Clearwire Corporation , a leading provider of wireless broadband services and operator of the first 4G network in the country, today announced the availability of CLEAR(R) 4G, take-it-with-you internet service for businesses and consumers in Sacramento. With CLEAR, anyone can now use the internet at speeds four times faster than 3G* — whether at home, in the office, or on-the-go within CLEAR coverage.

In Sacramento, CLEAR covers nearly 1.2 million people. Regionally, service extends out to Davis to the West, to Elk Grove in the South, to Roseville/Folsom out to the East and Natomas to the North. A detailed coverage map of CLEAR 4G service is available at www.clear.com/coverage.

“Whether as a critical link for the Pony Express or for the first transcontinental railroad, Sacramento has long been at the forefront of this country’s ever-growing need to communicate. With today’s launch, Sacramento reinforces its historical position as a communications hub and becomes the anchor to Clearwire’s 4G network in the Central Valley,” said Allan Lamb, regional general manager for CLEAR. “For the first time, capital city consumers are able to access the content they normally enjoy at home or work wirelessly around Sacramento at an affordable price and without data limits.”

For a limited time, new customers can take advantage of CLEAR’s online-only mobile internet promotion to receive a 50% discount on their service plan for the first two months, with overnight shipping included and no activation fee. This promotion is available at www.clear.com/sacramento.

A CLEAR Difference

The CLEAR experience is similar to Wi-Fi but without the short-range limitations. CLEAR uses wireless 4G technology that differs from Wi-Fi because it provides service areas measured in miles, not feet. CLEAR also offers average mobile download speeds of 3 to 6 mbps with bursts over 10 mbps.* Outside the CLEAR 4G service area, dual-mode 4G/3G modems keep users continually connected by leveraging Sprint’s 3G data network.

With CLEAR, people stay better connected and more productive. For example:

A travelling business executive no longer needs to seek out Wi-Fi hotspots or be constrained by the speeds and limitations of 3G modem cards; A college student can now have affordable internet service whether at home, on campus or on-the-go; A commuter can now work on large files or stream their favorite shows while riding the bus or train; A busy parent can now keep kids occupied studying or playing games in the back of the family minivan.

Unlike service plans from traditional wireless carriers which cap data usage, CLEAR offers unlimited 4G usage plans that do not require long-term service contracts. In most markets unlimited 4G coverage from CLEAR starts at $35 for the home while unlimited mobile plans start as low as $45. Bundled service plans such as Home and Voice start at $50 per month.

Simply Plug-In and Go

Clearwire offers several ways to connect to CLEAR 4G services — via a modem, mobile device, or a 4G-embedded laptop or netbook.

Clear Spots(R): Clear Spots are personal mobile hotspots that allow users to easily and securely share unlimited internet access anywhere CLEAR has coverage simultaneously with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The Clear Spot 4G brings 4G to Wi-Fi devices such as laptops, smartphones, and portable gaming devices. The Clear Spot 4G+ allows power users and road warriors to stay connected across the U.S. by automatically switching from 4G and connecting to Sprint’s 3G nationwide network outside the 4G coverage area. The iSpot(TM) is made exclusively for Apple mobile devices** including the iPad(TM), iPod touch(R) and iPhone(R). The Clear Spot 4G and iSpot each cost $99 or the Clear Spot 4G can be leased for $5 a month. The Clear Spot 4G+ costs $225 or can be leased for $9 per month. Clear Spots can be purchased at www.clear.com/spot and from CLEAR stores and authorized dealers.

Clear 4G+ Mobile USB: Mobile users simply plug-in the compact Clear 4G+ Mobile USB into their laptop to get online. This dual-mode 4G/3G modem gives users access to the 4G network in the CLEAR coverage area and to 3G coverage nationwide. The Clear 4G+ Mobile USB costs $115 or can be leased monthly for $6.

Home Modems: For residential service, CLEAR offers a wireless high-speed modem. Customers simply plug the modem into a power outlet anywhere in their home or office and connect the modem to their PC or wireless router. This enables consumers and businesses to easily install high-speed internet service without scheduling an appointment, drilling holes in their walls, or otherwise disrupting their day. The Clear Home Modem can be purchased for $85 or leased for $5 monthly.

