Fast Internet without wiring has become competitive and even less expensive than traditional cable and DSL offerings – but can it work for you? Clearwire Corp.’s Clear’s 4G offering is coined as ‘super fast take it with you’ Internet.
I’ve been working with the Clear modem instead of a traditional Internet service for about a year-and-a-half and have recently worked with Clear’s Mobile USB device for my Internet needs from streaming videos to updating websites.
Hard costs
Clear device costs currently offer multiple options from leases as low as $5 per month through a $120 purchase. There are two-year contracts, refurbished devices, and activation fees to save money or avoid contracts. The company has a 30-day return policy with no penalties for all offerings. I purchased my modem for $60 over a year ago with a two-year contract. I recently purchased my USB device for $40 with the contract.
Service costs
Clear service plans run between $20 per month through $85 per month for a 200 Megabyte basic data plan to an unlimited data plan with Clear Voice (Voice Over IP for phone service). Cool icons on its website say you can’t ‘take it with you’ until you’re paying at least $45 per month or more and you can’t use Clear Voice on plans less than $55 per month. There are also a lot of bundles as confusing as any mobile plan out there including a reference to preset speed caps with no explanation.
Stationary modem
The Clear modem provides stationary Internet service for your home or office, claiming average download speeds up to 3 Megabits per second and 6 Mbps and upload speeds up to 1 Mbps. Compatible plans include ‘home Internet’ and ‘Clear Voice.” This device does not support Clearwire’s ‘take it with you’ plan, though I have personally taken it with me and it worked.
The modem is a relatively easy setup to one computer with an Ethernet cable. Plug the power to the wall, the network cable to your computer, and answer a few setup questions. You might be on the web within a few minutes as long as the modem has a signal, which can be an issue. Adding wireless access increases setup complexity no more than other providers such as cable or dsl.
Coverage
Clear coverage exists basically in large cities and metropolitan areas throughout the United States. The company’s coverage map (clear.com/coverage) zoomed out nationwide appears to be solid throughout most major cities. Zoom in tight to different areas and you can see the many holes where it has not leased towers.
Reliability Improving
My personal experience with Clear sevice during the past 1.5 years has improved from rebooting sometimes two to three times per day to about two to three times per month. Placing the modem on different sides of the room helps or hurts.
Speed
Overall, Clear is not as reliably fast as cable and DSL services that I’ve used. I usually get 2 Mbps to 3 Mbps downloads and less than 1 Mbps upload speeds though faster bursts are not unusual. My Clear experience is significantly faster than dial up and noticeably slower than cable or DSL. For example, most streaming videos play all the way through but some occasionally stop to buffer.
Clear is a cheap, simple, wire-free and mobile solution for broadband-like speeds, depending on how you define broadband. Personal experience and other real-world reviews indicate it may not be best for mission-critical solutions but it has worked fine for my basic Internet needs.
