Sprint CEO: Our 4G Strategy Is WiMAX, Full Stop!

 

“Our 4G strategy is WiMAX, full stop,” said Dan Hesse, CEO of Overland Park, Kan.-based mobile phone company Sprint. In an interview, Hesse, a 33-year veteran of the telecom industry, said people should ignore all the talk about Sprint switching to LTE.

In this second part of a three-part interview series, Hesse addresses Sprint’s next-generation wireless broadband options, the future of Clearwire and what it plans to do with the spectrum that will free up when the company eventually shuts down Nextel’s iDen network.....Read the rest of the story

THE RESULTS ARE IN

Here's a link to a speed test using the Clear HotSpot and the iphone.
Check it out     iphone running on 4g

This video shows how much better an iPhone is when running on a 4G vice 3G network. It shows a side-by-side comparison of two iPhones trying to do the same things, but one is connected to Clear using a Clearspot WiFi-WiMAX gateway. To make it even more fun, all the testing is down while driving around.

WIMAX - What does it stand for?

In English    ---- WIFI makes the internet available in a building, WIMAX makes the internet available to cities, indoors and outdoors.
Geekspeak ---- WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access)

Clear Explains Throttling

Clearwire explains new 4G throttling

Clearwire has finally explained the system that manages data on its 4G network, following criticism from customers complaining of throttling. Representative Rob Lenderman has reminded customers that usage data is processed using several algorithms, rather than focusing on certain content or placing a specific cap on monthly data use.

The system is said to be based on current utilization for each tower, while many low-use towers are completely omitted from the program. For high-use towers, throttling will only occur during peak-use times.

A customer's maximum speed is based on the GBs of data transferred in the past seven days and the download speeds for the past 15 minutes. Speeds are recalculated every 15 minutes, at which point a throttled customer will be bumped up to a higher speed. Rather than implementing one speed for throttling, the calculations will move customers between 48 different speed brackets.

"The reality is that a very small percentage of users are being set at very low D/L speeds for hours at a time," said Lenderman. "Our data shows that running a torrent is one of the reasons that people start to experience slower speeds."

Customers have criticized the company for its lack of disclosure regarding the mysterious throttling system that controls the "unlimited" 4G network. An explanation of the algorithms is unlikely to completely quell the unrest, however, as customers still lack specific information surrounding the weekly GB limits before throttling.

Many complaints have focused on the throttle speed, which is said to fall as low as 0.25MB/s in some instances. Lenderman suggests the company is still reviewing its speed policies to ensure usability when watching streaming videos or browsing the web if a connection is throttled. Without using concrete numbers, he suggests users may be throttled to a speed that requires buffering after watching one Netflix movie each night and browsing the Internet for a few hours each day during a week. "This limit is one thing we are evaluating changing."

Aside from the potential policy changes surrounding the throttle speed, the company is also working to upgrade many high-use towers to accommodate heavy traffic. Clear's website will eventually show upgrade information and performance data for each tower.

By Electronista Staff

Read more: http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/10/05/policies.still.under.review/#ixzz11fTfI2en

How WiMax could be the solution for your business

First, there was dial-up. Then there were network cables. More recently, Wi-Fi has taken over.

Now, there's a new contestant in the Internet connection space, 4G WiMax.
WiMax is like Wi-Fi on overdrive.  It has a greater distance of coverage, with wireless networks spanning miles, not just several hundred feet.

WiMax, or a competing standard, LTE, will be responsible for giving us Internet coverage everywhere – from trains, planes, and coffee houses to your business.  As WiMax gains steam, more and more small businesses are turning to it as an Internet solution.
Why are they turning to WiMax?
Companies are using WiMax for coverage, protection, and speed. WiMax is a good solution if service in your area is spotty, or you just want backup for your wireless. WiMax offers a snappy 2-5 Megabits per second.
Other businesses are simply looking to switch from traditional service providers, and WiMax is the new, best thing.
Because WiMax uses licensed radio signals from the government (Wi-Fi relies on unlicensed signals), its coverage is more vast, spanning roughly 10 miles per tower.  This can be appealing for companies that do a lot of business via the web or need to link remote employees to their connections.
The pros:

Perhaps the best benefit for small businesses, besides speed and range, is the ability to have a backup connection. Right now, if your company loses power due to a storm or an unexpected disaster, your Internet goes down.  If WiMax is backing up your company, your Internet connection won't be interrupted, which will save productivity and in some cases protects the consumer experience.

There is only a limited number of WiMax towers, but that won't be an issue for long.  Clearwire is a backer of this new technology, and it wants to bring WiMax nationwide.  If all goes according to plan, small businesses, and every company for that matter, can expect to receive their Internet connections with the speed of wired broadband and the convenience of mobile access.
It could completely change (and improve) your home office and business experience by making Internet available quickly, anytime, anywhere.
The cons:

As previously noted, there is a limited number of WiMax towers. WiMax is still expanding, with 53 cities operating on it so far. This obviously limits its range and capabilities.  As more WiMax locations come online, its adoption will accelerate.
According to smSmallBiz.com, "While providers are working on products to enhance WiMax, wider coverage and true mobility won't be realized until the larger players -- Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp. -- build out their networks."
Also, because WiMax is fairly new, it isn't as widely tested as older technologies. Affordability may be an issue due to switching costs.
The bottom line:
Time will tell on most of these issues.  But overall, small businesses that have tried the new Internet connection have been pleased with the results. Small business Silver Star Motors made the switch, and they've been happy with the decision. "[Our Internet has] never gone down since," says their IT manager.
Once a few more towers go up, it may be time to evaluate making the switch at your company, too.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-wimax-can-be-a-solution-for-your-business-2010-9#ixzz10sGhfZ60

Why WiMax ?

3 Ways WiMax Will Affect Mobile App Development

By Alex Williams / September 24, 2010 9:00 AM /

WiMax promises faster speeds for a variety of mobile devices. With those faster speeds comes a number of impacts for the end user.

 

Big Video and More

Hardware will have to change to keep up with the increased broadband connections. This means that we will see more powerful cameras and better video capabilities. Chips in these devices will provide the capability for better video quality and much faster processing. What will come of this are new apps that provide image editing and better live video streams, and augmented reality apps that show multiple layers of information about our streets, stores and homes.

Gaming

The game console my son uses allows him to spend hours playing games with his buddies on the other side of town. WiMax will bring that same level of quality to a mobile device and similar levels of interactivity. Muliti-player games are all the rage for teenagers. Once they start, they never turn back. Muli-player games on mobile devices will provide an experience that will make the old, single-player style seem antiquated. App developers that build mulit-player games will be in high demand as more devices provide the capability for people to get the same experience riding across town in a bus as in their living room.

Productivity

Collaboration these days is pretty much reserved for the laptop or the desktop. We can watch an activity stream on our mobile device and add to the conversation. But editing documents with other people on mobile devices is a whole other matter. It's slow and cumbersome. We'll see far more apps that allows us to work with files in a more engaging ways on a mobile device. From there, look for co-editing to become part of the equation.
Is there potential for a virtual reality experience with avatars you control to do work through your mobile device? Seems like it.

4G Informational Event

Join us for our first informational event.
Learn about the 4G+ Clear Mobile Hotspot

Thursday, September 23, 2010
6PM Hangar Restaurant, St. Pete
540 1st SE, St. Petersburg FL
RSVP at PuckEvent@techtranco.com

Be the first on your block to learn about this new and exciting technology
For more information email gschro@techtranco.com