Clearwire Preps WiMax For NYC And LAClearwire Preps WiMax For NYC And LA

Clearwire and its partner Sprint have already stated that New York City and Los Angeles will gain WiMax coverage at some point this year. The companies have been hinting via channels such as Twitter that WiMax is coming "soon." Looks like "soon" more closely resembles "now."

According to PC Mag, Clearwire has commenced sales of 3G/4G modems in the NYC and LA metro areas. These devices are being sold to "early adopters" looking to jump onto WiMax before the full roll-outs take place. Clearwire has made clear to those early adopters that WiMax is not 100% operational in these markets, but some towers are up and running and it's possible that users will find signal in and around town.

Further, Clearwire is building a branded retail store in at the Queens Center Mall in Queens, N.Y. Clearwire confirmed, "In addition, during this construction phase, owners of Clear 4G devices may also experience 4G coverage while traveling to other cities that Clearwire plans to launch commercially later this year, including: San Francisco; Tampa, Miami, and Orlando, Fla.; Nashville, Denver, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh."

How much will everything cost? Well, the equipment prices vary, but unlimited service will cost $35 for the first two months, and then $55 per month for the 22 months remaining on the mandatory two-year contract. Clearwire insists that unlimited means unlimited. There is no 5GB monthly data cap as there is on Sprint's 3G network.

Speaking of Sprint, Sprint is Clearwire's partner in WiMax crime. Does that mean Sprint's WiMax-enabled devices are for sale in the Big Apple and City of Angels? Well, yes and no. Users can purchase handsets such as the HTC EVO 4G and Epic 4G, but they won't necessarily have access to WiMax until the formal launch in those markets.

Until Sprint officially gets around to announcing it, you may as well pretend that WiMax doesn't quite exist in NYC or LA just yet.