Clearwire Offers WiMAX Subscribers Personal Wi-Fi HotspotsClearwire Offers WiMAX Subscribers Personal Wi-Fi Hotspots

Can't find a hotspot? Make your own.

That's the message from WiMax provider Clearwire, which unveiled its Clear Spot Personal Hotspot accessory that enables its WiMax subscribers to create a Wi-Fi hotspot anywhere within Clearwire's coverage area.

The $49 device, manufactured by CradlePoint, connects to a USB modem and provides up to eight Wi-Fi access points that are compatible with standard off-the-shelf Wi-Fi devices.

"Our customers can now easily use their existing Wi-Fi-enabled phones, cameras, game systems, or laptops in compelling new ways," said Scott Richardson, Clearwire's chief strategy officer, in a statement. "We actually welcome the use of heavy-bandwidth data applications that conventional 3G network operators may discourage or simply can't support."

Clearwire, which is 51% owned by Sprint Nextel, is deploying its mobile WiMax city by city across the United States. Baltimore and Portland, Ore., are the first two city installations, and Clearwire has said it anticipates more rapid deployments.

In a sense, the WiMax rollout is a race against Long Term Evolution technology, which is the infrastructure of choice for AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the two largest mobile phone service providers. Verizon is preparing to begin its LTE rollout later this year.

Clearwire said its mobile WiMax service can deliver download speeds of up to 4 Mbps "to any Wi-Fi devices used in conjunction with Clear Spot." The Clear Spot offering can connect users of many smartphones to the Internet faster than the connections embedded in the phones, Clearwire said, naming the iPhone, some BlackBerry smartphones, and some Windows Mobile phones as examples. The Clearwire service is available for $30 a month.

The concept of personal Wi-Fi hotspots isn't entirely new, although it has been slow to take off. CradlePoint announced its $179 PHS300 in 2007 for use with higher-speed cell phone wireless networks and selected USB modems. Also, the Netherlands' Morose Media has been offering its software application, WMWifiRouter, which turns many smartphone and laptop models into personal hotspots. The service is available for a one-time charge of $29.90.

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