Clearwire throttling at-home WiMAX users?

Ah, throttling. Can't ever seem to fully shake it, can we? Just weeks after hearing about a similar issue with the EVO 4G, scores of Clear at-home WiMAX users are now up in arms over apparent throttling on certain accounts. As the story goes, it seems as if the company is pulling back on upload and download speeds (from 10Mbps to around 0.25Mbps) for users who have consumed between 7GB and 10GB in a month, which is comically low even compared to Comcast's hated 250GB / month usage cap. Forum users are finding customer service lines to be no help whatsoever, and some digging has found that this may all be a part of a network traffic administration program that's ongoing within Clearwire. Have any of you seen similar issues? How much data are you sucking down per month? Does your usage clock still show up in your account profile? Let us know in comments below.

Clearwire launches WiMAX roaming in Japan in partnership with UQ Communications

U.S. WiMAX network operator Clearwire has launched 4G roaming services with UQ Communications of Japan, offering its customers the ability to take WIMAX speeds beyond their borders. Available today, Clearwire and UQ customers relying on Intel WiMAX embedded netbooks and notebooks (or just using a WiMAX USB modem) will be able to sign-up for a Day Pass and use unlimited data while travelling throughout the covered markets in Japan and the United States.

Interested U.S. citizens travelling to Japan will have to pour out 600 JPY (about $6-7) to get a UQ WiMAX day pass. UQ provides UQ WiMAX services to more than 90% of the population in 15 of Japan’s largest cities, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.
And that’s just the beginning.  Clearwire also said that it is actively working with its Global Alliance Partners to expand the service to other countries around the world. We’ll definitely talk about any such deal the second it’s announced. Stay tuned…

Toshiba notebooks get integrated WiMax modem

If you are lucky enough to live in one of the handful of cities around the country that can get access to the Sprint or Clearwire 4G WiMax networks Toshiba has announced some of its notebooks can be purchased with WiMax modems installed already. The newly updated machines are set to hit stores this month and run a range of sizes and price points.

The machines include the Satellite A665 with a 16-inch HD screen, GeForce graphics, and Intel Core processors. The machine will be offered in three models with WiMax inside starting at $804.99. The Satellite M645 is a 14-inch HD widescreen notebook with harman/kardon sound system, Intel Core processors and more. It will start at $759.99 for WiMax packing models.
Toshiba is also offering the Portege R705 with a 13.3-inch screen that is designed to be portable with a weight of 3 pounds. The R705 with WiMax inside is $899.99. The final WiMax notebook is the Satellite E205, a Best Buy exclusive machine. It has a 14-inch screen GeForce 310 M graphics and Intel Wireless Display tech for $1079.99.

Politics Are What Held Up WiMax In San Francisco

San Franciscans are among the likely folks in America to take to WiMax 4G. So why'd they have to wait so long to get it, despite indications that it was pretty much ready to launch months ago? Hooray, bureaucracy!
Apparently the people who push pencils in the San Francisco government have among the strictest cell antenna approval processes in the country, which caused a whopping eight months of red tape delays. As though that weren't bad enough, when Sprint and WiMax finally did get approval, they were hit with an appeal over earthquake preparedness.
Fortunately, it looks as though that's all old news at this point, as 4G has kicked in for the Bay area. Somewhere, some HTC Evo owner finally got all the phone he paid for. [SF Weekly via Engadget]

vividwireless debuts WiMAX connected pocket WiFi access point

By Stuart Corner
 The pocket-sized device is simple to set up: if it has been bought over the counter on first usage the user is directed to a setup page where they can select and pay for a usage plan. If they have signed up for a contract (available only online from vividwireless) the device works pretty much out of the box on delivery. It can support up to five users over WiFi.

Vividwireless isn't keen to talk specifics about speed, although its web site boasts: "We are ranked the fastest consumer ISP in Perth, according to Speedtest.net," and a video shows a (simulated?) comparison. Elsewhere it claims to offer "seriously faster 4G wireless broadband."

However it does state: "Our network testing of the USB modem reveals an average download speed of 6.7Mbps, with typical download speeds between 5 and 8 Mbps within our coverage areas. The speeds experienced across the network are not only lightning fast - they are remarkably consistent day and night, when you expect more users on the network."

According to vividwireless the radio section of the ViViFi is identical to that of the USB modem. Both use MiMo on the downstream side with dual antennas and beamforming. Better performance is likely with the home gateway: it has higher antenna gain and uses MiMo on the upstream side.

