer, and 4G service for the forthcoming Apple iPad. Starting next month, Clearwire will begin selling the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook featuring the Intel Atom processor N450 and embedded 4G.


To support Apple's upcoming iPad, Clearwire said customers could use its "CLEAR Spot" device alongside any other off-the-shelf Wi-Fi device to create a personal Wi-Fi hot spot. Later this year, Clearwire expects to introduce a next generation CLEAR Spot with integrated 4G technology.
http://www.clearwire.com