ClearWire 4G Internet Review: I Am Impressed by the Internet Speed Clear 4G Offers!
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I recently published the unboxing of Clearwire’s USB Modem. I’ve used the modem for little less than a week now and ready to review the service and share my thoughts about it.
I did a little bit of research before laying my hands on Clearwire’s USB Modem for mobile internet. AT&T had no unlimited plans for data transfer and after using its services on iPhone there was no way in the hell I would have gone with it.
Though Sprint and Clear are sharing the same 4G network to offer internet on the go, the plans and packages they offer are very different.
Sprint does not sell without a 2 year contract, Clear does. Sprint’s 4G plans start from $49.99 a month and have a 5GB cap on the data transfer and the “unlimited” plan is priced at $69.99 a month.
Unlimited plan from Clear is priced at $30 for the first 6 months and $45 after that. Internet speed remains between 3mbps to 6mbps. Also, you can either choose to pay around $50 and buy the USB modem or pay $5 each month for upto 2 years. Dont worry, this isn’t a contract you can buy the modem anytime you like to even before the two year period ends. Clearly, clear was a better choice for me.
Take a look at the Clear Modem Unboxing video before we dive into the performance details of the service.
The software that comes on Clear’s USB drive is not compatible with Windows 7. So, if you are a Windows 7 user, make sure you have the latest Modem software installed on the computer to get the modem to work. New software is also recommended for XP and Vista users, it can be downloaded from here.
Installed the software and tried using the service in my room but the download speed stays between 60 and 80 kbps due to poor reception. I tried connecting from different locations at home but no help, my room was the best I could do. (I am using the service in the Morton Grove area of IL, USA).
But that wasn’t a problem as I have hi-speed Comcast running at home and the mobile internet was supposed to be used while I am not home. I used the service at the Skokie library which is couple blocks away from where I live. As you can see in the image below, I had full reception and download speeds as advertised.
Always remember, when a service says they offer speeds 3-6mbps, their service will mostly hang around 3mbps and rarely shoot up to 4-5mbps and will almost never touch 6mbps, at least I haven’t seen it so far.
I am yet to use/test this service in the other parts of my neighborhood but for now I know that I will be satisfied with the service as long as I am hooked on to a 4G network.
So what does a 3mbps speed convert to in the real-time use? 3mbps will let you stream HD videos from Youtube without any interruption. Not just Youtube, I also tested the speed with Vimeo which is known for its HD content and the streaming was smooth and seamless.
The following screenshot shows a (dummy) file download from Download.com. The file is being downloaded at speeds between 380 and 410 kbps which roughly converts to 3mbps.
I am pretty satisfied with the service and I am hoping it will remain the same as more and more users hook on to the network but even if it does not it will take quite some time for the network to be overloaded or cloged.
That said, I might have to terminate my current subscription as I am not getting the subscription plan I was originally promised. I am currently running on $45 a month plan but was assured that the plan will be changed to $30 a month for the first 6 months. That hasn’t happened yet and if it does not happen in a day or two I will terminate the subscription within the 7 day period to avoid any charges.
I called the support line to inquire about it and they say, they can’t do anything about it as it is something I should figure out with the sales guy. Will let you guys know if the sales guy keeps up with his words.
Update 01/05/2010:
I called Clearwire this morning to cancel my subscription because of the lack of response from the sales rep but they agreed to put me on the promotion offer that I was originally looking for. So, I was happy to keep the subscription.
An hour later one of the managers from Clearwire-Chicago-area called to inform that they’ve read the review and had also spoken to the sales rep involved. As any good manager does, she assured that this was on off incident and it does not happen often. I like to believe that!
Again, I have no issues with the service so far and I love the speed.
I am travelling to Las Vegas early tomorrow morning to cover CES 2010. I plan to put Clearwire to test buy uploading videos from the event. If it does well there then there is no reason why you guys should go for another service.
Ill update this post once I am back from the event.
Tags: Buy Clearwire 4G, ClearWire 4G Review, ClearWire Chicago 4G Review, ClearWire Internet Review, ClearWire Review 4G NetworkSubscribe via Email |
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Comments
Hey Chris,
As long as you have good signals it works really well. I am a satisfied customer.
They should probably should come up with a better modem which is good at catching low signals because I don't get full signals at home, I was at McCormick Place the other day covering a press event and this modem shows 0 signals.
So, as long as you have good signals it works really well! You should check out their signal map for your area before you get one.
It sounds like you got special treatment when they found out you are reviewing their services. I think the original response is what is going to happen to everyone else who has this billing issue.
It would have been nice (if possible) to find out if this works on other OS's other than Windows. I'm still researching this and can't find that information. I will have to look harder
Thanks for the review..