Embedded 4G WiMAX Laptops: Customers can also select from more than 45 different 4G WiMAX-ready laptops and netbooks with Intel(R) Core(TM) or Atom(TM) processors and the embedded Intel(R) wireless module Advanced-N + WiMAX from leading manufacturers including Dell, HP, Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, Samsung, Gateway, and Asus. All of these operate on CLEAR, and more than 20 of these 4G WiMAX-ready laptops are now available at Best Buy stores and at www.bestbuy.com.

CLEAR 4G products and services are available for purchase by going online at www.clear.com/sacramento, calling 1-877-499-6681, or visiting a CLEAR retail store or other authorized CLEAR dealer. A CLEAR retail store is located at Market Square at Arden Mall in Sacramento. CLEAR service is also available from other outlets including Best Buy, RadioShack and Fry’s Electronics.

Clearwire’s 4G Network in 2010

CLEAR 4G service is currently available in 63 markets across the United States, including: Sacramento, Merced, Visalia, Modesto and Stockton, Calif.; New Haven and Hartford, Conn.; central Washington, D.C.; Wilmington, Del.; Tampa Bay, Orlando, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Fla.; Atlanta and Milledgeville, Ga.; Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii; Boise, Idaho; Chicago, Ill.; Boston, Mass.; Baltimore, Md.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo.; Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro, N.C.; Trenton and New Brunswick, N.J.; New York, Syracuse and Rochester, N.Y.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Salem, Portland and Eugene, Ore.; Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Reading, Lancaster and York, Pa.; Providence, R.I.; Nashville, Tenn.; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Waco and Wichita Falls, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Richmond, Va.; Seattle, Tri-Cities, Yakima and Bellingham, Wash. By the end of 2010, CLEAR 4G will also be available in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Denver, Miami, Cincinnati and Cleveland.

For more information about CLEAR, visit www.clear.com/sacramento or The CLEAR Blog www.theclearblog.com. You can also follow CLEAR information on Twitter at @Clear. Information about Clearwire is available at http://www.clearwire.com. For press and broadcast: images, video and company logos are available from the Clearwire Newsroom at www.clearwire.com/newsroom. To subscribe to Clearwire’s RSS news feed, click here.

About Clearwire

Clearwire Corporatio, through its operating subsidiaries, is a leading provider of wireless broadband services. Clearwire’s 4G network currently provides coverage in areas of the U.S. where approximately 101 million people live, and the company plans to continue to expand its 4G coverage. Clearwire’s open all-IP network, combined with significant spectrum holdings, provides an unprecedented combination of speed and mobility to deliver next generation broadband access. The company markets its 4G service through its own brand called CLEAR(R) as well as through its wholesale relationships with Sprint, Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Strategic investors include Intel Capital, Comcast, Sprint, Google, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. Clearwire is headquartered in Kirkland, Wash. Additional information is available at www.clearwire.com.

*Speed claims based on download speeds only. Actual performance may vary and is not guaranteed. CLEAR performance claim is based on average download user speeds achieved during tests performed on the CLEAR commercial network by CLEAR. Other carrier performance based on their advertised claims.

**Apple does not endorse Clearwire products or services and is not affiliated with Clearwire.

Unlimited plans subject to CLEAR’s Acceptable Use Policy, posted at www.clear.com/legal/aup.

Clearwire, CLEAR, and the CLEAR logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Clearwire Communications LLC in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Filed under:Mobile  Tagged with:
 

Starhome, a company specializing in a wide variety of roaming services and solutions has announced that BARG (Billing and Accounting Roaming Group) of the GSM Association (GSMA) has determined that the company’s Gateway Location Register (GLR) solution is not an Anti-SoR (Anti Steering of Roaming) solution and cannot be considered as a hostile means to maintain roamers in an operator’s network.

According to Starhome COO, Shlomo Wolfman, operators can now feel confident of using Starhome’s Gateway Location Register as a means to increase their inbound market share.

Starhome has always maintained that its Gateway Location Register is a legitimate solution to manage and optimize operator’s inbound roaming traffic. The company is happy that BARG has confirmed this.

Filed under:Mobile Marketing  Tagged with:
 

Dace fashion brand has unveiled a universal shopping application for Apple’s iPad and iPhone.

The app features a presentation of the spring 2010 clothing line of the designer, latest brand video, store finder to help consumers find boutiques that sell dace clothing and social sharing via email and Facebook, as well as the designer Dace Moore’s Twitter feed.