Using speedtest.net we obtained about 7.9Mbps downstream and about 2.5Mbps upstream. However consistency is totally lacking when using speedtest.net: it is highly dependent on the server chosen. We got the best performance from an Optus server on the NSW Central Coast. For others upstream speeds exceeded downstream, 2.10/2.25Mbps was one result we got within minutes of the peak result, and no other server available would give more than 5Mbps downstream.

We noted similar discrepancies when we tested Telstra's new Ultimate HSDPA modem recently. However for speedtest.net results for our normal ADSL service were extremely consistent. Vividwireless was unable to offer any immediate explanation for this result. A spokesman said: "internally we don't use Speedtest. Our engineers don't trust it."

Vividwireless launched its WiMAX network in Perth in March 2010, having previously announced plans to build networks in five mainland capital cities, targeting inner-city and university communities, starting in the second half of 2010.

It said that coverage would be provided within five kilometres of major universities: Sydney University, the University of NSW and UTS University in Sydney; Melbourne University & RMIT; The Australian National University in Canberra, the University of Queensland in Brisbane and the University of Adelaide. A total coverage area was put at 471 square kilometres with a population of 1.25 million.

It now has networks operational in Melbourne and Sydney. The coverage map for Sydney shows near completed coverage south of the harbour: the CBD, west as far as Summer Hill, south to Botany Bay and east to the coast.

For Melbourne, coverage is roughly from the CBD, north to Brunswick, West to Flemington Racecourse, east to Fitzroy and south to St Kilda.

This article first appeared in ExchangeDaily, iTWire's daily newsletter for telecommunications professionals. Register here for your free trial.

What Is WiMax? And How Does It Work?

Until recently, Internet access basically came in three flavors: broadband, Wi-Fi, and dial-up. Broadband — commonly hooked up in your home through either a DSL or cable modem — can be expensive and isn't available in many remote regions of the country; Wi-Fi, although wireless, has a very limited range; and dial-up is, well, just slow and outdated.
But now a fourth option has entered the online arena that is designed to address some of its predecessors shortcomings. It's called WiMax.
What is WiMax?
Along with a competing standard called "LTE," WiMax, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, represents 4G or the "fourth generation" of wireless Internet. The new technology is similar to Wi-Fi in that it allows users to connect to the Internet without wires. But unlike Wi-Fi, which might be able to cover a whole building or city block, WiMax can cover vast distances (like the cell phone network), and provides high-speed Internet access (like broadband). It is is essentially, wireless broadband. What this means for Internet users is the ability to Tweet, type, or search online using a desktop or laptop computer from almost any geographic location — not just the confines of a local coffee shop or book store.
Coverage and Speed
The WiMax network operates similarly to a Wi-Fi connection, but with a few key differences. The system has two main components: A WiMax tower and a WiMax receiver. Like Wi-Fi, WiMax can connect directly to the Internet by sending a signal from a WiMax tower to a WiMax-enabled computer via a wired connection. A WiMax tower, however, can also connect to a second tower — this is what allows the network to provide long-range wireless service. WiMAX transmiters can cover an estimated 30-mile radius whereas Wi-Fi's range is about 100 feet. In other words, WiMax turns many small, scattered hot spots into one huge wireless hot spot.
The Future of WiMax
In 2008, a new company called Clearwire — an investment of Google, Intel, Comcast, Time Warner, and Sprint  — launched its plan to build a WiMax network across the nation. Today, Clearwire offers service in 52 U.S. markets, including Boston, Chicago, and Las Vegas. Clearwire announced a soft-lauch of WiMax in New York and Los Angeles in September, with a full roll out expected by the end of this year.

Clearwire Rover: Pay As You Go WiMax By the Day, Week, or Month

Clearwire just launched Rover, a no-contract service that offers unlimited WiMax goodness for $5 a day, $20 a week, or $50 a month, along with two new WiMax modems. Yep, get ready to start topping up your 4G.
The service is launching in all of Clearwire's WiMax markets with two modems: a $99 USB stick called, um, the Rover Stick, and a $150 puck called, uh, the Rover Puck. The latter of the two can service as a WiMax hotspot for up to eight devices—it has Wi-Fi b/g/n and can simultaneously run 2 SSIDs—though neither have any 3G connectivity.

