4G strategy gets clear

[Kobe Wadsworth]

With yet another launch of clear services in Atlanta, and the aggressive marketing of apple, with there price dropping of the iphone,in the same 48 hours of the palm pre launch. There just wanting to keep subscribers under contract. As there subscriber base were coming up for renewal, and to take the steam out of sprint sales, as well as to keep there base from shifting carriers. This is aggressive marketing.
I find most people use there Iphones for data , like 80% data and 20% phone and somewhere in that mix, gaming. Now Clear your in a position to do some aggressive marketing as well, there were a lot of these phones sold, and these people aren't with AT&T for fun, they are there because of that device known as iphone,
Do you think that AT&T is concerned that subscribers will take there 3G phones 4G, well they can. Do you think subscribers on 3G know they can take those iphones over to 4G, I would say no. They also don't know they can enjoy 7 times the speed of 3G. It's your time to shine Clear, get aggressive with your marketing, I think you will be surprised at how many of these users will make the switch. You have a niche, That is your 4G, and they aren't.

[Kobe Wadsworth]

I think that Comcast will be a tuff bunch to beat in the near future, with it's ability to bring more than 160mbps in the home, I think we can call that 4G ++, and offer wireless connectivity, with a dual mode Wimax / wifi / docsis 3.0 play. Things are certainley speeding up.

[Kobe Wadsworth]

There is plenty of news to come very soon form this Wimax eoho space, as Clear starts lighting up more ctiy's with RF, every one was takeing a wate and see approach, to see wether or not there was going to be any kind of build out, and Clear made that clear, with it's recent news, 10 more city's by september, 80 by the end of 2010. I think we are in for some really neat technology to break very soon.

[Alan J Weissberger]

Those links are interpretations of the Cisco press release, which states the following:

CLEAR 4G Devices for a Connected Life

Future Cisco converged WiMAX and Wi-Fi enabled devices are targeted to include products from Cisco's world-class Linksys® by Cisco line of consumer routers. Cisco will also look to expand its WiMAX portfolio with the growth of the CLEAR 4G network across the United States. Cisco and Clearwire will jointly develop and implement go-to-market plans that will benefit from Cisco's extensive distribution channels and presence with consumers and businesses of any size, which will assist to enhance and expand CLEAR mobile WiMAX services throughout the United States.

http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2009/prod_051309b.html

There is no mention if the so called devices will have embedded WiMAX air interfaces or radios. In talking with the Cisco/ Linksys Sr. Product Manager, I learned that Cisco has not current plans to do that. They plan to wait and see demand develop after more CLEAR roll outs. So I am sure that no native mode WiMAX devices will be provided by Cisco by the end of this year, as the articles you referred to state.

[Kobe Wadsworth]

http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=176643 http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217400753&subSection=All+Stories

[Alan J Weissberger]

To the best of my knowledge there is no deal for Cisco to develop WiMAX handsets for Clearwire or anyone else. I don't even expect the WiFi routers from Linksys to have an integrated WiMAX radio or air interface.

I;d love for you to prove to me that I'm wrong and that there will be devices from Cisco or other companies for CLEAR. Please post the links to such announcements here.

Thanks

alan

[Kobe Wadsworth]

I can remember only two years ago, when some of the conversations surrounding wimax was, it's best suited for backhaul. we've come a long way. The hype is that clear is the only player, with nation wide aspirations in the us, Clear has made the right move with it's partnership in cisco to develop handsets for it's network. sure it's a move they could have made a year earlier, there wimax plans were still in ink drying mode. And with all the other hype around devices, they probably thought those devices would be ready, just like the rest of us.

[Alan J Weissberger]

Osayi,

You evaluate a new network's success by the total number of subscribers and revenue for the network operator. Real money- not a loss leader!!!! The big market is in hand helds not in fixed access. Look at smart phones, netbooks and notebooks compared to land line phones and desktop PCs. Where's the growth coming from?

Regarding India, why do you think it might be important for WiMAX considering the number of potential mobile subscribers and the lack of broadband infrastructure thruout the country. Do a Google search on "Wimax in India- Weissberger" and you will get several hundred hits!!!

Kobe,

Agree with your statement, "work with what you have for now" but the network operator, in this case Clearwire, has to build on that by being more aggressive in making Mobile (not fixed) WiMax an attractive value propostion for potential subscribers. The rest will not take care of itself if there are no mobile devices available. OK, this is the end of the line for me. I can't continue to be a broken record.

[Kobe Wadsworth]

I'm going to call it 4G, since it is the faster of the two, and the best solution thus far, hear in the US. And you Alan, are in a position to answer that question before me as to why there aren't devices for 802-16e, I'm just thinking that work with what you have for now, and the rest will take care of itself. You know build it and they will come.

[Osayi Igharo]

Personally, I think it is inaccurate for Clearwire or anyone to call Clear (or any other 802.16e-based network) a 4G mobile network; especially considering that it does not fall within ITU's definition of a 4G mobile network.

That said, I am not looking at Clear as a 4G mobile network, but merely as an Internet service, like those provided by cablecos. If smartphone users, say, would rather get online using WiFi while at home and even when up and about than a 3G cellular network, I think this presents an opportunity for an ISP like Clearwire to jump on.

A lot of resources have gone into lighting up the Clear network. It would be a shame for the network to lay idle instead of churning out some revenue at least until 802.16m (or whatever the 4G mobile WiMAX network will be called) comes around.

Alan, could you shed more light on your last point? I'm curious: How do you evaluate mobile WiMAX's success or failure in the countries you mentioned? Why is India most important?

[Alan J Weissberger]

To re-iterate, I think Clearwire's 4G strategy has gotten more foggy and less clear!

Let me ask all of you again: How can you have a "4G mobile WiMAX" network WITHOUT any mobile devices?????? Do you consider the Clearspot + USB dongle + netbook or iPhone with embedded WiFi a single handheld device? Who's kidding whom? There is way too much hype around Clearwire, perhaps because Intel and Sprint have invested so much money in the firm.

I recommend you read the comment posted below this article: http://www.wimax360.com/profiles/blogs/mobility-in-the-spotlight-at

I continue to pound the table by saying that people should look outside the U.S. to determine the success or failure of "mobile WiMAX." Specifically, that means UQ in Japan, Taiwan's nationwide WiMAX network, South Korea, Russia, and last but most imporant of all- INDIA!!!!!