According to Adele Tetangco, marketing and accounts manager at dace, Vancouver, the company never thought of creating an app until Sprella contacted them and introduced them to the idea.

Sprella believes this provides a glimpse of the future of the iPad as an excellent platform for shopping and commerce.

Filed under:Mobile Marketing  Tagged with:
 

In order to provide its operator faster, more efficient mobile Internet services, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has unveiled an upgrade to its core mobile network technology. The upgrade allows operators to offload Internet traffic at an optimal point in the network typically close to an Internet peering point in order to minimize the distance it is transmitted. This saves transport and traffic processing costs.

According to Matti Palomaki, Head of Packet Core Product Management at NS, operators typically need to deploy relatively costly servers to process mobile data traffic. The new approach of the company allows a high volume of Internet traffic, or any operator-specified traffic, to bypass these processing servers and legacy packet core gateway nodes (GGSNs).

In her opinion, in the era of Smartphone-induced data growth, such offloading” of traffic can deliver significant savings in next-generation HSPA and LTE networks.

Traffic offload can be deployed across Nokia Siemens Networks’ Flexi Network Gateway (NG) and as a simple software upgrade to the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN). The Flexi NG and SGSN are key elements of Nokia Siemens Networks’ evolved packet core (EPC). Traffic offload can be deployed in both distributed and centralized gateways in 2G, 3G or LTE networks. The first phase of traffic offload is already available.

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Absolut Vodka has launched Drinkspiration app for Android. The application is defined as an interactive encyclopedia of recipes” and it combines the latest mobile technology with GPS, Twitter and Facebook to Google’s Android operating system.

The basic aim of this application is to help a user in finding and sharing drink recommendation based on a variety of conditions including location.With over 400 drink recipes, it will give an individual an all-encompassing gateway to the world of good alcohol.

Drinkspiration by Absolut for Android is available free of cost in the Android Market and there is also a free version of the application in the Apple’s App Store.

According to Fredrick Tallroth, senior manager of interactive marketing at the Absolut Co Stockholm, Sweden, the company wanted Drinkspiration by Absolut to be available for a larger audience and not only for iPhone users.

Filed under:Mobile Marketing  Tagged with:
 

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The mobile broadband war on Hong Kong is now spreading its wings to fixed-line sector with two telcos betting on 3.5G as a DSL substitute.

The trend was started by SmarTone-Vodafone with its Home Broadband and Phone service, leveraging its HSPA network against PCCW’s voice/fixed-broadband package. This was followed by Telstra-owned CSL which made a similar move with Next G Lifestyle Home Broadband under its one2free brand.

Both the service offers a wireless gateway that uses 7.2-Mbps HSPA as the last mile link and the customers can connect to the gateway either via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable besides plugging in analog phones for voice calls.

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Bharti, Ericsson in Expansion Deal

Bharti Airtel has signed a $1 billion (approximately Rs 4,500 crores) network expansion contract with Ericsson, a Swedish telecom equipment maker.Under this contract, Bharti Airtel will expand and upgrade its GSM and GPRS network, as well as managed services. The deal will enable Bharti Airtel to rapidly extend its GSM footprint in the country, and increase its network capacity.

The three-year services agreement will see Ericsson manage design, development, and deployment of Airtel’s network, including capacity and coverage, enabling the operator to expand in rural India, and reach out to all towns and cities in around 15 regions.Speaking at the occasion, Manoj Kohli, president, Bharti Airtel, said that their partnership with Ericsson allows them to focus on delivering better customer experience, even as they leverage the world-class expertise of their partners to roll out their networks across all census towns by March 2007.

Kohli said that they are also sourcing next generation products that will allow them to deliver innovative products and services to customers.

The contract also involves Ericsson upgrading the Airtel network with mobile softswitch (Media Gateway and MSC server), the solution that paves the way to an all-IP network. Bharti Airtel will be able to cut operational costs, and introduce new services in a cost-efficient way.

The scope of the agreement extends to 15 Airtel circles of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, UP (East and West), Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, and the North East.

In a statement, Mats Granryd, managing director, Ericsson India, said that rollout speed plays an extremely important role in large expansions of this nature, and that Ericsson has demonstrated expertise in this area. They are honored and pleased that Bharti Airtel has chosen them as a partner to expand its coverage across the country, particularly in untapped rural areas.

Source- http://www.techtree.com

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