Here, for your reference, is a map of Clearwire's coverage.
Users will be able to buy new service in some retail stores, like Best Buy, or online, in $20 and $50 increments. Rover, they explain, is "designed for digitally addicted youth who refuse to settle for long-term contracts." Don't you call me an addict, Clearwire. [Rover via Slashgear]

Clearwire Introduces Rover: Instant Gratification to the Internet Addicted
Nation's First Pay-As-You-Go 4G Mobile Broadband Service
Unlimited Usage for Just $5/day, $20/week, $50/month
Redefines "Friends with Benefits" with Rover Puck(TM)
Rover Stick(TM) Available for Those With Commitment Issues
KIRKLAND, Wash., Aug 30, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) today unveiled Rover(TM): the nation's first pay-as-you-go 4G mobile broadband service for tech-savvy Gen Y customers. The Rover brand is designed for digitally addicted youth who refuse to settle for long-term contracts, overpriced internet service, or speeds slower than what they've become accustomed to at home.
Rover is available in all of Clearwire's 49 4G markets across the U.S. at rover.com. Rover is also available at CLEAR stores, Best Buy stores and select independent wireless dealers in Houston and St. Louis.
"Simple, commitment-free wireless services are wildly popular with the Gen Y crowd, and Rover provides them with the first pay-as-you-go unlimited mobile internet offering at 4G speeds," said Mike Sievert, chief commercial officer for Clearwire. "We've built Rover from the ground up with products, pricing and features designed specifically to serve a younger market who knows how you get connected is just as important as where. Expanding our offers to meet this underserved segment is an important new business opportunity for Clearwire as we continue to extend our leadership in mobile broadband."
"The opportunity for pay-as-you-go mobile broadband should not be underestimated," said Carrie MacGillvray, program manager and wireless analyst at IDC. "Prepaid – or pay-as-you-go – data provides an option for consumers to experiment with the power of mobile broadband without being saddled with a two-year commitment. A prepaid mobile broadband service can offer consumers the ability to access and share Internet service, at home or on the go, in an affordable way."
PUCKS AND STICKS
Friends with Benefits
Rover's flagship device is the Rover Puck: an ergonomically designed portable Wi-Fi hotspot that lets you share broadband access, or "Puck", with up to eight devices at home, out on the town or nearly anywhere the feeling strikes you. The Rover Puck can easily slip into a purse or backpack and serve as an on-the-go broadband access point for devices such as laptops, netbooks, the iPad(TM), the iPod touch(R), smartphones, PSP(R) systems, game consoles, and Wi-Fi enabled digital cameras, among others. Users have the option to connect up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.
The Rover Puck features mobile download speeds of three to six mbps, with bursts over 10 mbps (up to 4x faster than conventional 3G), using Clearwire's 4G network. The Rover Puck is available today for $149.99 (plus tax).
Going Solo
The Rover Stick(TM) is a personal 4G USB modem that connects any notebook, laptop or desktop to the Rover 4G Service. The Rover Stick is compatible with MacBook(R) and MacBook(R) Pro laptops using Mac OS X, as well as netbooks and notebooks running Windows(R) XP, Windows Vista(R) and Windows(R) 7. Offering the same super-fast internet speed as the Rover Puck, the Rover Stick is available today for $99.99 (plus tax).
No Commitment Issues
New users receive two free days of service to ensure Rover's metro-focused 4G coverage fits their mobile lifestyle. Rover has a 14-day no-hassle return policy for any device purchases made on rover.com or in CLEAR stores.
Rover is priced at $5/day, $20/week, or $50/month for unlimited 4G internet usage. Depending on the retail channel, customers will be able to purchase a Rover Re-Up PIN code or physical Rover Re-Up card in $20 or $50 denominations. Rover Re-Up is available online at rover.com, at all retail outlets carrying the Rover Puck or Rover Stick, as well as at Rover Re-Up specific retail locations. Rover does not require a credit card to activate service and is designed to bring broadband internet to a new audience.
GENERATION Y
The Rover brand is designed for a demographic that has grown up in a wireless world. They manage their life through the internet, and their devices signify status. Rover provides products and service to meet their need for all things internet.
"Rover's target audience has never known life without internet. They love their devices and they want as much speed and capacity as possible, without the limits and commitments of most mobile options," said Seth Cummings, GM, Rover. "Rover offers iconic devices along with straight-forward pricing, and plans where unlimited truly means unlimited. It is not in Rover's DNA to be constraining, confusing or complex."
MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Launch campaign
Rover's initial communications will showcase the dramatic ways in which 4G mobile broadband can change human behavior in previously unimagined ways. More information is available at www.evology.com.
Life @ 4G
Rover.com invites users to experience "Life @ 4G." Rover-sponsored athletes and music artists will be profiled, showing how Rover influences their careers and lives as they live Life @ 4G. Sporting a Rover wingsuit, base jumper JT Holmes, who travels up to 150 mph during freefall proximity flying, lives life with the Rover Puck and no strings attached.
Rover Activity Badges
Rover believes in loyalty, and will introduce a badging system that rewards users for participating in Rover activities. For example, the "Trendsetter" badge recognizes early adopters of Rover in each market, and the "Friends with Benefits" badge acknowledges users who refer friends to the Rover service. Badges have become wildly popular on location-based apps and are expected to resonate with the youth consumer and motivate usage.
THE BIG PICTURE
4G Network of Networks
Rover is the newest brand connected to the Clearwire 4G network, joining brands which include CLEAR(R), Sprint 4G, Comcast High-Speed 2Go, Time Warner Cable Roadrunner 4G, Best Buy Connect and Cbeyond. Today, the Clearwire 4G "network of networks" is available in select cities throughout the United States, where approximately 56 million people live.
Detailed coverage maps of service availability can be found at www.rover.com/coverage.
For press, broadcast and bloggers: Video footage can be linked from www.youtube.com/rover4g. Product and brand images and company logos can be downloaded from the Clearwire Newsroom at www.clearwire.com/newsroom. To subscribe to Rover RSS news feed, click here.
For more information about Rover, visit www.rover.com. Clearwire company information is available at http://www.clearwire.com.

