RSSWiMAX not living up to customers' expectations
By Tim Conneally | Published September 18, 2009, 1:46 PM
In the midst of my own Comcast outage today, I began to contemplate the alternatives to my current cable Internet connection and the satisfaction of customers elsewhere. Being a Baltimore native, I'm fortunate enough to have a number of options at my disposal, including WiMAX. It's a technology that I've frequently covered here at Betanews, and one which we've been following for a long time.
For a little while, we had a WiMAX connection in our headquarters and I was using it without even being aware of a difference. I probably wouldn't have even found out if Nate hadn't asked me what wireless network I was connected to one day and informed me that it was actually our Sprint/Xohm WiMAX test line.
Unfortunately, WiMAX users in the rest of the US are acutely aware of their connection, DSLReports noted this week. Sprint's joint WiMAX partner Clearwire has launched networks in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Georgia, Nevada, and Texas; and users from each of these areas has expressed disappointment on DSLReports' forums.
Even though we'd get a consistent 2 Mbps downstream signal from our Baltimore WiMAX network, A number of Clearwire users are reporting much lower speeds and much more inconsistent coverage. Have a look at some of the Speed Tests that users submitted:
These speed tests came from users on their home networks, which Clear.com says has average speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps with bursts over 10 Mbps (with the very clear caveat "Actual Performance May Vary.")
Some users report solid speeds in Atlanta, Amarillo, and Las Vegas, but users with poor connections and low speeds are certainly speaking out more vociferously.
How's your connection?
Say what you want about WiMAX but to say that Clearwire customers in general are disappointed in their service is misleading. I live in Atlanta and have been using their home and mobile devices and have been very saisfied. Download and upload speeds have been great and I would recommend Clearwire to anyone.
Consumers, don't rule Clearwire out.
Score: -1
|Since when has ANY wireless technology lived up to everyone's expectations? Ever since the days of AMPS, carriers keep promising "fewer dropped calls" and "fewer dead zones." Fewer than what? Fewer than the many which you previously claimed we would never experience in the first place?
Wireless is wireless. There are times and places and conditions in which [insert any wireless technology] works as advertised, and others in which it simply doesn't. Whether the letdown is in the form of slower speeds, dropped connections, or missing service, letdowns will always be there. AT&T was right to say that if your life depends on truly reliable communication, you need to keep a wire handy.
Score: 0
|I work in SeaTac Washington and I've been using Clearwire for a work connection (construction site; not cost effective for DSL or cable) for almost 2 years now and have found it pretty good. I can stream music, watch a news video clip or 2 and get what I need for my job. If I have a problem (once a week?) I just unplug my router for 10 seconds or so and I'm back up.
Would I use it at home? Maybe, but my cable is way faster. It's all about convenience.
Score: -1
|I'm in Boise and I switched from our local cable company internet. I have to say, right now, I'm not too impressed. Waiting it out. My download has been averaging about 1.5 Mbps.
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|You should do some homework. None of the slower markets you reference are WiMAX but were a pre-WiMAX buildout by CLWR. All of the markets you say report good speeds are WiMAX. Sloppy
Score: 1
|Not exactly an indication that it's not working well, especially if you factor in any nearby interference. Of course like any other network there can be moments it is turtle slow. The real questions are when is it happening, where and how often in those areas. Time for a more thorough field test!
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|"Can you ping me now?"™
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|Portland Clear has been pretty good to me. I noticed there appears to be a reset issued from time to time, still not sure what's going on there. In the last month I've gotten maybe 2 of these and for the next hour(s), no Internet. Not a pattern however, before last month, it was stable for months.
Overall though it's been decent. No real complaints.
Score: -1
|Very interesting..Way to ping servers hundreds of miles away. Sitting in a parking garage someplace doing speed tests? Personally I have Wimax devices that are getting at least 6Mbps DL and 1Mbps UL.
Score: -1
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