Clearwire Launches 4G WiMAX for Silicon Valley Developers

Clearwire announced on Tuesday the launch of a 4G WiMAX application test environment for the software development community in Silicon Valley. The new CLEAR 4G WiMAX Innovation Network, a developer network, comes as a precursor of the 2010 commercial launch of the service in the San Francisco Bay Area and provides coverage for over 20 square miles in Santa Clara, Mountain View and areas of downtown Palo Alto, California.

“We see tremendous potential for true, mobile broadband to act as the catalyst for new and compelling Internet applications that leverage our 4G bandwidth, free of the confines associated with wired connections,” said John Saw, chief technology officer of Clearwire. “Our goal is to harness the concentration of developer talent in Silicon Valley and accelerate the pace at which these disruptive services are being developed.”

In addition to announcing the launch of the new developer network, Clearwire also said that more companies would join forces with it in the 4G application development initiative. According to it, Bright House, Comcast, Sprint, and Time Warner Cable are the newcomers, which will add to the already existing supporters, including Cisco, Intel and Google. While Intel and Google received WiMAX coverage with the launch in Silicon Valley, Cisco's campus will be covered during the following months through network expansions.

Clearwire also stated that developers should expect to experience peak download speeds of up to 10 Mbps, yet the average download speeds will be of 3 to 6 Mbps. Even so, the speeds WiMAX can deliver are much higher than those available through today's 3G wireless networks, which usually range from 600 kbps to 1.4 Mbps. A limited number of developers will receive the 4G service for free, the company added.

In order to enjoy access to Clearwire's network, developers will have to purchase a Clearwire WiMAX USB modem, which is priced at $49.99. At the same time, developers can choose other WiMAX devices available on the market, such as the Samsung Mondi or WiMAX-embedded Intel-based PCs. Those who are interested in Clearwire's offering should register for its developer program here and come up with WiMAX ideas.