Clear's iSpot Is a WiMax Hotspot For iPhones and iPads

With more cities being blanketed in the warm glow of WiMax every month, 3G speeds are going to start seeming primitive, fast. Clear's iSpot hotspot lets iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches get a taste of the delicious 4G future.
Clear's iSpot can serve as a hotspot for up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices at a time—its site says it was optimized for Apple's mobile devices, whatever that means—while running on its rechargeable battery or juicing up over USB. 
The device, which looks a lot like a Mighty Mouse, or a bar of soap, will be available August 10 for $99, with a no-contract, $25 monthly plan for unlimited data. Not too bad, if your city has already been given the WiMax treatment. Because there's no buzzkill worse than waiting for a snappy new iPhone or iPad to suck down a page over 3G. [iSpot via SlashGear]
Update: Today and today only, you can net the iSpot itself for $29—70% off.
Update 2: Ars discovers why this is so cheap, when the standard CLEAR plan is $40. It's dedicated to just Apple devices—in that, it detects what devices are connected and can only let them connect if it's an Apple device. If you want to unlock it to all devices, they'll bump you up to the $40 a month plan.
Of course, if you're on a laptop, it's probably rather easy to mimic an Apple device by changing some settings, but harder if you're on, say, a BlackBerry. [Ars]

Sprint Testing New WiMax Only Plans in Select Markets

Sprint is currently testing two new WiMax only service plans in select markets for home and mobile WiMax service. 
The 4G Mobile Broadband Connect plan is priced at $50, which is $10 less than its standard 3G/4G service plan at $59.99. The plan is compatible with its recently launched U1901 USB modem and is available in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Greensboro, N.C., Houston, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and Seattle.
Sprint has also introduced the 4G Desktop Modem Connection Plan for $45 per month as an alternative to Cable/DSL connections. The plan is compatible with the Sprint 4G Desktop Modem CPEi25150 manufactured by Motorola that connects to a wired/wireless router to enable sharing of the service.

Changing the WiMAX Realm on Cradlepoint Routers for 4G Modems

The Problem: We received a call from a customer trying to use a CLEAR 4G WiMAX modem with his Cradlepoint MBR1000 router. The customer had upgraded the firmware and installed the necessary WiMAX modem driver for the router, but the router still would not connect to the CLEAR network. The customer had confirmed that the modem was working perfectly in his computer with CLEAR's connection manager, and the router was functioning properly when used with other modems, but they were not "playing nice" together.
3Gstore's Solution: When using a 4G-capable Cradlepoint router, you have to install a WiMAX modem driver in order to use a 4G modem. HOWEVER, that is not the last step you need to take! There is a setting within the router for the specific "WiMAX Realm" (the provider for your WiMAX service), and this setting always defaults to Sprint. If you are using a WiMAX modem from a different carrier (CLEAR, Time Warner, etc) you need to change that setting first before the modem will work. We were quickly able to determine that this customer had missed this step. Upon selecting the appropriate realm (see instructions below), he was able to get connected.
INSTRUCTIONS TO SET THE REALM:

1. Connect your computer to the router either wirelessly or via ethernet cable depending on your options.

2. Navigate your browser to 192.168.0.1 and log in to your router's admin page.

3. Click on the "Modem" tab, then select the "Settings" link on the left.

4. At the bottom of this page there is a section called "Modem Specific Settings". In the bottom of this section there is a field for "WiMAX Realm Select". If you are using Sprint, Clear or Xohm you can set this easily by using the dropdown menu on the right and selecting your carrier (see picture below). If your carrier is not listed in the dropdown menu you will need to type it into the blank manually.

5. Once your realm has been selected, scroll up to the top of the page and click "Save Settings". Once the settings have been successfully saved, reboot the router. Once the router re-boots, you'll be able to connect!
Our Advice: Before using a WiMAX modem with a Cradlepoint router, in addition to updating the firmware and installing the modem driver, make sure the realm is selected correctly (see instructions above). If you're ordering your router from 3Gstore, we can do all of this for you before shipping your router for a $15 fee so that you don't have to worry about this when you get your router!

http://adf.ly/3yN0

Intel buys cellular chip maker Comsys

Intel seems to have taken yet another surreptitious step towards the world of cellular, snapping up bankrupt Israeli based Comsys Mobile Communication and Signal Processing, a WiMAX/GSM modem chip maker for a reported $30 million.
 The acquisition, said to have taken place in late May, has not been confirmed by Intel, but has been widely reported in the Israeli press, as well as by Forward Concepts analyst Will Strauss who claims his comsysmobile.com email addresses now work with intel.com.
Comsys started out as a modem making firm for PCs developed for Conexant Systems, but later developed IPR for 2G and 2.5G cellphone modems. Strauss notes that the firm’s biggest licensee was Texas Instruments, which later purchased the Comsys cellphone operation.  Comsys, says Strauss, then changed direction and entered the WiMAX business, Intel’s playing field, with its combo WiMAX/GSM modem chip.
Strauss says Comsys’ 80 employees will now join Intel’s major wireless R&D centers in Haifa and Petah Tikva.
Another source close to both firms confirmed to RCR Unplugged, “Comsys did, or was about to, go out of business, so Intel just hired some of their employees.”
The source goes on to say he doesn’t think Intel acquired any Comsys products, but that it was normal and expected that Intel “continue to hire wireless expertise inside Intel…not just for Wifi or WiMax, but many areas.”
Meanwhile Strauss notes that “although 3G capability was mentioned in the Israeli news reports of the acquisition, we are unaware of such IPR by Comsys.”
He added, “Comsys has closed shop, and I suspect that Intel wanted their brains and IPR, not their chips.
“Any cellphone chips that Intel may make, whether 3G or 4G will have to also “down-clutch” to 2G and Comsys has that IP,” Strauss told RCR Unplugged.
Strauss posits that Intel is “anxious” to return to the cellular business, realizing it is the only segment that can rival the PC space. “Intel, now under different management, is searching for ways to get back into the cellphone chip market that it once abandoned,” he claims.
The firm, says Strauss, had reasonable success with its XScale-based application processors, but had a tough time merging its multi-level flash memory on the same die with its baseband “Frio” DSP core. Intel sold both properties to Marvell, which has since revitalized and expanded on them.
Intel has been making massive efforts to scale its Atom chips enough in terms of size and power usage to make them suitable for cell phones. Several months back the tech giant announced its latest iteration of Atom, the Atom Z6xx based on the latest “Moorestown” silicon had cut idle power to 1/50th of its predecessors and that power consumption for audio processing had reached 1/20th of the previous version. Not a bad start.
This achievement, admitted Intel, was largely thanks to the company’s use of Freescale’s power management IC (PMIC) and Strauss claims an audio DSP in Intel’s accompanying Platform Controller Hub MP20DSP also went a long way to slashing most of the audio processing.
Still, rumors abounded that Intel was on the prowl for a cellular chip company, with Infineon Technologies AG topping most speculators’ lists. Such an acquisition would, in Strauss’ opinion, have put Intel head-to-head with Qualcomm, the world’s largest fabless chip house and #1 cellular chip vendor.
Unfortunately for Intel, however, Infineon was not up for sale, so the chip giant went looking elsewhere, and appears to have found at least some of what it was looking for.
As to why Intel hasn’t formally announced this ‘acquisition,’ Strauss told RCR “Intel doesn’t have to inform the public unless there’s a ‘material effect’ on its revenues or profits.”

