4G Blog by 4Ginfo.com

News, info, reviews, and opinions on WiMAX, LTE, Clearwire, XOHM, and Sprint 4G

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

4G WiMAX and LTE Latest Updates

4G-lovers (like us!) have a lot to be excited these days! CLEAR and Sprint now have WiMAX networks launched in 27 cities, Verizon plans to launch LTE soon, new 4G devices have hit the market... read on for a recap of what's been going on in the 4G world over the past few months!


WiMAX and LTE Coverage:

CLEAR and Sprint have announced that they will be adding service this year to Boston, Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. By the end of 2010, Sprint hopes their 4G WiMAX network, currently available in 27 markets, will cover up to 120 million people.

Verizon Wireless has announced more details about their upcoming LTE launch, saying that they plan to launch between 25 and 30 markets this year but will double that to 50-60 markets by the end of 2013. LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the high speed data 4G standard adopted by Verizon, At&t, and T-Mobile and has the potential to provide data download speeds of 5-12 Mbps and 2-5Mbps for uploads - Verizon will be the first US carrier to offer LTE and the second to offer 4G.


Some new 4G devices that came out recently include:

-Sprint U301: A dual-mode device that can connect to both Sprint's 4G WiMAX network and their nationwide 3G EVDO Rev-A network - you'll enjoy super-fast 4G speeds where available, and when you travel outside a 4G market, the U301 will automatically connect to Sprint's 3G network! Sprint has also put together a new mobile broadband plan that gives you access to both their 3G and 4G networks at the SAME price as their 3G plan, just $59.99/month! You get the same 5GB of 3G service plus unlimited 4G access - Sprint is essentially giving away their 4G service at no additional charge!

-The Sprint OverDrive (aka Sierra Wireless W801): A mobile hotspot that allows high speed connections to Sprint's nationwide 3G network as well as their faster 4G WiMAX network, for as many as five wireless devices. You can use the same sprint plan that was listed for the Sprint U301.

-CLEAR "Series M" Home Modem: The new "Series M" modem is the successor to the original Home Modem and features an enhanced internal antenna for improved reception. This is only available in some markets.

-CLEAR 4G Mobile USB Modem (PXU1900): This is the successor to the CLEAR USB modem, and offers some nice benefits over the original. Its internal antenna has been improved for better reception, and it consumes much less power.

-CLEAR USB Performance Dock: This is a great accessory for the new PXU1900 USB modem, and the first of its kind for WiMAX! The Performance Dock provides increased signal and performance to the PXU1900, and is super portable and easy to use.


WiMAX Routers

Customers were so excited when we announced that Cradlepoint came out with a new firmware to support the U301 and other new devices on most of their routers. You can read more about the firmware update for MBR1000/MBR900/CTR500 here, and the info for the new firmware for the PHS300 can be viewed here.


Other interesting news and rumors on 4G services and products:


-CLEAR simplified their plans in March, making it more affordable and easier to order than ever.

-Sprint and CLEAR 4G have devices that are Mac Compatible!

-Verizon's first LTE network will launch by the end of 2010 - stay tuned at 4Ginfo for further developments

-Sprint's first 4G phone is rumored to launch this summer and may be manufactured by HTC on the Android operating system, but Sprint has not released any additional information about it.

-Novatel Wireless is working with operators and plans to launch commercial data devices for LTE in late 2010.

-Clearwire is looking at a number of different technologies for their long-term future goals, including WiMAX 2.0


That's all for now, 4G-lovers, but keep coming back for the latest updates at 4ginfo.com, and join in the 4G discussion on the 4G Forums!