Cablevision has seen its broadband customers make more than 2 million WiFi connections since it began offering the free service last fall. Now, Comcast is taking it one step further, rolling out WiMAX to customers in Portland, Ore., over Clearwire Corp.’s 4G network.
Comcast’s “High-Speed 2go” will allow laptop users speeds of up to 4 Mbps, for $49.99 per month for the first year and includes 12 Mbps home broadband service and a WiFi router.
Comcast—which invested $3.2 billion in Clearwire along with Intel, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Google last year—says it will offer the service in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago and other cities by the end of the year. Clearwire currently offers 4G service in Portland and Atlanta, and it has broad expansion plans that include Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Dallas, and Honolulu.
Sprint Nextel—which owns a 51 percent stake in the Clearwire joint venture—will allow Comcast WiMAX subs to use its 3G network outside Portland for an additional $20 a month.
The new rollout could be a major blow to the still-emerging LTE technology that’s being championed by most telcos. Beating LTE to market could give it a leg up with consumers and its lower price tag—WiMAX is based on open standards and relies on equipment that is cheaper to manufacture.
For more:
- see this AP story
- and this Wall Street Journal story
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