http://tiny.cc/d0rop

Best Buy to offer notebooks with CLEAR WiMAX modules

CLEAR has announced a partnership with Best Buy which will make WiMAX capable laptops available at Best Buy locations across the US. The goal is to outfit every laptop with an Intel Core series processor that Best Buy sells with a 4G modem by the holiday season.

The CLEAR press release only mentions a couple of models by name, including the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook, Inspiron 14 and 15 laptops, and Toshiba Satellite M645 notebook.

It’s not clear at this point whether the CLEAR modem will drive up the price of these laptops, but the 4G network is offering customers a $100 discount on the notebooks when they sign up for a 2-year service contract.

While CLEAR says the WiMAX capable laptops will be available at every Best Buy location across the country, it’s also not entirely clear why you’d want to pick up a notebook with a CLEAR modem at each of those locations… since CLEAR’s coverage area doesn’t even come close to Best Buy’s.

via Electronista

Motorola Expands WiMAX Portfolio

Looking to revolutionize the economics for the delivery of WiMAX data, voice and WiFi (News - Alert) services, the Networks business of Motorola, Inc. has announced the expansion of its award-winning portfolio of WiMAX (News - Alert) devices and customer premises equipment (CPE). The company has now added CPEi 800 and the CPEi 885 to its portfolio.

With the help of these two devices, operators can reduce cost, increase market penetration and reduce customer churn. While the CPEi 885 provides power-packed capability and functionality to support the increased demand for home-networking needs, the CPEi 800 meets the diverse needs of operators and their subscribers for a high-performance, data-only modem. Operators can now easily deliver high-speed Internet access with the help of these products.

Earlier, The company had delivered CPEi 825 wireless broadband modem supports data and voice with an integrated voice over IP (VoIP) port. It builds upon the functionality of earlier CPEs in the portfolio to deliver improved uplink performance, network operations, management and self diagnostics.

"Motorola (News - Alert) continues to deliver greater innovation and diversity in our product lines to meet today's demands for advanced home-networking solutions," said Fred Gabbard, vice president of product management, Motorola Networks. "These additions to our portfolio demonstrate our commitment to WiMAX, ensuring our operator customers have the right products, at the right time, to advance their businesses," added Fred Gabbard.

Connecting the subscriber to high-speed access in seconds, the user-friendly compact CPEi 800 requires no installation. Its fully internal antennas are optimized for high orientation gain, with easy-to-read signal strength indicators. Built on the fourth-generation common platform used throughout Motorola's CPE portfolio, the CPEi 885 is believed to be a step forward from the widely deployed CPEi 775.

Recently, Boost Mobile, one of Sprint's (News - Alert) prepaid brands, announced the launch of Motorola i296 as a perfect complement to the Boost Mobile $50 Monthly Unlimited plan, which includes nationwide unlimited voice, text messaging, Web, e-mail, calls to 411, and instant messaging without an annual contract. For those Monthly Unlimited customers with an iDEN Series handsets, nationwide walkie-talkie service is also included.

Signs of WiMAX Showing Up On Evos in New York, San Francisco, and LA

Evo owners in New York, San Francisco, and LA are reportedly starting to see some 4G action on their devices. It's just a trickle for now, but hopefully it means Sprint's preparing to turn on the WiMax faucet soon. [Engadget]

So There's a Sprint WiMax iPad... Case

Presented without comment: Sprint's 4G Case for iPad, with room for its WiMax Overdrive box. [Sprint via iLounge]

Cisco sinks funding into WiMAX-supporting Grid Net, looks to ride the 'smart energy' wave

Here's an interesting one. Just days after Cisco admitted that it was killing its own internal development of WiMAX kit, the networking mainstay has sunk an undisclosed amount of cheddar into a company that holds WiMAX in the highest regard: Grid Net. Said outfit has close ties to GE, Intel, Motorola and Clearwire, all of which have also voiced support (and invested real dollars) for the next-generation wireless protocol in years past. Last we heard, Cisco was doing its best to remain "radio-agnostic," and while some may view this as flip-flopping, we view it as brilliant; it's costly to develop internally, but buying stake in a company that's already well versed in a given technology allows Cisco to keep WiMAX at arm's reach without incurring the risk associated with building within. Beyond all that, we think that Cisco's just trying to get in early on the energy management biz, particularly after the US government announced that it would be funding the distribution of loads of in-home energy monitors in the coming years. According to Grid Net, it intends to "use the proceeds from this investment to promote its real-time, all-IP, secure, reliable, extensible, end-to-end Smart Grid network infrastructure solutions," though specifics beyond that were few and far between. Verizon mentioned that it would soon be using its LTE network for all sorts of unorthodox things -- we suppose WiMAX backers are planning to allow the same.

Digg

Grid-Net

Franklin Wireless intros U600 WiMAX modem, R526 and R536 mobile routers

Franklin Wireless supplies modems (primarily of the CDMA variety) to a number of carriers across the Western Hemisphere, and they've introduced a handful of rather interesting new products in that vein here at CTIA this week. First up, the U600 is an EV-DO Rev. A / WiMAX hybrid USB modem with a 270-degree swiveling USB connector for those ridiculously hard-to-manage ports (ahem, Apple), integrated GPS, and zero-CD installation -- all pretty standard features these days, and we saw a Sprint-branded unit at Franklin's booth which leads us to believe we'll be seeing it at retail shortly.

Much more interesting, though, was a pair of pocketable WiFi routers -- the R526 and R536 -- that support EV-DO and EV-DO / WiMAX, respectively. Most of the units were unbranded, but we did spy an R536 done up in snow white with a Clear logo slapped up top, so you can pretty much gather that this thing will be filling a glaring hole in Clear's lineup (right now, the best you can do is a USB modem plus the Clear Spot, which is basically a branded Cradlepoint). What intrigued us about the R536 the most was the fact that it's got the functionality of an Overdrive packed into a smaller, more MiFi-esque form factor without any of the Overdrive's bells and whistles, so it'll be a great alternative as long as it performs well and has enough juice to last a couple hours off the power grid; the 3G-only R526, meanwhile, had an Ethernet jack stuck on the side, which is kind of cool in the rare event that you need to connect a WiFi-less device and you don't want to go through the hassle of installing a new driver. The R526 launches in April (with what carrier, we're not sure) -- as does the U600 -- while the R536 should start to trickle out in May.

New Sprint ad shows iPhone using WiMAX

Your existing iPhone (yeah, even the original) can surf the information superhighway at 4G speeds. Today. Who knew, right? Sprint's Overdrive -- which creates a WiFi hotspot that enables nearby devices to cruise on Clear's 4G (or 3G, if you're not in a 4G locale) network -- can theoretically enable any WiFi-capable phone to surf on WiMAX, but Sprint's taking a pretty bold approach by actually touting the feature in a new spot. Befuddled? Hop on past the break and mash play. Too bad this is about as close the iPhone will ever get to Sprint's shelves...

WiMAX-enabled HTC Supersonic rumored to debut on Sprint at CTIA

There's hardly anything here that we didn't already know, but an unveiling date of "next week" sure catches our eye. A new report over at The Wall Street Journal confirms earlier details that were fed to us over Sprint's first-ever WiMAX smartphone, and now we're learning that the HTC Supersonic will be officially revealed to the world at CTIA next week. We've heard before that the carrier anticipates selling a 4G phone "this summer," but you can bet we'll be digging for a hard ship date and price tag when we hit the scene in Las Vegas in just five short days.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Wall Street Journal

T-Mobile and Clearwire mulling 4G partnership

Looks like the kids at T-Mobile USA are well aware that their company's future will depend on offering both compelling handsets and a competitive network for them to ride on. Reuters reports that the Deutsche Telekom subsidiary has been exploring all its options with regard to the provision of 4G services, including potential joint ventures with cable companies and even spectrum sharing with AT&T, though the likeliest candidate for the moment remains Clearwire's WiMAX infrastructure. Asked about a potential merger with Sprint, who controls more than 50 percent of Clearwire, T-Mobile's CEO Robert Dotson declined the idea, explaining that "what you never want to do is take one company that is going through challenges and take another company going through challenges." Reports of ongoing discussions between Clearwire and T-Mo have been around since last September, and the latest from Dotson suggests that his company is keen to get a resolution either way as soon as possible.

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